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Gravel Media?

NeilW

Member
Joined
25 Jun 2009
Messages
1,113
Location
Basingstoke, Hampshire
Thinking of upgrading my Dads small tank to something bigger (and planted!). Would there be any issue with using the 'lovely' orange gravel substrate of the current setup as filter media in a new tank? 8)

Thought this was a stroke of good thinking as
1. I can get rid of the nasty orange gravel but still keep the benefits of reusing it as already seeded with bacteria.
2. I wouldn't have enough old media from the old filter to fill the bigger new one

was thinking of dry starting the actual tank too so it would be easy for a switchover.

Thanks,
Neil
 
NeilW said:
Thinking of upgrading my Dads small tank to something bigger (and planted!). Would there be any issue with using the 'lovely' orange gravel substrate of the current setup as filter media in a new tank? 8)

Thought this was a stroke of good thinking as
1. I can get rid of the nasty orange gravel but still keep the benefits of reusing it as already seeded with bacteria.
2. I wouldn't have enough old media from the old filter to fill the bigger new one

was thinking of dry starting the actual tank too so it would be easy for a switchover.

Thanks,
Neil

Neil
If you are going to a bigger (double the size) tank than the orange is not going to be enough - obviously. Why not keep the orange gravel and use it as a sub substrate and put your new gravel over the top, best of both worlds and the bacteria within the orange gravel will soon colonize the new gravel + you would not have to buy as much new gravel.

Regards
paul.
 
Flyfisherman said:
Neil
If you are going to a bigger (double the size) tank than the orange is not going to be enough - obviously. Why not keep the orange gravel and use it as a sub substrate and put your new gravel over the top, best of both worlds and the bacteria within the orange gravel will soon colonize the new gravel + you would not have to buy as much new gravel.

Regards
paul.

Thanks for the reply Paul. If I used it as a sub substrate I would worry about it mixing or seeing it in the cross-section when looked at from the side?

I was thinking that if I did use the gravel as media I would make up the remaining volume to whatever is needed with new/more usual stuff.
 
NeilW said:
Flyfisherman said:
Neil
If you are going to a bigger (double the size) tank than the orange is not going to be enough - obviously. Why not keep the orange gravel and use it as a sub substrate and put your new gravel over the top, best of both worlds and the bacteria within the orange gravel will soon colonize the new gravel + you would not have to buy as much new gravel.

Regards
paul.

Thanks for the reply Paul. If I used it as a sub substrate I would worry about it mixing or seeing it in the cross-section when looked at from the side?

I was thinking that if I did use the gravel as media I would make up the remaining volume to whatever is needed with new/more usual stuff.

Neil

Try containing the gravel in a certain area ie in the middle by using some plastic lawn edging
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DURABLE-PLASTIC-L ... 563867a102

or a plastic plant tray
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/10-x-PLASTIC-BEDD ... 4ceb431c68

I will admit that these are a bit too deep - but you could cut them down (height wise).

Then put your new gravel over the top.

Regards
paul
 
Gravel in a filter will clog and be a pain to clean. Use it in a filter bag to help seed your filter for a month of so maybe, but then replace it with something that won't clog and collect dirt.
 
I might be tempted to use the orange gravel as bottom layer taking care that the new gravel would go around the edges of the aquarium before I used the orange gravel in the center.
I agree that the gravel would over time,become clogged and need to be cleaned in old aquarium water or dechlorinated water if used in the filter.
I use a filter insert (Magnavore Super cartridge ), in four of eight Emperor filters by Marineland. In these inserts (removed carbon insert that came with the product). I use eheim substrat Pro as both mechanical and biological filtration. I have to remove the super cartridge and clean the Eheim product as described above,once a month to continue to allow the water to flow through the pourus material. The other four filters simply hold filter floss which is cheap and provides good mechanical filtration while biowheels perform most of the biological filtration.
If what you were,are,considering is with canister filter,, I would want to use someting more pourus such as the Eheim product that would perhaps not clog or compact as easily as the gravel.
 
Neil

Talking to one of our sponser yesterday regarding your gravel situation, they would retain the orange gravel (heaped in the middle of the tank but towards the back glass) and add your new gravel over the top. If you use cut down lawn edging it should not escape.

Regards
paul.
 
Flyfisherman said:
Neil

Talking to one of our sponser yesterday regarding your gravel situation, they would retain the orange gravel (heaped in the middle of the tank but towards the back glass) and add your new gravel over the top. If you use cut down lawn edging it should not escape.

Regards
paul.

Thanks Paul! Nice one for asking :D Looks like that'll be the way forward then.
 
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