Would I Be Making A Mistake

[jiffy]

I have a 3 gal hex tank setup with a UGF, it just finished cycling and I am will adding a dwarf puffer later this week. I used a larger gravel because I liked the look of it, but then I changed my 10g tank to a smaller gravel and like it much better. Plus, the large gravel does #### for holding my plants (fake) down in the hex.

So, I was wondering if I would be able to take out the large gravel and replace it with the small gravel from my bigger tank, or if this will be a big mistake...

 

[Durbkat]

I didn't think you had to cycle anything under a 5g but I've changed all the gravel in my 10g before and nothing bad happened that I know of because I didn't lose any fish but I'd wait for someone else to say something in case what I've said is wrong.

 

[lozzles]

youll restart your cycle as the grvel is ur filter in this case so up to you

 

[jiffy]

but wouldn't the fact that I am using existing gravel from another tank aleviate at least some of the problem?

 

[lozzles]

partially but would still lose you some bacteria

 

[CroNiC]

You said you are getting a puffer. If you are getting a puffer then i reccomend sand instead of gravel.

 

[rdd1952]

Since you have an UGF in that tank, a large amount of your bacteria will be on/in the gravel. If the tank you are taking the gravel from also has a UGF, then you rpobably won't ahve a problem as you will be moving bacteria with the gravel. If however the other tank has a HOB or canister filter then you will only be moving a small amount of bacteria. You will definitely get a mini cycle but it may not be bad and only last a few days. If you really want to change it, go ahead and just add some more ammonia and complete the mini cycle fishlessly too before adding your puffer.

 

[sylvia]

I would actualy suggest you take this opportunity to replace the UGF with something else - even a sponge filter - and then get sand instead. If you were to run the new filter in your mature tank meanwhile for a week, you wouldn't need to cycle the tank again as the bacteria will have grown on the filter while it was running in the mature tank. If you want to stick with the UGF, add the gravel from your mature tank but fishless cycle for a while longer, testing regularly, and remember to do a large water change of around 90% before you add the puffer to get rid of the high nitrates. Oh and, yes, adding gravel from a mature tank should come close to aleviating the problem of causing a re-cycle as, though it's true that the UGF means the bacteria are in the gravel, small grain size also = a larger surface area so you may find this makes up for it somewhat.