# Replacing substrate



## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

What's your experience w/ replacing substrate? I've read that completely replacing it will drastically reduce the amount of beneficial bacteria as they tend to reside in the subsrate (Scott, Peter - The Complete Aquarium). Others have told me that the majority of the bacteria colony reside in the water column/filter (harold @ menagerie et al). 

I want to replace my substrate but i'm worried about a mini cycle. Can i safely make a clean switch of substrate materials?


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

any chance of doing half with some sort of separator and then switching the rest a week later?


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

You will probably get a lot of different takes on this, but in my experience, yes it is possible and there are things you can do to help alleviate wild changes in tank conditions - at least they worked for me when I changed out substrate in an old 20 a couple years ago with no fish deaths. All you need are enough buckets and 2 heaters (set to same temp).

- Re-use as much of your tank water, as possible
- Store all plants, hardscape etc in buckets of tank water (they all have bacteria on them)
- Seed the new gravel with mulm from existing gravel, maybe include some old gravel if they are similar in colour/size.
- Keep your filter running in tank water to prevent die off (easy w/ canisters, but HOBs don't fit on round buckets too well!)
- Seed the new gravel with mulm from existing gravel, maybe include some old gravel if they are similar in colour/size.
- Kept my fish in a bucket overnight with heater and airstone to be sure the tank didn't do anything to crazy overnight and added them back the next day

It was a long time ago, if I've omitted anything critical surely others will chip in with their thoughts.


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

Riceburner said:


> any chance of doing half with some sort of separator and then switching the rest a week later?


i actually have a hunk of acrylic that fits the width of my tank almost perfectly. that's not a bad idea. i really hate getting in my tank too often and disturbing stuff but it's better than the stress of watching the various denziens of my tank suffer.


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

Mr Fishies said:


> - Re-use as much of your tank water, as possible
> - Store all plants, hardscape etc in buckets of tank water (they all have bacteria on them)
> - Seed the new gravel with mulm from existing gravel, maybe include some old gravel if they are similar in colour/size.
> - Keep your filter running in tank water to prevent die off (easy w/ canisters, but HOBs don't fit on round buckets too well!)
> ...


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

If you are keeping fish in a bucket overnight remember to cover the bucket, as well, if you have one, put in a air powered sponge filter in there with them to help clean the water. I have a little Hagen sponge filter I use when I am overhauling my tanks. I usually try and seed the filter a few days before so that it has the beginnings of a bacteria colony before using it in the bucket. I have lost no fish that way to shock, I have lost to jumpers though... thus my suggestion about the lid


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

That all sounds good and if you want to add the old gravel and not mix with the new gravel then lay the old gravel on a plate or in a mesh bag on top of the new gravel.


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

awesome. you guys rock. i'm feeling more and more confident as the day goes on.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

If you want to save the mulm and seed the new gravel, I'd suggest doing everything everybody else had said (buckets of fish w/ heater filter). In terms of the actual switch, pull everything else out (besides your existing substrate), empty the tank either to a quarter or third full (into buckets if you can..this only worked for me as I have multiple 5 gallon buckets available). Scoop out the existing substrate. This will leave a lot of mulm in the tank. Give it a chance to settle (an hour or so), drain almost all the water out leaving the settled debris on the bottom, add the new substrate. Presto, preseeded substrate. Then refill and replant/decorate and repopulate.

If you don't have the buckets to fill, leave like 50% of the water in and remove/replace substrate. That way it's more like doing a 50% wc if anything. The remaining mulm floating around will get picked up by your filter so it should clear up in a few days.


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

ameekplec. said:


> <SNIP>
> Scoop out the existing substrate. This will leave a lot of mulm in the tank. Give it a chance to settle (an hour or so), drain almost all the water out leaving the settled debris on the bottom, add the new substrate. Presto, preseeded substrate. Then refill and replant/decorate and repopulate.
> <SNIP>


OK - that's clever - kind of smack your forehead simple and easy - I like that idea much better than collecting mulm in a separate container. I think I'll use that idea and take credit for it (if ameekplec is not around of course)


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

the only thing wrong with this thread is that now i'm really excited to redo my tank and can't wait to let my funds accumulate. gah, hurry up payday!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Mr Fishies said:


> OK - that's clever - kind of smack your forehead simple and easy - I like that idea much better than collecting mulm in a separate container. I think I'll use that idea and take credit for it (if ameekplec is not around of course)


Haha, it's my life as a grad student....figure out how to do the most efficient and best work without actually doing anything at all...


