Suggestions on changing my substrate please

[Cammie]

Hello!

I used to have sand and now have black gravel.

And me being me, I want sand again, it looks sooo much nicer! I know it's not as easy to clean, especially as I always seemed to suck it up lol!

Question - How do I go about changing this without causing too much distruption? Especially with my newbies - the gourmis, I know they are a bit jumpy.

I do have an empty 10g tank (no water) is it worth getting that up and running and transferring everyone over?
Also, can anyone point me in the right direction for getting a "moss floor" or a plant that will travel along the bottom.
Please help, wonderful people on MFT x x x x*twirlysmi

 

[lauraf]

I would definitely use your other tank to hold your fish while you are switching the substrate. If it will take you only a couple of hours, you probably don't need to get the spare tank fully running - just fill up with water from the main tank and keep covered so the temp doesn't drop or put the heater in there. In order to help avoid a mini-cycle when you replace the substrate, keep your filter running in the main tank if you can or at least keep the filter media wet, and put some of the gravel in some old pantyhose or other mesh bags - you can place these in the tank on top of the new sand for a few days.

 

[Newman]

*cough*spam*cough*
I'd also do what laura suggested. as for the plant dwarf hairgrass is usually recommended. moss floor can be accomplished by getting tons of java moss, some slate pieces, then tying the moss to the slate and laying the slate rocks flat along the bottom of the tank. the moss will grow over the slate hopefully. you can increase your light and put in a floating plant to let the moss carpet faster. floater should shield the moss from direct light and protect it from algae, at least a little.

 

[nanu156]

I use trash cans with lids when i change tanks or make maijor changes to my tank. The dark walls and lid (or towel or some such) keep it dark so your fish don't flip out as much. Just drain the water add the fish, do yo thing and repeat.

Going sand to gravel was far harder then gravel to sand as gravel is easier to remove. I like to toss a bubbler and my heater in the trash can with the fish although i doubt it's really nessisary.