AC Forums. Tank Calculator. Log in. Search Everywhere Threads This forum This thread. Search titles only. Search Advanced search…. Everywhere Threads This forum This thread. Search Advanced…. New posts. Search forums. How to change substrate with fish. Maybe you have some loaches but the other fish will avoid you, simply remove the loaches good luck catching them by the way. The day before the replacement, do a thorough gravel vacuuming and water change.
This helps get as much of the extra debris out of the old gravel as possible. On the day of the replacement, do the same thing only do not refill the tank. It is while the water is low that you will complete the replacement.
After you have vacuumed the gravel and while the water is still low, you will remove the old gravel. I usually use a fish specimen container to scoop out the old substrate. These are the plastic containers that hang on the outside of a tank that fish stores use to catch and bag fish. These are available to be purchased and make a handy tool for any aquarist anyway.
They are large, heavy-duty, and have a flat edge perfect for scooping out old gravel. Old gravel can be used for a lot of things such as potting plants, erosion control, walkways, etc. If you have a use for it, then save it. Otherwise, just bag it up and throw it away. If you go through all the work and then see a piece of old gravel in there, it will drive you nuts. Once you have the gravel out, you can let the tank sit still for a few minutes and any debris that settles to the bottom can quickly and easily be vacuumed out before you pile sand on top of it.
Another reason to be changing substrates is if you are attempting to pair multiple substrates together. Some tank owners pair soil and gravel together. This helps the soil stay grounded while having an aesthetic appeal with the help of the gravel. Improper tank maintenance can lead to dirty substrate.
This can harm your fish, make it difficult for your live plants to thrive, and can become home to dangerous bacteria. It can also affect the water pH level of your tank. It can also be sand, soil, or water-changing substrates that maintain the pH level and texture of your water. Be sure to keep a careful eye on your fish once they move back to their original tank.
Some fish experience more stress than others and may need extra attention to adjust to a different environment. How Often to Change the Aquarium Water? How much gravel does an aquarium needs? How to Deal with Aggressive Fish in an Aquarium? How to Use Peat Moss in Aquarium. Aquarium Sphere is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.
Both ammonia and nitrite, which are products of food and wastes, are toxic to the fish in your aquarium. If you remove your old substrate, you are essentially killing off a large population of your beneficial bacteria.
Even if you add in the new substrate, it will take some time for the population to be at the same level as before. This will leave you with an un-cycled tank that could results in spikes of ammonia and nitrite.
So, instead or replacing your old substrate, we recommend topping it off with the new substrate. If you are using a substrate made specifically for plants, we recommend using root tabs to replenish to nutrients needed instead of replacing the soil.
As a precaution, you might want to think about removing fish before topping off your substrate. Doing so will prevent stress and potential injury.
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