Adding new substrate

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
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pyen85

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 24, 2006
22
0
0
Hawaii
Hey everyone, I currently have my 75 gallon tank set up with plain black gravel. In a few months (when my fish outgrows the tank) I plan on redoing the tank. I was thinking of adding fine sand (white or black). Would it be okay to add the sand to the existing substrate or would it be better to remove the old substrate and replace it with the sand? Also would removing most or all the water be the best idea and cycle the tank again?

Thanks:)
 
Mixing it would be fine. I actually like the mixed gravel and sand combo.
 
Mixing sand and gravel will make it harder to clean unless your covering the gravel completely.

It will help take up space so you use less sand.

If your fish are diggers, you may want to consider removing the gravel.

If you do mix it you should clean and sterilize the gravel before mixing it with sand or oyur asking for almost instant anerobic activity...Just bleach / wash / rinse / rinse will do it.

Dr Joe

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Thanks for the info, I think Im leaning towards just an all gravel or all sand setup. I just read somewhere that having a fine substrate like sand lying on the top of a course substrate like the gravel can create toxic dead spots underneath the layers I dunno if mixing the substrates will solve this problem.

Hey benzjamin, do you have a pic of the sand gravel combo? I would like to see the result.

I guess it would be best to completely cycle the tank again when I start over.

Thanks again!
 
Yea, it sounds like you are going to have to cycle the tank all over again. Just rinse the sand really well and you will be fine. You could get some river rocks or the big marble sized gravel and use that sparsly. Just a few so that you can pick them up and clean around them if you had too. Good luck! Any plans for that tank after you upgrade?
 
Haven't really decided on what particular fish to add. I already have two large pieces of drift wood being water logged (which looks like itll take a couple of months). I've been keeping oddball tanks usually with just a single medium-large fish. I decided to go with a community tank either a cichlid or a typical community setup. I'll probably post a stocking suggestion thread after I redo the tank and cycle it again (if need to), but not for a while.
 
Why re-cycle the tank?

If it's done, keep half the water in something and put your filter in there with it, if you don't take more than a couple of hours the filter will be fine and that's what your cycling anyway. As soon as the tank is done put the water back and top off with treated water and your good to go.

If you want, use some bottle bacteria to make you feel better.

Good Luck,

Dr Joe

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