# What would you do if in this situation???



## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

Here's the situation-
I am going to lay down some sand substrate on the other half of my 75 Elong tank as it sits right now with half substrate and half black Fluorite/gravel mix. I am going to pull to the gravel/fluorite out and lay down the sand. Sound simple enough don't it???? Well I just did a water change on Sunday and my levels are good and even that being in mind I know pulling the gravel out will kick a boatload of residue and garbage into the water. So I guess my question is do I pull my Elong outta the tank or do I leave him in and let him suffer the wrath of a cloudy as hell tank due to agitated substrate. I was thinking leave him in and change out my H.O.T to gravel polish mode and do it as quickly as possible. Any ideas or suggestion to make this easier on my fish?? That is my only concern as to make this as easy as possible on him and could care if it takes longer or is more effort consuming to do so.


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

RedneckR0nin said:


> Here's the situation-
> I am going to lay down some sand substrate on the other half of my 75 Elong tank as it sits right now with half substrate and half black Fluorite/gravel mix. I am going to pull to the gravel/fluorite out and lay down the sand. Sound simple enough don't it???? Well I just did a water change on Sunday and my levels are good and even that being in mind I know pulling the gravel out will kick a boatload of residue and garbage into the water. So I guess my question is do I pull my Elong outta the tank or do I leave him in and let him suffer the wrath of a cloudy as hell tank due to agitated substrate. I was thinking leave him in and change out my H.O.T to gravel polish mode and do it as quickly as possible. Any ideas or suggestion to make this easier on my fish?? That is my only concern as to make this as easy as possible on him and could care if it takes longer or is more effort consuming to do so.


I would move him to a bucket (with old tank water) with an airpump when doing the actual moving of rock then put him back in mayby an hour or so after finishing. Lettign it clear up probably wwould be the best, but unless you had a spare tank, i would just wait an hour or so for the filters to pick up the main debris.


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## blbig50 (Jan 1, 2009)

If you really dont want to take him out, and the only negative is the cloudy water, I dont think it can hurt him. Remember that they are in cloudy water in nature. However, whether he is in there or not, you should probably do a water change while it is still cloudy to get a lot of the residue and crap out.


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## Pat (Jul 19, 2004)

Take the fish out... he'll be fine. Corner him, or guide him, if you will, into a pale in the dark. That's the least stressful way to take him out.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Here is what I do when I am removing gravel. I remove the fish and put him in a bucket. Then I use a larger hose and siphon out the gravel. That way the tank doesnt get very messy. Of course I siphon the gravel into a bucket and just let it overflow until it is full of rock....part of the perks in having your fishroom in the garage. For you though...I would remove the fish. It will be less stressful on him to be chilling in a bucket...then having you digging around the tank. I dont think the crap in the water will bother him as much as your continual disruption. Also, if you do a really good gravel vac before removing the gravel....your water level will be low enough...and the gravel should be clean enough...that it shouldnt gunk up the water that much.


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

Looks like I will put a heater and a air bubbler in a 10 gallon and move his ass in there then, Thx guys!!!


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## blbig50 (Jan 1, 2009)

Grosse Gurke said:


> Here is what I do when I am removing gravel. I remove the fish and put him in a bucket. Then I use a larger hose and siphon out the gravel. That way the tank doesnt get very messy. Of course I siphon the gravel into a bucket and just let it overflow until it is full of rock....part of the perks in having your fishroom in the garage. For you though...I would remove the fish. It will be less stressful on him to be chilling in a bucket...then having you digging around the tank. I dont think the crap in the water will bother him as much as your continual disruption. Also, if you do a really good gravel vac before removing the gravel....your water level will be low enough...and the gravel should be clean enough...that it shouldnt gunk up the water that much.


I really like that Idea for removing gravel


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

My main though for removing the fish is if you left the fish it would be stressed and you could possibly drop gravel on it. Forgot to mention it earlier but deffinitly do a water change too.


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

Did a water change as well as vac'd gravel, pulled him out and he now sits in a 10 gallon with a heater and a bubbler, got all the gravel out and have polished for about an hour. The water is clearing up nicely and looks twenty times better with the sand. I am going to wait fo about another half before introducing him back to the tank.


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## blbig50 (Jan 1, 2009)

Sounds good man, congrats on the switch. Post some pics if you have time


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

Yeah I will post pics as soon as the tank settles down a bit more, I just put him back in and he's Choked as usual now that the decor is different and I'm sure a spike in the levels is almost a guarantee but feel this will be better in the long run for maintenance and for replanting the tank when upkeep is done. I took out all the infected plants that had algae as well as scrubbed down the hoses and the walls if the aquarium. I glad that I did it for sure and thanks for your help guys as I am a little bit leary about taking a fish out of a tank if unnecessary


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## EZmoney (May 13, 2004)

RedneckR0nin said:


> Yeah I will post pics as soon as the tank settles down a bit more, I just put him back in and he's Choked as usual now that the decor is different and I'm sure a spike in the levels is almost a guarantee but feel this will be better in the long run for maintenance and for replanting the tank when upkeep is done. I took out all the infected plants that had algae as well as scrubbed down the hoses and the walls if the aquarium. I glad that I did it for sure and thanks for your help guys as *I am a little bit leary about taking a fish out of a tank if unnecessary*


Glad it went smoothly!
It basically is necessary to remove the p when doing a major overhaul of the tank. So many reasons to not have any fish getting in the way of your work.


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

True enough but if you read my first blog things went from good to hell in a handbasket in a mattter of an hour. My first redz shoal suffered my it's first lost cause of the same situation.


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## blbig50 (Jan 1, 2009)

Sorry about your reds man. What happened, and is everything with your elong good?


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

Glad to hear everything went well rnr, can't wait to see the pics


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

blbig50 said:


> Sorry about your reds man. What happened, and is everything with your elong good?


No need to worry bout the redz as they are all cooked from that fire so none made it out alive.
Elong is doing real well chasing the sh*t outta a jewel I keep in his tank with avengence, so far so good.


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

Feefa said:


> Glad to hear everything went well rnr, can't wait to see the pics


Thx Feefa it did go really good as it opened up the tank really well and he is seemingly enjoying himself and chasing his jewel all around the place


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## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

glad you got it all done and your happy with the results.

look forward to the pics


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

Still waitin on the tank to clear up some more but they be coming


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## Piranha Dan (Nov 11, 2007)

Good to know everything went well man. I'd have pulled him out of the tank too. Not so much because of the cloudy water but doing that with the fish in the tank probably would've made him spaz out and run into the tank walls, possibly leading to an injury. I worry about this problem with my Reds every time I clean the tank.


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## massabsamurai (Mar 12, 2009)

post some pics rnr. would like to see the outcome. Glad you got it done nicely. Great job!


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

Here's the finished product after it has cleared and settled in a bit sorry bout the glare
View attachment 181923


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## massabsamurai (Mar 12, 2009)

pretty cool still. Is that a bowfront tank?


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## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

nice work RnR

and massa i dont think it is bow. looks that way from the angle of the picture


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

Yeah it's a normal tank and damn does he love it now nothing in is way whatsoever just been darting around. Figure I'm going to take the driftwood stump outta my other one.


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## shiver905 (May 27, 2009)

wow, looks so much better,

It shure did look crappy imo when it was half /half

Sexy!


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

I know I am shiver and thx








I didn't really like the half and half either but that's the problem when you got three new tanks on the go


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## blbig50 (Jan 1, 2009)

Congrats RnR, it looks 10X's better.


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