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

twoheadedfish said:


> the only thing wrong with this thread is that now i'm really excited to redo my tank and can't wait to let my funds accumulate. gah, hurry up payday!


Just wait until your tank starts paying for itself...and then some!

Then you can buy more things for your tanks...and you'll have less money than before somehow. Figure that one out.


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

step one: get a fish tank
step two:????
step three: profit

free guppy fry to the person who can tell me where that paraphrased quote came from . No google!


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

Remove the fish first and then replace them last in the finished aquarium as to not stress them.
As soon as the water is ready to be put back in only fill to about 50% and then put in the plants and hardscape. Then refill the tank slowly. The plants will take care of ammonia spikes, if any, when the fish get put in. 

What size of tank is it and what is the wattage of the lights?


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

You should be using a filter good enough to, on its own, keep your water clean. In that sense, there really is no reason to have to repopulate your gravel with bacteria. Leaving as much mulm in as possible will help, but assuming you are using an appropriate filter for the bioload and size of your tank, I'm pretty sure you won't have any problems just swapping it out. There is absolutely no reason to have to leave your fish in a bucket overnight - I'd venture to say that is likely more risky than just swapping the gravel straight up.

This is assuming your filter is doing more than mechanical filtration!

I've done it numerous times, sometimes removing the fish while I change it out, other times not. I've never had a problem either way.

As for Harold's advice - he knows what he is talking about in that the filter is holding the majority of beneficial bacteria, but the water column itself holds very little.


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

If your ammonia is spiking (it shouldn't as per ChrisS) you can always throw an ammonia chip pack into your filter. That's saved my butt a number of times during emergencies. Just remember not to leave it in for too long or else it may starve your bacteria.


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

i love this forum. 

it's a 20g w/ two 20w strips. my filter processes the entire tank 7 times in one hour and i think i can put a lot of trust in it (Fluval 3+).


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

I'm not saying keep the fish overnight in a bucket. I think that is too risky for my liking - I'd sooner throw them in a cloudy tank.

I would just keep them in there till the substrate is switched and the tank is refilled. That should be no more than 2 maybe 3 hours in the bucket.

As for how this turns out, I'm sure it will go smoothly and your plants will love the new substrate.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

ameekplec. said:


> I would just keep them in there till the substrate is switched and the tank is refilled. That should be no more than 2 maybe 3 hours in the bucket.


Absolutely.


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

> 20g w/ two 20w strips


Perfect


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

so i'll probably do this over the weekend. i'll post some sort of journal type entry tomorrow.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

Good luck there.


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

thx. i'll likely need it as i'm enormously clumsy.

i've actually just knocked over my cubicle wall...


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I like the some-of-the-old-gravel-in-a-bag-idea. There are mesh laundry bags at the dollar store that I think might work for this purpose, I think I would pre-soak it in old tank water, for a few days, to hopefully leach any of the stuff the new plastic is going to leach, before putting it into my tank. What baggy type for a heavy bunch of the old gravel would you guys suggest?


W


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

You can buy a filter media bag from the LFS or online.
http://www.mops.ca/cgi-bin/SoftCart...gs.html?L+scstore+kgdd2527ff858485+1214415415


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## Rodzilla (Jul 4, 2008)

Hey, 

I may have to do the same thing, 

I was thinking I can just remove all the plants/rocks and just shovel the old substrate out. Am I wrong???? It just seams easier... and safer. The fish may get stressed but =should get over it. Am I wrong????


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

Go to a dollar store and buy a large rubbermaid bin and fill it with tank water and place you fish in there for the duration. Als make to have some sort of airation and filtration going in there. I have a small soonge filter that I use for my along with a air pump.


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