Quick question...needs quick answer

[pnyklr3]

I have just switched from gravel to sand, put *less* that half of the gravel in a stocking to seed the new sand. I have my origional bacteria-laden decorations and filter, and the stocking has been in for 2 days. I did a water test, and I still have 0 nitrites and 0 ammonia. I won't risk a mini-cycle to pull out the gravel now, will I?

EDIT: How long will these number take to show up if they were coming along? I should have had readings for ammonia and nitrite by now if they were going to come, right?

 

[tttnjfttt]

You should be fine as long as you didn't have an UGF.

 

[pnyklr3]

Awesome. Yep, no UGF. Had one on a tank that was given to me (also had a HOB...go figure). I decided one day that it was worthless, took it out, and wasdisgutsting!

 

[Ami]

Not meaning to jump into someone else's thread, but I'm about to go and buy some sand for my tank. Currently it's got gravel only but we're picking up some pygmy corys and I want them to be happy in their new home!

I was worried about the possibilities of a mini cycle, but I'm only planning on taking some of the existing gravel out and adding the sand so looks like I should be okay from the answers here.


Ami

Oh - one thing though, should I take the neons out before I add the sand, which will only be in patches, or will they be okay as I'm sure they'll stay out of the way?
tnx

 

[pnyklr3]

Take them out if they sre esily stressed. My fish were stressed out just sitting in the bucket I had them in....not sur how they would have done if I left them in the tank and was constantly moving things around in the tank with my hands.

 

[Teelie]

I would never keep anything in a tank while changing the substrate if possible. The amount of detritus and dust lifted up is going to be nasty. Better to take them out, remove the ornaments, decorations and anything else then do the switch. I never "seeded" my tanks with gravel after changing to sand and suffered no minicycles but I have a lot of filtration running so the bacteria were there to pick up the slack.