Gravel

Question
Thanks for your help on a previous question. my tank cleaning was successful and my fish happier. i can tell by the brighter color in their pigment now. i want to make a gravel change i have my tank for a year it is a 16 gallon. I would like information on the best way to conduct a gravel change with the least amount of stress to my fish. i know that this can be very stressful. i would also like to know wat is the best type of gravel to add to my tank to make my fish feel very homey. i have platies and neon tetras. i would also like to add some real plants when i do my gravel change. Will my real plants thrive in my gravel? what kind of plants are best for my kind of fish?  will i be removing too much good bacteria if i change my gravel. i look forward to you response and thanks again for the help.


Answer
Hi Diana,
Changing over gravel can be risky due to a large majority of those special bacteria that keep your water "ammonia-free" are living and thriving on your gravel bed. But it can be done without any harm.

The key is to try to section your gravel bed off in equal parts. Such as 4 equal parts. Each week replace one part of the gravel with the new substrate. Seems like the easiest way to get the gravel out is by scooping with a fish net or a plastic cup.
If your tank gets cloudy and it doesn't go away after switching out one part of the gravel just give it another week and see how it does.

The choice of substrate doesn't really matter too much. It does help to have a finer grain of gravel that is smaller and not real large chunks of gravel where food can drop down in the crevices of the gravel bed and pollute the tank. Color is somewhat important. I always like natural and subtle colored gravels and black is fine too. Darker gravels usually show up a fishes color better and just makes the tank look nicer. Some fish don't appreciate brightly colored gravels and it can wash their colors out.

I would choose some hardy reliable plants that can grow in your gravel without any special expensive planted tank substrates such as-

*Java fern
*Java moss
*Anacharis
*Anubias

All fish enjoy plants and the addition of live plants will really benefit your fish and the quality of your water.

I do hope this helps!
Karen~