Rescaping tips

[limsteel]

After having my tank in this manner for coming a year. I am getting tired of the look. Thus I want to rescape TOTALLY. can help me with the few Qs I have below:

- Messing up the tank is inevitable, do I need to remove all the living from the tank? will muddy/shity water pose a threat to the fishy community. Nitrate spike?

- If fishes removed, put in pail of tank water with an air pump... How long can the fishes last?

- Got lots of big plants, pulling them out will mean Base fert will be pulled out together. Any ill effect?

- Base fert about a year old, is suppliment fert stick necessery?

- After major rescaping how much water to change? %50% or more?

- I intend to off my external cannister, and use an OHF. as it is much easily cleaned. Will Bacteria colony die off in my cannister filter where the water flow has stopped?

Planning to do it next week when my wife is working [] Thanks in advance...

[aquaman]

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- Got lots of big plants, pulling them out will mean Base fert will be pulled out together. Any ill effect?

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YES!!! most of my 4cm cardinal tetras( this one really heart pain), pencil fish, oto went to heaven due to the base fertiliser while rescaping my tank... sob sob..

[MikeKoh]

Try to re-scape your tank phase by phase.... like remove this type of plants first.... change water... next week put in new plants... change water... next week remove another type of plants.,.. change water.. you get what I mean? Or... you can do different parts of the tank at different time.

[BFG]

Limsteel, a large basin should be used to housed your LS. I had used a large basin without airpump and the fish can last for a week. I did a major rescaping and removed everything and had replaced it with ADA aquasoil. Feed sparingly while your LS is in their temporary home.

[vinz]

Put the fishes in a temporary container with half tank water and half tap water. Aerate... we do not how many fishes you have and the size of your pail.

Better still, use youe existing filter on the temporary container... it will also keep the bacteria inside alive and the ammonia and nitrites down. The bacteria will need oxygen, so aerating or good surface movement is good.

Try to save up to half your tank water if possible.

You have 2 choices here:
1. Drain out as much water as possible. Then uproot... it'll probably be less messy.
2. It'll be easier to catch the fishes if you uproot first (carefully to lessen cloudiness), drain the the water till about an inch and then net the fishes. Then drain out the rest of the water.

Next remove the top inch of gravel and rinse it real good. Drain out remaning water to lessen the mess when you re-fill the tank later.

Take the chance to add supplements to the base fert, before you add the gravel.

Replant as if new tank.

Fill the tank with the saved water and the rest with tap water (as if you just did a water change). The rest of the steps are obvious. This should shorten any new Nitrogen cycle.