changing gravel and decor of tank

[crackajap]

I have a 30g long brackish tank with on3 ceylon puffer. I don't like the gravel and want to change it to sand. I'm thinking of taking out the puffer while doing the change, is this a good idea? I want to minimize the stress... Gives me the opportunity to change the decor of the tank. How much of the original tank water should i keep? planing to keep the filter unchanged to help cycle the tank.

[define999]

Sand, or a larger argonite mix? You can go to a really fine small sand that gets into everything, damages HOB filter engines, takes forever to clear.... or a substrate that not as fine and more course like a caribsea live sand? I think the puffers or gonna stress out either way.... at least thats my experience. I would suggest somthing more course and not as fine. I used a fine argonite sand for my cichlid tank and I regret not going with the larger argonite flake..... I have caribsea live sand in my high-gravity brackish tank and I love it!

[PolishPuff]

Hi, well I got sand in one of my tanks and I got to say that I hate going vacuuming. Turning off the filter staring a sand etc... I always do that tank first cuz I know that after cleaning the other two I would get lazy.

why dont you get a different gravel?

different color or shape of a it

[crackajap]

Actually, I have some fine sand with gravel mixed in, but looks sooo ugly, I'm thinking of getting thicker grain of sand, adding river rocks and slate.

[PolishPuff]

I have some fine sand with gravel mixed in

I was thinking of doing that. how bad is it? can you post a picture?

[LilGreenPuffer]

I would definitely take out the fish while changing the gravel. Put him in a covered bucket with a heater.

Save the water - a lot of bacteria will probably get knocked loose from the old substrate into the water and you'll want to preserve that. I would do the whole thing in stages, though - start with the substrate and then start in on the decorations a month or so later, once the bacteria has thoroughly colonized the new substrate. The decorations also hold bacteria, remember, so don't take everything out at once!

Why not also take this opportunity to upgrade the tank? It would actually make things easier on you, all things considered, to do it now rather than later. The ceylon will need at least another 10g in the long run.