Going for the natural look...need some advice

[fishgirl]

So when i first started this hobby like 5-6 years ago i went for the fun look. I used pink and purple gravel and decorated with plastic plants and decor kindly donated to me by my brother. Now I'm so much more educated and say what was i thinking!? I have held off on buying any fish for like the past year or two now waiting for my current fish to outgrow my tank or die. But the other day i came across some really cheap and healthy german blue rams(part of my future setup plan). I wont probably see that again for a while so i took advantage and ended up getting 4.(curse their beauty lol) I'm considering donating my bala shark(though he doesnt pose a threat) to my lfs claiming he has outgrown the tank and hope they can rehome him. On that note i am officially leaning towards a more natural look. I bought 2 anubias to start gradually planting my aquarium. I would also love to change my gravel. What i need advice for is what should i get substrate wise? I know i want the fine gravel(not so fine that its sand but not so big that its gravel or small pebbles) that is a whitish tannish brownish color. I have seen some at petco and another lfs near me that i like. These bags, however, include all of the things you need to start up a tank(conditioner, etc.) already mixed in and it says not to rinse just put it in the tank. I'm debating, do i rinse it and just put it in there, maybe drain it some but not all of the way, or just pour the bag into an already established tank? So basically what would you suggest as a substrate for me? And what should i do for substrates with added chemicals to start up a tank when i already have a tank thats been running for years!? Thanks

[twotone12valve]

Well how big is this tank? In my opinion you might just find it easier to start over. I know that sucks, no one likes to wait for the cycling to happen again but with your already established filter, it should be a quick cycle. If the tank is large enough you could split it and remove half the graval, adding the new gravel to that side of the tank. This, if done slowly will not destroy the tanks balance, it will disrupt it but not completely destroy it, allowing you to leave the tank running. I would rinse your new gravel if your not planning on starting fresh.

[Crazygar]

Depending on the tank size, you might be in for a lot of work. It can be done, but it's a real pain in the rear end. I tried this method one time and realized in the end i doubled the amount of work I wanted to put into the setup.

Do you have any spare tanks laying around? If so, put your current media (gravel, decor whatever) into that, water from water changes (along with adding established filter media to the filter in the spare tank) and transfer over the fish and then have at it.

What is your current tank size and occupants?

Gary

[fishgirl]

Well the tank is only a 20 gallon so i shouldnt have too much work ahead i hope. I'm really determined to make this happen! (Like i said i made some stupid decisions in the past and am trying to correct them so yeah...) currently occupying the tank is my 4 newly acquired blue rams, 1 bala shark(really considering giving him up although he is a gentle giant and i really love him) 1 tiger barb (the strong little survivor from the past) 1 killifish (minds his own business at the top) 1 pictus catfish (also keeps to himself near the bottom and rarely comes out from his log) 1 common pleco (my big one currently died so he is new and only about 3-4 inches). Other than the 4 rams my setup is a like a little odd-ball party!! I dont even think my shark knows its a shark!! Unfortunatly, no i dont have any extra tanks laying around. I used to have a 10 gallon that i could of put old filter media in and run it to filter the new gravel but I'm pretty sure that my parents sold all of the stuff with the tank( filter) the other 10 gallon i have is the home of my crested gecko. Maybe i could use a large storage tub and just stick old filter media in there with the rinsed gravel? Or could i even just rinse the stuff out of the new gravel and replace it with my old? Since my tank has other decor and the filter would it really mess up my water parameters that much?

[Crazygar]

Your Oddball Party, will turn into a Giant Oddball Party. The Bala Shark, Common Pleco and Pictus Catfish will eventually new larger homes if you wish to continue keeping them. Each can attain sizes of 6", with the Common Pleco surpassing 12".

The Lone Tiger Barb might fare better being brought to the store to be with his own kind. Rams and Tiger Barbs (in a group) will not be a pretty picture. Rams are a bit more docile and with the constant activity of the Tiger Barbs, it's best to remove this fish from the equation as well.

Your Killie Fish is fine, but I suggest a small school of Tetras to keep things interesting. When I say small, I small any variety that does not pass the 2" mark. In a 20GAL, you can keep at least 9 individuals to make things more visually appealing.

Now, since you have a 20GAL, you might have it easier than you think.

First, get some spare buckets. This is where your water is going to be along with your fish. I would also suggest running your filter and heater in the bucket as well while you do a revamp of the Aquarium.

