# Changing substrates in established tank



## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

I'm planning on switching out my normal gravel in my shrimp tank to oil dri. I want to use oil dri and put in laterite or root tabs. It's not currently heavily planted, but I want it to be soon.
I'm not sure how I would go about doing that since it's already established. Do I vaccum everything and then take it out?
Catch everything and just re clean the whole tank?(i wouldn't mind doing that cause of the infestation I currently have)
Just slowly take out the gravel and slowly fill it in?

Any suggestions?

Oh, should I just top off the regular gravel with oil dri? One of the main reasons I'm changing is to get more depth too, so should I just top it off with oil dri and laterite?


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## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

I would suggest not to mix substrates. It usually doesn't turn out pretty in the end, plus you don't get the uniform look. When I did mine, I took out 20% of the water, and netted gravel out, until I couldn't see anything. Waited an hour, and got the rest. Then poured the SMS in. Granted it was a mess, but I'm not so sure there really was an easier way.


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## will5 (Oct 26, 2005)

Take out off of the plants then let the stuff settle. Then drian the tank water into a bucket leaving the water level an 1 or 2 inches above the substrate and net all the live stock and put them in the bucket with the tank water and add a air stone, heater, and filter. Now your ready take out the old sustrate. Put the new substrate in and then slowly fill and plant all of the plants. Wait for the dust to settle down and add the live stock back to the tank.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

The last two times I replaced substrates I drained the tank down to about half full, removed all of the old plants, saving the best ones to replant, then netted as many fish as I could. Then I drained it much lower and caught the rest of them and all of the shrimp. I kept the fish and shrimp in a 5 gallon plastic bucket filled with water from the tank. No heater, no filter. I removed all of the old substrate, cleaned the tank, added the new substrate, making sure the top layer had been very well washed first. Then I added just enough water to cover the substrate and replanted the tank. Finally, I very carefully filled the tank with tap water, at about the right temperature, and with Prime added. My water was only slightly cloudy after that, so I added the fish back in, by pouring the contents of the 5 gallon bucket very carefully into the tank (obviously before I had finished filling it.) I lost no fish or shrimp either time. All of this done in less than 4 hours each time. It works for me.


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Alright, I'll try that method. I don't think it'll take me too long since it's only a 10 gallon. Thanks for the help!


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## Glouglou (Feb 21, 2006)

What about cycling... Did you have any raise of ammonia.










I'm redoing mine soon, 3/4 inches Fafard dirt mix with laterite and Turface, a small amount of peat.
All that cover with Turface.

http://www.fafard.qc.ca/index.php?module=axialboutique&func=view_one_product&id=118&cat=3


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

When I redid my tank I reused the old unwashed soilmaster, mixing it with river silt. Then I added more fresh soilmaster on top. I kept a lot of the nitrifying bacteria that way. I also kept the filter as it was and waited a week to clean it. I had no algae problems, so I doubt that I had any ammonia.


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

I actually never cycled this tank for too long(is 2 days even considered cycling? only did it to clear cloudy water), nor did I test for ammonia due to the lack of a testing kit (i have yet to find a good one, well cheap one ) But so far, all my shrimp are fine(at least the ones I see) and my little cyclops and worm things are back, so I'm assuming water quality is ok.


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