How do you change the stones in a tropical fish tank?

I dont have a spare tank .. and the fish are not willing to wait in the bath ..

 

Sorry - don't really understand the question?? Are you talking about gravel on bottom?

We changed some gravel using a tank divider and did half one week and the other half the next week with fish kept in tank. Is this way off the mark? dl

 

i hoovered my out with a wet / dry hoover.

just keep the nozzle away from the fish, easy peasy

 

Take everything bar the fish out the tank and then just use a net to scoop the gravel out.

 

I took half the gravel out .. one Pleck decided to jump out onto the floor I dont fancie his chances ... I ended up borrowing a tank from my sister, filled it with hal the water from the current tank, put heater in it.. then cleanned out gravel leaving half.. filled the tank half way and put the filters on.. its black at the moment but if I leave it I assume it will clear .. then I'll fill the tank with the water I took out and put the fish back ...

 

I put it straight back in .. 7 seconds out of water max .. but it fell onto wooden floor from about 5 foot

 

Dont try and remove gravel from a tank with fish in it.

The gravel harbours lots of nasty bacteria that when disturbed clouds and disperses, possibley killing your fish.

I would completley dismantle the tank and set it back up again with new or cleaned gravel and whilst there clean/change filter, ornaments, plants and clean the inside of the tank/lights etc.

Place your fishies in a large clean bucket filled with the water from your tank.

Then go about the cleaning and re-setting of your tank.

Obviously you will need to check the quality of your water and its temperature on re-filling.

I buy my water from our local garden centre(aquatics dept) in 25 litre drums (£4 per drum) it is guaranteed to be spot on for your fish.

I am not an expert on water prep nor do I know what Ph/alkaline/chlorine level it should be at, hence why I buy it from people who know.

But I have done this once every 6-8 months for the past three years or so and never lost a fish.

To bring the new water to the temperature of the water I took out the tank, I add boiling water that I have treated with an anti-chlorine liquid, and shake the drums.

When the drums are at a similar temp to the water that I took out, I then add it to the tank.

I re-introduce my fishies to their clean home by using plastic bags filled with water from the bucket, a couple/or three of fish in each bag.

Then leave them floating in the tank for 4-6 hours in their bags, then I slice the bags open and let them go.

Its an epic adventure, but its worth it in the end.....crystal clear water and a slightly different set up each time to amuse my fishies.

Never under estimate the weight of a filled or semi filled fish tank, and never set one down with water in on an un-even surface.

Even one piece of gravel on a flat hard surface can smash the base of the tank.

I would do it properly as its worth it in the end.

Later Yoza.

 

I stopped using gravel many years ago and always use aquarium sand now.

The loaches just love to dig around in it and it doesn't go all gunky like garvel does.

As for water I change 150 litres a month, just fill buckets from tap, add water conditioner, leave 24hours next to room radiator. I then pump out 150 litres and pump back in out of the buckets. Temperature drops a couple of degrees but soon recovers.

Some of my fish are near 25 years old.



Cheers
Lee

 

Nice tank.

I use coloured stones as they match my back drop and stone corals.

My local watering hole has a huge Tropical Marine tank set into a wall, it is an excellent set up, and very theraputic....

edited to get shut of Bar Reef's web site as it doesnt work....

 

This is a great wee site for the fishkeepers amoungst us!

Tropical Fish Centre - Powered by vBulletin

Nice tank btw Lee

 

Try here for advice on fishkeeping.. Tropical Fish Centre - Powered by vBulletin

Nice tank Lee!

 

I removed my gravel and replaced it with Aquarium sand while the fish were still in the tank. I have many Neon Tetra's, a Clown Loach and a Red Tail Black Shark and they were all fine.
The water had cleared within 24hrs, i suppose it depends on your filter flow rate.