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  1. #1
    Turquoise Discus
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Adelaide, Australia
    Posts
    1,158

    Planning a substrate change

    OK, so I know the current substrate went anaerobic a few months ago & I was told to change it, but on the up side, I've ordered the new stuff 7 will be doing it soon.

    Equipment:
    540L tank - changing substrate in
    2x 100L water changing barrels, with heaters & air pumps.
    80L Orca tank - not cycled
    75L tank with air pump & sponge filter - not cycled
    12"x18" tank, heater (no air pump)

    water pump, used for water changes
    syphon

    Fish:
    7x M-ML discus
    pair of bolivians (want to keep them out, haven't been able to catch em)
    x25ish - I lost count - guppies
    21 cardinals
    royal whiptail catfish (large)
    5 peppermint BN (large)
    freshwater garfish (2")

    Plants:
    stack of blyxa japonica
    4x red lotus
    pogostemnon (?sp)
    anubias nana
    anubias barteri
    I'll probably replace the rest, as there is algae & trim the anubias

    Oh, and a 4 1/2 ft log that's not coming out & is covered in BBA. (There are struts along the top of the tank, making it a min 3 person job for 1 person.)

    Here's the question - how best to go about this, causing the least trauma to all involved?

    Any advice greatfully accepted. Oh, and can I chuck the old Flora Base & pool sand on the garden? TIA,

    DiscusEden

  2. #2
    Moderator
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Penrith NSW
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    5,873
    the old florabase/ pool sand will go great in the garden!

    the best way is to get yourself some 25mm tubing frome clark rubber (not bunnings its not food grade) and siphone out the old stuff.

    it will proably take several goes.

  3. #3
    Turquoise Discus
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Adelaide, Australia
    Posts
    1,158
    Thanks for the quick reply!

    Really? That easy? 'Cos I've been picturing this whole putting everything in the barrels & tanks drama, maybe worming at the same time, running the filter on a different tank & scrubbing down the tank, thing.

    That sounds too easy! Great! I can start it tomorrow & have a bare bottomed tank until the ecocomplete arrives!

    Which of course leads to - if the fish stay in there, do I drain the ecocomplete, then tip it in & try to miss the fish? Or tip it in liquid & all?

    Thanks again!

  4. #4
    Just an Egg
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Georgia USA
    Posts
    69

    Planning a substrate change

    Hi... I just recently changed an area of my substrate (about 1/2 the 120 gallon tank) to ecocomplete.. Luckily didn't have to change out the pool filter sand just moved it over to the other side of the tank and then after planting covered the ecocomplete with a layer of the sand.. Found the easiest way to add the drained ecocomplete was by using a plastic funnel (like they use for car radiators) with some 1 inch hose attached. Was real easy to control where the ecocomplete ended up and didn't bother the discus at all.. I didn't rinse the ecocomplete just drained off some of the liquid. Just had a very mini spike after planting and playing with the substrate. Just took an extra water change and a few days to get back to normal... HTH Sue
    120gal koi angel , baby angels, rams and orangehead geos
    29 gal angel , bn, red tailed shark and black skirts

  5. #5
    Just an Egg
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Georgia USA
    Posts
    69

    Planning a substrate change

    Hi... I just recently changed an area of my substrate (about 1/2 the 120 gallon tank) to ecocomplete.. Luckily didn't have to change out the pool filter sand just moved it over to the other side of the tank and then after planting covered the ecocomplete with a layer of the sand.. Found the easiest way to add the drained ecocomplete was by using a plastic funnel (like they use for car radiators) with some 1 inch hose attached. Was real easy to control where the ecocomplete ended up and didn't bother the discus at all.. I didn't rinse the ecocomplete just drained off some of the liquid. Just had a very mini spike after planting and playing with the substrate. Just took an extra water change and a few days to get back to normal... HTH Sue
    120gal koi angel , baby angels, rams and orangehead geos
    29 gal angel , bn, red tailed shark and black skirts

  6. #6
    Turquoise Discus
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Adelaide, Australia
    Posts
    1,158
    Thanks Sue, it really does!

    I'm starting to get enthusiastic about this - I can't wait for it to arrive now! Or do the w/c & start siphoning tomorrow - thanks for the help guys!

  7. #7
    SnakeSkin Discus
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Adelaide
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    1,354
    am i reading this right ? are u going to leave the fish in there when ur going to siphon the old stuff out ?
    i wouldn't advise doing that. to do it properly i would be putting the fish in the other tanks/barrels that u have with water from ur tank and put ur current cannister filter "running" in one of the barrels u have "just turn down the flow a bit to make sure ur bio load doesnt die. then i would be taking all of ur plants out next and putting them in buckets of water from the tank too. then get ur wood out and scrub all the bba off. then siphon all of the old gravel/sand out and give the tank a wipe down just with plain old water and ur hands or some chemical free paper towel.

    the problem i can see if ur going to do the change with ur fish in the tank is that u say ur sand has gone anaerobic if u disturb the anaerobic pockets u are setting ur self up for disaster. + i dont like the idea of refilling 5-7 bags of eco complete back into ur tank with the fish in there as it will be cloudy for a while too and dont think it would be very good for ur fish to go through this.

    it wont take much extra time to do things properly and u will put less stress on ur fish and will have a better outcome for ur tank.

  8. #8
    Turquoise Discus
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Adelaide, Australia
    Posts
    1,158
    That's what I was worried about fish_r - the current substrate is already sending up bubbles when disturbed & I had a discus die last night that looked perfectly healthy the day before - I've had her since I set up the tank, so I wondered if it was the substrate. Either that or I gave her the evil eye, 'cos I talked about getting rid of her. Hmmm.

    Anyway, I'm thinking sooner rather than later - but I can't get the wood out, 'cos it took 4 of us to get it in there between the struts & I'll be doing it by myself. Scrub it with what by the way?

    I might hold off doing anything other than the normal w/c's until the substrate arrives.

    Could I worm them when they're out so I don't knock off the filter?

    Which barrels/tanks would you put what into?

    Thanks again,
    DE

  9. #9
    Moderator
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Penrith NSW
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    5,873
    Sorry DE, didn't relise the substrate was that bad!

    if you can get down to a home brew shop and grab yourself a food grade barrell, you dont need a massive one 80-100L will do.

    if the budget will strech get 2 so you can save the old tank water.

    siphon your tank water into that and hook up your filter.

    drain the tank, remove the substrate, scrub the tank with a sponge, maybe some dilute bleach (5ml:10L water bucket) rinse and then lay your new substrate in.

    carefully add back the old water 9you'd want about 50% full of old water then top up with fresh aged water, just like a good water change

  10. #10
    SnakeSkin Discus
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
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    if u let me know when ur going to do it i will come up and give u a hand if u want, i'm sure between the 2 of us we can get the wood out i'm pretty strong and have got large bits of wood between small struts b4.
    i have seen the wood and think i can handle it
    i just usually use a strong scrubbing brush and lots of elbow grease to get bba off.
    i would be putting all the discus in the other tanks u have with airstones and with water from the tank and all the other fish in a plastic tub with airstones. i have a 100ltr square tub u can use if u want. then most of the other water in one of the 100ltr aging barrels u have, leaving 1 x 100ltr aging barrel with fresh water in it to top things up after the change.

    i am a firm believer that if ur going to do a job, do it properly the first time.

    the offer is there, just let me know.

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