CC to LS

[bimmerboy1]

Im making the switch one of these days and I was curious If I emptied out the water into a few buckets/tanks and put the fish/coral/inverts and LR in there, then switch the substrates out, then put the everything (water, livestock, and LR) back in, if it will be stable and not spike or anything. thanks very much. I plan on doing this soon so all the help i can get would be greatly appreciated. thanks again

 

[golfish]

I'd do a few water changes while your waiting. Put the old water in a tub with the sand and a powerhead. You don't want to mix the sand but I think it would be better to have some flow.

 

[bimmerboy1]

what does this do??

 

[steelchromis]

I am thinking of doing this to, but i was gonna do my regular water change, then scoop most of the cc out, maybe leave 1/2" to 1" in the tank and add two cases of aragalive to my tank. Would this cause an ammonia spike?

 

[steelchromis]

BTW, my tank is a 29 gal and I normally do a 6 gallon water change every 2 weeks.

 

[bimmerboy1]

if you use LS then there shouldnt be a problem i wouldnt think because you have the bacteria already in the sand and then your putting your LR back in there helping filter everything, and you will have the old water so I think it would be alright. some one please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[steelchromis]

Ok sounds good, but I would like a second opinion, no offense or anything Bimmerboy.

 

[rayraypico]

I made the change and I will never look back sand is so much nicer than CC.
You may intially get a little spike. I did but if you do you just do a large water change the next day. I changed to the sand and did a 33% water change the next day and everything went really smooth I did not loose anything

 

[fishman830]

put the sand in a bucket, fill it with old water from your tank. let sit for a week or so. then slowely change out CC for LS

 

[bimmerboy1]

well I just went ahead and did it yesterday cause i didnt get replys and people are threadjacking me (lol jk) and it turned out alright. everything lived and Im about to do a water change right now.

 

[steelchromis]

Oops sry bout that.

 

[tizzo]

The only thing that you now have to watch out for is a mini cycle. You just removed TONS of surface area all at once, and replaced it with clean sand. And until that sand aquires a nitrifying bacteria coating, your parameters will be unequal. But with many water changes you should be ok. Keep us posted.
For future reference, I have seen it posted before to "cure" your new sand. Put it in a bucket, with the ol' cocktail shrimp, powerheads and heater and cycle it as you would your tank, then add it.
That wasn't a future reference for you...but for anyone else who wants to change out!!

 

[steelchromis]

So, I should take out the CC, add the LS, and then the nxt day do a water change? or do i also do a water change, when i am removing the CC?