Once the water, fish and equipment are in the bucket, it's time to play. Save as much of the water as you can, this will be a vital important part of the procedure.

Empty the tank, remove the old gravel. Replace with the new, though I would personally give it a sifting. If you are wishing to attempt live plants, you might want to consider something more nutrient laden such as Flourite or EcoComplete.

Once the substrate has been put in, replace your decor that you wish to keep. It's vital you keep the decor in the water as well, they have loads of bio on them which is beneficial to the long term stability.

Put the water back in once all the decor is in place. Once you are at a safe level in the tank, re-attached and start the filter and heater.

Net the fish and place them into their new home. That easy. Though it's going to require a few hours of your time. And best do this at a time where you can do this uninterrupted.

You'll have a small spike, but nothing serious but as always, watch your levels and for signs of trouble. At this point, it would be a good idea to rehome those fish listed to save yourself tearing apart your tank once again trying to catch them when you need to rehome them.

Gary

[fishgirl]

I do believe that the gravel i picked out did say it was eco complete. The gravel being in the bag with the water and chemicals already in it, do i need to rinse it out or will the starting up components in the new gravel help with the change? I know like i said in the previous post i made some mistakes early in the hobby. I bought fish because i liked them not because i researched. I dont think my lfs will take my barb (theyre picky what they take in) and he doesnt touch anything. I dont think any of my fish truly know what they are lol! I'm pretty sure that they will take the shark as they usually take in fish that have outgrown their tanks and he is getting pretty HUGE! But yeah my plan for a "new start" was to have the blue rams and then i was just going to keep my killifish and then i was going to get a big group of small tetras or something. Like i said I'm going for the more natural look and enjoy the look of small schooling fish in large numbers! Thanks for the tips!! If you answer the questions i asked earlier in like the first or second line thatd be great!

[Crazygar]

With EcoComplete, just dump in. If you want to mix with a small gravel you can do that as well, but I would recommend not really doing that if you are going the planted route. EcoComplete is good enough. You have everything in one bag.

If you can cut and paste some of those questions line by line Fishgirl that would be great, it's a giant block of text and quite hard to pick stuff out.

Gary

[Dutchman]

Take it all out and put in clean Pool Filter Sand.
After that, put in your plants and start dosing your fertilizers.
That's it (In my opinion, )

[Crazygar]

Pool Filter Sand has no available nutrients though Dutchman, she wishes to keep live plants and that would surely hinder the process.

Gary

[J.B.]

I'm considering donating my bala shark(though he doesnt pose a threat) to my lfs claiming he has outgrown the tank and hope they can rehome him.

Consider no longer, and do it. That fish, at adult size, is WAY to large for you tank. Same goes for the H. plecostomus...trade them in for a store credit for some tetras.

On that note i am officially leaning towards a more natural look. I bought 2 anubias to start gradually planting my aquarium.

Nice to hear, the natural looking tanks, IMHO, are the best looking. Remember Anubias species grow from their rhizome, above the substrate, not rooted in it. I usually tie these to a piece of driftwood, and the root systems after time will attach to the wood.

So basically what would you suggest as a substrate for me?

I would suggest you get one that meets your wants: small grain and white'ish, brown'ish and tan'ish in color. Don't worry about whether it's specifically for plants or not, it's not that critical. The Fluorite Gary mentioned pretty much meets your likes, plus it IS a planted tank substrate.

And what should i do for substrates with added chemicals to start up a tank when i already have a tank thats been running for years!? Thanks

Dump it in without rinsing and don't worry about it, it's not going to hurt anything. Those substrates have colonies of beneficial bacteria in them, and they are perfectly safe, even for a previously cycled filter.

Is this a 20gal long or the 20gal high?

[fishgirl]

Phew thanks for answering all of those questions. I've really been stressing whether i should just get the new substrate or just keep the already established substrate. The tank is a 20 gallon tall.

[Crazygar]

With a 20GAL Tall, you have limited footprint and more depth. You seriously have some stocking issues on your hand.

Best time to rehome those fish would be when you redo the tank.

Gary

[Dutchman]

Pool Filter Sand has no available nutrients though Dutchman, . . .
Gary

Surely regular dosing with fertiliser will take care of that. Anyway, that is the method I follow (and recommend).

[fishgirl]

Pool filter sand is not available anywhere in my area. I have a friend that tried going that route and told me theres like nowhere to get it so that plans out the window...thanks for your input though

[Dutchman]

Well, that puts that one to rest.
Strange though. No swimming pools in your area at all?