How To Change Gravel?

[Ginty]

I want to change gravel as i feel mine is too big for plants and too rough for corydoras.
I want some mega fine soft gravel.

Whats the best way to do this when i dont have a spare tank to put my fish in?

I have an idea but wanted to check it wouldnt harm my tank or fish.
First i was going to prepare a 1/4 of new gravel (rinse properly to get out any dust) take a 1/4 of my old gravel out. Put in the new 1/4.
The reason im doing this is to save the bacteria that has build up in my gravel. Leave it a week or two to build up some bacteria in the new gravel. Then repeat the process 4 times so that ill end up with new gravel. I realise this will take a month or two, but if it will save me from harming the water and bacteria then thats what ill do.


What do you think guys?

Will it work?

Or please give me another method that wont be too harsh on my fish. ( PLEASE BARE IN MIND I DONT HAVE A SPARE TANK OR SPARE FILTER)

Thanks for taking the time to read this

 

[Alasse]

Personally i would just move the fish and filter to a suitable container (doesnt have to be an actual tank)
 
Dump the water, remove the gravel, add new substrate. Refill, dechlorinate, get it close to temp, either add warm water or add heater and wait, put filter back in, add fish

 

[ShinySideUp]

While there are bacteria in the gravel, their contribution to overall tank health is dwarfed by the action in the filter and shouldn't be of prime concern. I am at present changing from gravel to sand but I'm afraid my method might not work for you; more of that in a moment.
 
Of greater concern when moving old gravel out of the tank is pollution caused by lifting all that old muck-filled substrate without controlling the crap released into the water and depending on how long your old gravel has been in the tank, there may be a lot of crap.
 
I have been using a siphon to get my old gravel out in conjunction with a hosepipe. I fill the siphon with tank water and lift it up such that the water runs out through the hose (into the drain outside) and do this a couple of times until I have built up the siphon effect. I then dig the siphon into the gravel and suck up as much as I can to fill the siphon tube. I put a small bucket in the tank and as I lift the siphon up, the gravel starts to fall out and I quickly move it over the bucket and it falls into that. I do this several times and once the bucket is full of gravel I hoik it out and dispose of it, then it's back to the start. This has the effect of removing the gravel and also keeping the muck to a minimum as it goes out down the drain.
 
Now your problem is going to be that the gravel you presently have may be too big and heavy to be lifted up into a siphon tube and if that turns out to be the case then I can only suggest you use a scoop of some sort and have a siphon running at the same time close by so as to suck out the muck that is going to be released.
 
If your gravel is not that old then you may not have much rubbish in there so you might be ok to just scoop it out.
 
In any event, don't be concerned with the gravel bacteria, it doen't make that much difference.

 

[Byron]

As one who has changed the substrate in all my tanks several times over the years, and most recently all of them within two years when I went to sand, I would strongly advise changing the entire tank at one go.  This eliminates the detrimental issues others have mentioned, causes less stress on fish overall, and allows you to re-aquascape the tank as a whole.
 
You don't mention the tank size, but it is wise to have a spare tank for emergencies, and a 20g is what I use.  Temporarily, with the filter from the main tank running in the spare, you can hold a fair number of fish safely.  And it is far less stressful on them.  The filter and heater from the main tank will suffice while the fish are in the spare tank; a cover can be a hood or just a sheet of glass.  Fish do jump when excited, so it is wise to cover the tank in situations like here.
 
You mentioned corys, so I would forget gravel and go with soft sand.  Corys like to sift sand through their gills, and this is not possible with gravel; sand also does not wear down their barbels (provided it is not rough).  I use play sand which the corys seem to enjoy, and it looks natural.  Very inexpensive compared to any specifically aquarium sand/gravel.
 
Byron.

 

[Ginty]

My tank is 110litres. I have 4platties.3 danios 2 swortails and 2 guppies.

I havent got room for a spare tank. Will i be able to use a couple of buckets to store my fish?
And is it wise to use most of the water i take out to store the fish back into the tank when ive added the new gravel?

id like to get sand but do you lose some.every time you syphon/ clean the bottom of your tank?

One last thing, as soon as ive laid all the new substrate is it ok to add all fish straight away because ive seen videos on youtube that say leave it 24 hrs etc??

Thanks for all your help guys. I wont just jump into this. Im finding out as much as can before i do it.

 

[Alasse]

Yep buckets will be fine. keep the filter in a bucket also, running would be good, but at the least keep it wet.

If there is a vast difference in PH between your old water and the new to be added it may be wise to keep at least some of the old water. If there is very little difference i wouldnt bother keeping the old water.
 
