"Gravel Change" any recommendations on procedure

[notoo7]

Need some ideas on the best way to change my tank to a finer gravel without upset my loaches. I am pretty sure my best option is to move them all and clean the tank completely. Any other alternatives you can recommend.

[Mark in Vancouver]

Have everything in place before you start. Substrate, sub-substrate if you use any, tank water, mature sponges from long-running filters, backup water that is de-chlorinated, towels, buckets of substrate from the previous setup....

The loaches will be hard to catch and they'll show signs of distress, but you can keep them in a circulated bucket, really, for the time it takes to dress the new tank. A huge, mature alternative tank would be better for the loaches, but it can be done without. Keep them in a dark corner and don't disturb the fish until it's time to put them in the new tank. The whole process is intense, but it can be done in under an hour if you plan for it.

All the loaches will want immediate access to cover once they are put in the new tank. They should not have to compete to any extent. Planning is key.

If you have time to run the future filtration system for a week in your existing tank, do. Run all the filtration-seeded equipment in your new tank for as long as you can before adding loaches or any new fish.

[Emma Turner]

Alternatively, you can just net out the old substrate with a large sized fish net. Once you have netted out all the old stuff, you can add your new pre-rinsed sand to the tank with a small jug or something. As long as you carry this out in a manner that doesn't cause undue stress to the fish i.e. start slowly removing gravel at one end, whilst letting the fish go to the other side of the tank, and then gradually moving across. If you leave some sort of cave in there at the opposite end to where you are working, they will feel safer. When you get to the middle, move the cave to the other (bare) end and let them move into it before finishing taking the gravel out at the other end. This procedure is likely to cloud the water somewhat, but the fish should be fine and the filter/s should clear the water fairly quickly once you've finished.

Emma

[notoo7]

That's what I was afraid of. I think I better get a little more prepared. Last month I tried to create another clown loach tank. I took six clowns from our bed room tank, remember the over crowded one. Well long story short tank came down with ICK and all the fish died So I cleaned it out and turned it into a goldfish pond. I think a big part of that problem was the aquarium too closed to the from door so they were stressed. First time in a long time I had a mass die off.
So this time, I will take your advise Mark, I will set up a 20 gallon in the living room with a cycled filter. All my tanks have two filter for this type of contingency. Once I am confident it is fully cycled, I will use it as my holding tank. Bonus I can leave the smaller loaches and corys. Reduce some of the over crowding.

[notoo7]

Hi Emma, I didn't see your reply til just now. You must've posted while I was posting earlier. I think I will use both ideas. Set up the 20 gal as a back up in something goes wrong and slowly start removing gravel from one side. There are artificial caves on both sides. Thank you both of you.