How to change substrate with fish

[fishhead0103666]

RINSE SAND until it drains clean!!!!

I can not stress that enough. If you think it’s clean enough then you’re wrong. If it runs clean then rinse it one more time.
I’ve put sand in 3 tanks and each time I did it I thought I had cleaned it pretty good but the sand proved otherwise.

 

[huntery18]

I can not stress that enough. If you think it’s clean enough then you’re wrong. If it runs clean then rinse it one more time.

yeah ive got it in a 5 gallon bucket now, im gonnna stir it while adding water to the bucket then dump and repeat over and over til i cant anymore then

 

[fishhead0103666]

Sounds good mate.

 

[huntery18]

Sounds good mate.

ill keep ya updated

 

[Nick Park]

Sounds like a new tank....is it even cycled yet? The gravel is probably an important part of your Bio filter....I would remove the fish with water skimmed off top into bucket and then vacuum the gravel down to half tank or less.....remove gravel....RINSE SAND until it drains clean!!!! Then scape and return and fill er up.....Do lots of testing in the days after and dose with Prime when changing water or if ammonia or nitrite spike. Good luck!! Everyone should be fine!!

I switched gravel and was worried about losing the bacteria in the old gravel. So I rinsed it in old tank water, tied it up in a nylon stocking, and left it in the corner of the tank for a couple of weeks after changing the substrate. By then I figured the bacteria must have sufficiently grown in the new gravel and took the old stuff out.

I'm not sure if I was worrying too much, but it set my mind at rest, and no fish were lost in the substrate change.