Think I'd do it all at once.
Tips on replacing the substrate without starting over
Okay so I've decided to stop fighting my substrate and I want to replace it. I don't want to start over for sure. My target substrate is going to be black blasting sand medium grit and I'm replacing my Safe-T-Sorb. I have about 2+ inches of the STS and I want to know if anyone has done a successful substrate change without completely draining the tank.
The only idea I can think off is:
1. Put a divider in the substrate (clear 1/16" polycarbonate sheet) and divide the substrate by 3-4 sections.
2. Pull the plants from one section and place them in a plastic bin with water.
3. Feed the fish with wafers on the opposite side of the tank so as not to suck any fish in the process.
5. Suck the substrate from one section using a 1" soft tube or until I've sucked out 50% of the water.
6. Drop the new substrate onto the new empty section using cups.
7. Replant the section using the same plants.
8. Fill the tank back up.
9. Do the weekly water change routine (add prime, add ferts, etc)
10. Leave the substrate dividers and repeat until all the sections are replaced.
The only idea I can think off is:
1. Put a divider in the substrate (clear 1/16" polycarbonate sheet) and divide the substrate by 3-4 sections.
2. Pull the plants from one section and place them in a plastic bin with water.
3. Feed the fish with wafers on the opposite side of the tank so as not to suck any fish in the process.
5. Suck the substrate from one section using a 1" soft tube or until I've sucked out 50% of the water.
6. Drop the new substrate onto the new empty section using cups.
7. Replant the section using the same plants.
8. Fill the tank back up.
9. Do the weekly water change routine (add prime, add ferts, etc)
10. Leave the substrate dividers and repeat until all the sections are replaced.
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
Problem with this way is most bacteria live in substrate, so it might be hard to not get ammonia spike. On the other hand - it's much easier to do and you can just check your ammonia every day and if there's trouble do a big water change. Doing substrate change in parts will be more stressful for fish. So probably - do it all at once, after that big water change, like 60%. Check your ammonia and be ready to react.Think I'd do it all at once.
I've done this and pretty much did it the way your describing OP.
I don't remember what percent of the substrate I took out each time, but I did each area a week apart so nothing went to far south. In addition to the obvious water change I always had the tubing nearby to suck out more water where I was dropping in the new substrate.
Changing it all at once seems very risky to me, small moves.
I don't remember what percent of the substrate I took out each time, but I did each area a week apart so nothing went to far south. In addition to the obvious water change I always had the tubing nearby to suck out more water where I was dropping in the new substrate.
Changing it all at once seems very risky to me, small moves.
The useful bacteria lives mostly on the surface of the substrate, so there is no getting past without loosing some.
If you work fast and keep the side walls moist, you should be able to keep quite a bit of your bacteria.
If you work fast and keep the side walls moist, you should be able to keep quite a bit of your bacteria.
Okay so I've decided to stop fighting my substrate and I want to replace it. I don't want to start over for sure. My target substrate is going to be black blasting sand medium grit and I'm replacing my Safe-T-Sorb. I have about 2+ inches of the STS and I want to know if anyone has done a successful substrate change without completely draining the tank.
I'm curious what you're fighting as I've been thinking about using Saf-T-Sorb in a tank.
It is sucking micro nutrients from the substrate that I am bottoming out. I confirmed using my photometer (Hanna HI 83200) that my Manganese levels bottom out if I don't dose everyday. I don't know what else is bottoming out. Based on how I was able to grow my Tonina Fluviatilis with no issues after updating my micro dose means it was a micro deficiency issue.I'm curious what you're fighting as I've been thinking about using Saf-T-Sorb in a tank.
In order to keep at least 20+ ppb of Mn in the water I have to dose 40 ppb of Mn from CSM+B every day. The problem with this dosing is my Fe levels is getting too high. My 2 grow tanks which have more than 80 ppb of Mn and do not require daily dosing have no issue growing any plant that I want to grow.
I really want to factor out the substrate. I know the water chemistry enough that water column dosing will work for me.
