swapping for ada - Substrates

**turtlehead** · 05-27-2005, 05:34 PM

I currently have Eco complete in my 10 g I want to swap it out for ada soil and powersand. How should I go by doing this with no fish and shrimp caualties?

John

**gnatster** · 05-27-2005, 05:48 PM

This thread would be better in the Substrates forum for more discussion. The Sponsors forum are intended for specific questions directed for them.

**turtlehead** · 05-27-2005, 05:57 PM

Opps, sorry can you help me move this then? thanks.

aquatic-store.com · 06-09-2005, 05:34 AM

I am breaking down some tanks as we are ,moving to a bigger location. 8 are already done and this is what i have done to minimize fish loss.

I removed all of the plants and put them in a plastic garbage bag.

then removed 50 % of the water and placed it in a larger buck, fishtank or whatever you have

Next I pushed all of the substrate up to one side making sure not to squish the shrimp that were in these tanks. Some of the 55 gal ones had over 300 shrimp. this makes a huge mess in your tank.

Here is the part that you actually need some equipment. I got a eheim canister filter and ran is 4 a few hours@ the end of the filter I put on a hydor sponge and placed that inside a container that was slightly to small for it to get a good seal. This basically cleared up the gunk pretty quick. I have a pic if you want to see it in action. I tried a diatom filter as well but it got clogged to quick.

After a few hours the tank cleared up pretty good. I then SLOWLY lowered the water in the tank to less than 1 inch, made a lind in the angled substrate so the shrimp had a barrier then started removing all of the substrate.

What you could do is @ that stage scoop up all of the shrimp and fish and put thiem with the regular water from your holding tank/spot.
Remove everything
Clean it up
Get all of the new substrate back in and aquascape.
Pour all of the holding tanks water and fish and shrimp back into the tank and over the neve few hours get it back up to full water. You can take longer if needed.

Macbrush · 06-14-2005, 07:00 PM

To be honest, you can't, at least some casualties are expected. ADA Aquasoil, especially when new, will lower your pH to below 6, as well as both GH and KH almost undetectable, with that kind of changes, you can expect your shrimps won't take it lightly, as well as some senstive fish.

It took almost a year for my last tank's KH back up to 2 - 3 after I switched from ordinary gravel to Aquasoil.