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Hi there,
Just wondering when the time comes to change the gravel, I' don't know how long that is but my aquarium is new so I don't want to change it anytime soon..but whats the best way to do it without disrupting the fish too much to change the gravel completely?
Thanks!

Are you wanting to change the gravel because you don't like it? Are you looking at putting in another type of substrate?

I wasn't planning on changing the gravel any time soon because its new, but like after a few months, I was just wanting to be able to change the gravel for a change in the tank really.. not for any other particular reason, and was hoping there would be any possibility to do it without having to stress the fish too much

I've never changed the gravel in my aquarium, so I can't help you there. Hopefully someone else who's done it can give you some pointers. Keep in mind that a lot of the beneficial bacteria are located in the substrate, so taking out the gravel and adding new could cause your aquarium to cycle again.

You don't have to change the gravel every few months, unless you just want to. It will stress the fish though, so I would keep that in mind.

Usually when you change the gravel, you want to move the fish into another tank or some type of holding container (could be a plastic tub/container). Let the filter run on the holding tank/container and keep a couple handfuls of the old gravel also, in the old water. You want to take out most of the water and put that in the holding tank, with the fish.

If you're looking for a change every now and then, get some plants, either real or plastic, and ornaments. Rearrange them every few months, instead of doing the drastic gravel changes. That will be alot easier on your fish.

Then, you take out all the gravel you can. Rinse the new stuff and put it in. Then, if the old gravel is a different color, put the handfuls you saved in some old nylon pantyhose/stockings. Place those in the tank near the filter intake. Put the old water back in the tank and add the filter. Then add the fish.

If you can get some Bio-Spira, it contains beneficial bacteria that will help prevent a minicycle.

I suggest you get a type of gravel you really like. Like Kari said, changing the gravel gets rid of the beneficial bacteria you worked so hard to build up during cycling. It seems kind of pointless to cycle a tank that you are going to disrupt every few months. I think it would be alot easier on the fish if you didn't change the gravel, unless you really had to. It seems like alot of work to me and may stress your fish out enough to kill them.

*Kristin*

Wow, I didn't realize how stressful it could be on the fish.. I know when I was younger, I didn't really pay attention to my tank as much as I do now.. probably because I only had 1 fish plus I was so young, that it was my first responsibility..I changed my gravel a few times ( I had my fish for like 2 years before it past) just because I wanted something different..but I will only change it like maybe 6 months from now if I feel like it so I dont have to stress the fish..but keep the old water and then use some of the old gravel in with the new gravel? and I also assume keep the same filter and stuff to keep all the good bacteria that I built up once my aquarium cycles and everything?
Thanks everyone!

Good topic. I've been wanting to change out my "natural" (different shades of brown) pea gravel substrate for a much darker black. I've got some Tiger Barbs, 2 Convicts, & a Firemouth in a lightly planted tank. I think the black substrate would look awesome & bring out the colors of the fish.

Hi,
The topic of changing gravel (substrate) comes up
frequently as folks tire of the way the tank looks,
or for some unknown (to them) reason the tank crashes.

Physically, the best way is to temporally move the fish
to another container along with the filter and add an
air stone & pump.
Then drain the tank, digging a hole in the substrate down
to the glass bottom, insert a hose any siphon off as much
of the water as possible.
Then using something suitable, such as a plastic spoon,
remove the gravel. When you have as much as possible
removed, use the hose to rinse out the tank, and drain
the water off siphoning off the remaining gravel.

Throughly wash the new gravel, place it in the tank how
you want it. Lay a dinner plate (or saucer for a small
tank) on the gravel and direct the refilling water from
the hose onto the plate to break the flow up. Fill to about
one inch over the gravel and now root any plants where you
want them to grow. Place a plate/saucer back on the gravel
and begin to fill the tank completely.
Filling the tank this way will minimize the clouding of the
water from the turbulence of the hose and not move the
gravel around as much.
Add the necessary water conditioner during the filling
process.
Once the tank is filled, move the filter from the temporary
holding container back to the tank and let it run.
This will help circulate the water and equalize the
Once the temperature in the tank matches that of
the temporary container holding the fish, you can move
the fish to the tank.
Acclimate them to the new tank as if you had just
bought them at the LFS and brought them home.

The tank will have to cycle again. However, because you
have brought the filter from the old setup with you, it
will take a little less time to recycle.
While the bacteria that runs the Nitrogen Cycle live
everywhere in the tank, the two primary sites are in the
gravel and in the filter. By changing the gravel you have
eliminated the overwhelming majority of the colonies
and the tank will "mini-cycle."

This "mini cycle" can take weeks to complete.

Every time you change the gravel and move the plants, they
have to acclimate to their new home. This means that they
will have to consume stored nutrients while they grow new
roots re anchoring themselves, and seek new sources of
nutrients (which you just depleted). In the process most
will have the older leaves yellow and die while new ones
will grow to replace them. This process can take several
weeks.

Every time you suddenly decide to overhaul a tank, it can
take a month or two to "recover." In my 55G tank, I
discovered that it took about a month to complete a mini
cycle (with the fish & plants that I had) and it actually
took a year for the tank to mature and settle down.

To tell the truth, I don't feel that tanks are department
window displays that you tear down and redo at brief
intervals or when boredom strikes.
Tanks actually are mini environments with live
creatures, not store manikins, and they need stability.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Hi there,
Yeah I agree with you.. I definitely do not want to have teo change anything if I do not have to, since the fish in the tank are living in their own habitat and anytime something different happens, they become stressed, which I definitely do not want that.
However, if after like 6 months or so (some time after having my set up), I was hoping to do a bit of a change..adding new, possibly live plants, and a differnt gravel color.. but I do realize now that it will mini-cycle and I'm assuming I will have to watch out for the same characteristics as what I am doing now with the main cycling of my tank. But the mini cycle will only take a month? I will use the same filter, just the gravel change..
Also, do you use the same water that you took out of the aquarium or do you use different water as long as its treated? Because as you mentioned, the main bacteria is in the filter and gravel, so whats best for the fish?

Hi,
You can add plants to a tank any time. Your reply suggests
that you have plastic plants in the tank now and are
considering adding some live ones in the future.

Live plants add a "certain something" to a tank, but to
have a lush green garden of live plants you have to plan
ahead it's not always a matter of buying a bunch and
stuffing them in the gravel then sit back and watch.
Check out the Planted forum on this site, and read
through the various posts. Little Fish, TetraTech, and
Bensaf are three of the major posters in that forum and
you will learn a lot in reading through the various threads.

As far as saving the old water is concerned, personally
I don't see much sense in it. Most of the helpful bacteria
is found in the gravel, with some in the filter, and a
small amount on the sides of the tank and ornaments within
the tank I doubt that there is much, if any, floating free
in the water. I would not worry about the old water and
just toss it. Nature does sudden water changes with
heavy storms, or flooding. As long as you treat the water
with the water conditioners to remove the chlorine and
chloramine, and match temperatures, you and the fish should
be just fine.

In my tank, when I did the complete overhaul it seemed to
take a month, but there are variables such as tank size,
number of/size of fish, and the quantity of live plants.
All come into play when discussing an initial cycle or
mini cycle. Plan for a long one and be surprised if it
cycles sooner. But then, I've been accused of being rather
conservative in my views at times...

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--