I just redid my 80 gallon low tech. I had eco-complete in the background and Caribsea Crystal River. I started scooping out, using a plastic container, the eco-complete from small areas at a time, very slowly over weeks, also removing some plants slowly. During that time I added Stress Guard to help the fish out and did frequent, small water changes. I would alternate taking the eco-complete and then some of the sand. I took the substrate almost down to the bottom, left enough to keep my plants rooted! I then started adding BDBS (actually started with TMS and redid, but that is another story). I kept alternating cleaning of filter socks and removal of substrate and testing the entire time. Never had an issue or lost a fish or plants.
This seems more complicated than just pulling everything out at once. I just replaced the substrate in my 40b 2 weeks ago and minus the time it took to rinse the BDBS, it only took about 2 hours.
I have to disagree with most here. The beneficial bacteria lives where it's most optimal and beneficial to do so. This would be in the filter on the media designed as a perfect home.
I changed 3" of pfs in my fully stocked 75g with brand new fine white sand without any issue.
Siphoned all the old crap out. Put new stuff in and do a big water change. Done.
The biggest fear is releasing alot of anaerobic pockets.
Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk
I changed 3" of pfs in my fully stocked 75g with brand new fine white sand without any issue.
Siphoned all the old crap out. Put new stuff in and do a big water change. Done.
The biggest fear is releasing alot of anaerobic pockets.
Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk
I changed over to BDBS about a year ago. I did it all at once. It's not for the faint of heart.
First I removed all the plants, rocks, and driftwood.
Then I vacuumed the tank pretty thoroughly. This took some time, and did create a pretty good mess. Nothing like what came next. I used a metal colander, and started taking out the old pea gravel. Things got pretty cloudy in a hurry. While I was taking out the gravel, I kept a pump running removing the cloudy water. I alternated refilling and draining as I went along.
I then went right to adding the Black Diamond. Didn’t rinse it, just put it into the tank. Kept draining and refilling during the process. Once I had it all in, I filled completely and let the filters run for about an hour. Amazingly, it cleared up pretty good, and I started putting in driftwood, rocks, plants.
Did another 50% water change and then let it be. I did get a small ammonia spike, never more than .25, and did three more 50% changes over the next three days. This was as much a precaution as anything else. After that, ammonia was back to 0.0, and back to business as usual.
The whole process took about 5 hours, and the fish and fauna were no worse for the wear.
First I removed all the plants, rocks, and driftwood.
Then I vacuumed the tank pretty thoroughly. This took some time, and did create a pretty good mess. Nothing like what came next. I used a metal colander, and started taking out the old pea gravel. Things got pretty cloudy in a hurry. While I was taking out the gravel, I kept a pump running removing the cloudy water. I alternated refilling and draining as I went along.
I then went right to adding the Black Diamond. Didn’t rinse it, just put it into the tank. Kept draining and refilling during the process. Once I had it all in, I filled completely and let the filters run for about an hour. Amazingly, it cleared up pretty good, and I started putting in driftwood, rocks, plants.
Did another 50% water change and then let it be. I did get a small ammonia spike, never more than .25, and did three more 50% changes over the next three days. This was as much a precaution as anything else. After that, ammonia was back to 0.0, and back to business as usual.
The whole process took about 5 hours, and the fish and fauna were no worse for the wear.
Yeah Id do it all at once and not worry about the cycle. Just do a few extra water changes for the first couple of weeks.
I'd set up a temp huge Rubbermaid, fill it with tank water slap the filter(s) on it with an airstone full blast, add the fish. Bucket the plants and get busy on it. I too wanted to try the STS on my tanks, after reading the stripping issue in a few posts I decided to test run it in an 8 gallon. It was throwing my parameters and PH all over the place, not to mention the PITA planting in it. Dirt and BDBS is the way I go now, it was what I had to begin with. Just thought I might try something new on a new setup, but I use ten gallons as test tanks before trying new stuff on the big ones. Best of luck on the change over.
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At least you got rid of the nitrate trap which is gravel...
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