Pool Filter Sand - this stuff can be gravel cleaned the same as gravel If you want the really fine stuff, then yes if you get too close to it, it will siphon out some, but you could siphon into a bucket and just put any sand sucked up back into the tank
 
You do not need to wait 24 hours. When you refill the tank, try to get as close as you can to the temp of the old water holding the fish, dechlorinate the water, add your filter and heater back in and add fish.

 

[Ginty]

I wont be able to use my my filter coz i cant move my tank and the hoses are the right length to just fit in my tank. Could i not just put an air stone in for a couple of hours?

 

[Alasse]

Ahh you have a canister filter? Thats cool, just turn it off, do what ya gotta and then turn it back on

Yep you can airstone the buckets for the fish

 

[Byron]

I agree with Alasse, but would mention a couple things.  I still strongly suggest getting a 20g tank; this doesn't need to be kept running permanently, only for emergencies or as here, temporary.  Mine sits on a shelf in the closet between uses.  If you have space to set two buckets, set the 20g there while you do this.
 
One issue is temperature; smaller volumes of water like the buckets will cool faster.  You do not want the fish cooling down.  And this can take longer than you may anticipate and you don't want to feel rushed.  Start it about half an hour after the tank light comes on (fish need this time to get accustomed) so you can finish it sooner and the fish will be in their new home while it is still "day" and have enough time to settled down before darkness.
 
The water in the temporary holding (tank or buckets) can be the water from the main tank.  When you're finished aquascaping the main tank, use tap water to fill and dechlorinate.  Keeping any decor like wood, rock, etc. wet (I usually put these in the temp tank with the fish so they have cover) it will retain a host of bacteria, so make sure you dechlorinate the water immediately you start filling.
 
I do a partial water change of half the temporary tank when I am ready to move the fish back; this helps to smooth over the change from old to new water.  If you tank and tap water parameters are close that is one thing, but there is a difference in TDS (total dissolved solids) and pathogens between the two.  I don't like taking chances, and the less stress the better.
 
Byron.

 

[Ginty]

I really do understand.what your saying byron. I just havent got any room for the 20g tank. My tank is 110litres.
A 20g tank is roughly 90litres. I was going to a big plastic container with a lid for £5. And when im finished i was just going to throw it. Because like i said i havent got the space for another tank. If i had the room i would have 4 maybe 5 tanks.
I have a small heater that i kept from when i had a 30 litre tank so ill use that in the container and i also have one of the stand up sponge fileters that you run off an air pump.
I was just going to use that if it was ok and safe?

Really appreciate all the replies.

 

[Alasse]

That will do fine Ginty

I have and still do use buckets to hold fish while i redo their tanks, i also have the plastic storage containers and foam boxes for the larger fish types

 

[DrSlackBladder]

I made the change from gravel to sand in my 100 litre community tank last year, leaving all stock in situ.  I turned off fliter and heater, removed about 30% water, scooped out gravel with a plastic beaker, syphoned another 30% water and muck, refilled with temperature matched treated water, added aquarium sand using the bottle method (search YouTube), turned everything back on, clear tank within a couple of hours.  As long as you work slowly in the tank, the fish will just move out of the way and you can get on with it!  And I agree, corys love the sand........

 

[Ginty]

I made the change from gravel to sand in my 100 litre community tank last year, leaving all stock in situ.  I turned off fliter and heater, removed about 30% water, scooped out gravel with a plastic beaker, syphoned another 30% water and muck, refilled with temperature matched treated water, added aquarium sand using the bottle method (search YouTube), turned everything back on, clear tank within a couple of hours.  As long as you work slowly in the tank, the fish will just move out of the way and you can get on with it!  And I agree, corys love the sand........

I will look into getting sand then because i really do like corys but was given the wrong advice by pets at home. They said i could have them with my current gravel, and they ended up dying because their barbels got damaged and i suppose that stressed them out.

How to you clean your sand?
Do you have to add to out after a clean because you syphon it and lose some??

Can i get a sand that wont get syphoned up?

 

[Byron]

Presumably there will be live plants, so the substrate should generally be left alone.  I have sand in 6 of 7 tanks, and in a couple I run the water changer over the top just to pick up loose debris.  In a couple I don't even do this.
 
Avoid white sand, this is not ideal for fish that expect a dark substrate.  This is one reason I like play sand, it replicates the sands in Amazonia.  And unlike white or black, you do not see detritus.
 
Byron.

 

[ShinySideUp]

Be careful with the bottle method for washing and putting in sand, it does work but not without a couple of pre-washes. I am using a 2 litre milk bottle which I half fill with sand then wash with water a couple of times before using the bottle method to take out the last dust.