Changing substrate

[Jesseboy]

Hi, I'm thinking about changing the substrate in my tank...i have a 250 liter well established tank with 5 happy discus...I have some black substrate in there at the moment. i dont know the name of it, but its black and quite fine. Anyway i want white substrate so im thinking about using pool filter sand..Can anyone give me some tips on changing it over? while keeping the fish in the tank..If i do this will it effect the water chemistry and shock the fish? cheers

Jesse

[TW]

Whenever I've done this, I use a 100 or 120L oblong storage container you get from Big W or Bunnings & fill it with water from your discus tank, transfer the heater & maybe an air pump. If you can keep your filter running, that would be best. If it's a cannister you could leave it running on the 250L tank, as long as you left in just enough water. Or set it up to run on the storage container. If you can't keep it running, move quickly.

If you are able to, save enough of the tank water, so that old tank water can be returned to the tank when you are done, minus the amount you would have removed normally for a water change.

Do the substrate swap over while the discus are out of the tank. Make sure you wash the pool filter sand really well - it's filthy stuff. Start filling the tank back up using the saved water & if not already running, turn your filter back on asap, to clear the water. I'd be putting the fish back in whilst the water is still 100% the old water & when the water has cleared sufficiently. Then after they are in, add fresh water, just as you would on a water change.

That's how I do it.

[Jesseboy]

Awesome thanks heaps for the advice TW. Might give it a go on the weekend. I have 2 canister filters running so i will keep one going in the tank and put one into the box with the discus

[Jesseboy]

one other thing. is vacuuming the the sand a pain?

[TW]

I find it easy to keep clean, but I only changed over to sand a few months back. Best to keep the sand layer fairly thin, maybe an 1-2cm only.

[Jesseboy]

How many KG would you say i need for my tank..its 4ft by 1.8ft or so

[TW]

1 x 20kg bag should be more than enough. I got mine from Clarke Rubber. Not all stock it, so ring around a bit. There is a mineral type pool filter sand - it's not the one you want. It's more a brown colour.

If you want whitish sand, then it's silica based pool filter sand. Here's the one I used.

[jesx57]

Just to add to the advice that TW has given you,

I use the sand from Bunnings, it is playsand, white in colour in a see through plastic bag with gaudy looking colours on the front.

I find sand much, much easier to clean than gravel, now it takes me less than half the time. :)

[Jesseboy]

Well i got some sand from the local pool shop, it had a brownie colour to it in the bag but now that its in the tank it looks pretty white. got it all done without a drama..took a couple of hours...the fish look so much better against the white. they seem to change there colour to match their sarroundings

[Hollowman]

Good advice has already been given by TW, I would go for swimming pool filter sand, it is already very clean and only needs minimal cleaning, which you must do....! I used a large bucket and ran a hose through it until the water ran clean, then did another bucket full. I bought a 25KG bag of sand, and only used less than half in my 4ft tank.

You should also as has been said remove the fish, as when stirred up the old substrate can release toxins trapped in there and it can kill your fish

Remove both cannisters, but keep them running in the container with your fish in, again the reason for this would be that all the muck released by moving the substrate will bung up your filter and contaninate it.

Cleaning is easy too, I use a large gravel cleaner on a garden hose pipe. I start the syphon and because the gravel cleaner is about 2.5 inches diameter the sand sucks up half way and then drops out cleaned.

Good luck

Hollowman :)

[GreenDiscus]

HI Substrate Change Advisors.....

Just like to add that this post was good timing for me as well, since I have wanted to change my "black substrate" and black painted background for some time in my 500l tank but have bottled out !!

Whilst "very clean" pigeons look fantastic in a black tank, Blues look too dark and "peppered pigeons" can be far more disappointing than they need be !!

I set up a small 120l tank with white gravel and light blue background (very expensive gravel) as a trial, and the two "crossed breeds" went from brownish to looking great !!

I also believe the plants grew better, and more even, due to reflected light

Thanks for the comments on pool sand as well since that also looks like a better bet than white gravel for cleaning and cost....

[Hollowman]

Nice one Green, a good result

H