PREVENT FISH DEATHS. How to Safely Add Substrate to an Established Aquarium. For Epic Planted Tanks!

[@frogleg6668]

Been googling this for months lol, no one talks about adding to an established tank thank you!

[@Fishtory]

I had the same realization and had talked to many old time fish keepers and decided we needed a video discussing it :) I'm glad you enjoyed it, and welcome you to the community.

[@chelsealane7841]

This is what I came to the comments to say!

[@IridescentJen]

@@Fishtory wonderful! (iʻm only 3 minutes in and happy as can be). iʻve just got a little tiny tank but itʻs healthy and well established and hereʻs me wanting to change things up but not destroy it :) thank you so much Secret History Aquarium Dude!

[@Fishtory]

@@IridescentJen right on!

[@johnnybest6386]

This content is the bombs❤❤❤

[@mikeykany1973]

Nice video. Another tip is to soak your new active substrate in a bucket of water for a couple of weeks with frequent water changes. This will leech off most of the ammonia before you add it to your tank, then you can do it all in one go.

[@Fishtory]

Great tip!

[@msdecleir6389]

Should i treat with prime?

[@graxymo3104]

@@msdecleir6389 it would be easier to use some fish water to rinse it i think

[@brushitoff503]

My Brain is in Millions of pieces. I get so damn torn between my passions in life & never have enough hours in the day even with ADHD! Thank you Alex. Mind Blown & now I have yet more to learn & understand, I love it!

[@Fishtory]

Thanks for watching mate. I know the feeling though hahaa

[@MichaelBruunCph]

Fill a large dry bottle with your substrate, then fill it with water in the aquarium, and hold your thump on the opening after it's filled with water. Now you can hold it where you want to add new aqua soil, then it will flow out of the bottle, making no mess as the dust stays in the bottle, so when it's emptied from aqua soil put your thump on the opening again and take the bottle out and empty it, rinse and repeat 😊

[@Fishtory]

Oh Interesting! Thank you

[@nah3214]

this is incredibly helpful not only does no one talk about switching in established tanks but if they do they never talk about switching from somthing like sand

[@Fishtory]

Very glad it was helpful! Thanks for tuning in and speaking your thoughts!

[@davids7524]

Great video man, I just started my aquarium about 6 months ago and wanted to start doing more live plants and an active substrate. Glad I watched this video before just dumping it on top of my gravel like I was about to. Also, I respect the vinyl game! Thanks for the help!

[@Fishtory]

Haha thanks David. It's really great to hear a tank running with that extra fuel of an active substrate. I think you'll find it very fulfilling after you get past the first algae bloom haha (I have a video on new tank algae blooms also...but basically you just wait it out and change the water frequently and then it'll pass). Have a great weekend. Cheers. -Alex

[@AVH8TOR]

Thanks for the info man. My local fish store said for my gravel tank to just add a tiny bit at a time on top of the gravel wherever the plants are so it doesn’t kill the fish. Of that active substrate.

[@Fishtory]

That would work...it just takes more time that way. At the end of the day... 0 ppm ammonia is your only way to know it's truly fish and shrimp safe

[@AVH8TOR]

@@Fishtory appreciate ya!

[@THUGGALO1000]

Hands down. This guy is the truth. Immediately satisfied with the delivery of information. #justkeepswimming

[@Fishtory]

Thanks buddy! Have a great week

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

Alex I am really enjoying these videos. Actually I've been been binge watching Evey since I watched it😁 you just have a way of teaching that really makes it a pleasure to learn. This was a great topic for myself and so many others . Since starting this journey with planted tanks last year, I have been learning how everything works together and learning how important the substrate is to the health and sustainability in my tank! Learning how to take care of the substrate was something I didn't think about when I first set up my aquariums! Knowing the signs like.... are the plants growing properly, how the substrate should look and knowing that certain substrates can become exhausted over a period of time were things that I didn't know about before finding channels like yours and Father Fish! Such a wealth of knowledge and information you share with all of us on a daily basis is so appreciated and is what is taking my hobby to a different level. A different level as in I am enjoying my aquariums in ways I didn't even know were possible! Watching my fish and my plants and everything thrive truly brings on a different sense of accomplishment and joy. I could have never have imagined! But finding people like you in this incredible community means more than anything! How wonderful it is to see all these amazing ways to take care of our aquariums with tutorials and chats like this. This is what's taking me from being an average hobbyist to someone who can add a little more variety and beauty into my aquariums to have "forever aquariums" by learning these extra steps like replacing, adding or capping existing substrates can help make sure that my aquariums last for years and years! Thank you for showing me this I truly appreciated the video! I hope you're having a wonderful weekend! I hope you have a very blessed day!!! 🙏🌿🐟🌿💚

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

PS I can never tell you enough how beautiful your aquariums are!!🙏🌿🐟🌿💚

[@Fishtory]

Of course Mary Paige, you too bring a ton of joy to the hobby daily. I'm glad you enjoy the tutorials...they're wordy but I just feel like there's so much to know. (and my videos are for those of us that want to know "why", and not just "how to"). You said it best though, the more you know and the more you invest into the tank and hobby, the more you can respect and enjoy it. Some tanks look incredible but don't work for fish at all...and to me they aren't impressive honestly. Id rather see a dirted tank of guppies with local plants and stone/wood....with deep substrate or a full ecosystem, than a rimless $5,000 aquascape anyday

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

@@Fishtory ❤️I agree💯👍😁🤗🤗

[@MRDJBURNS]

Late to the party on this one but thank you! I have had an aquarium for a few years now but was always weary of adding real plants but now I have in pots. I've always wanted to do it this way but there is next to no information about doing it with an established tank so this helps me so much! I just don't want to stress my fish and this will work for me. Thank you!!!

[@MridulSinghMusic]

This is very useful for all of us! Something I also use is a specimen container for getting substrate out. It's perfectly flat, and can get a lot of substrate out at a time!

[@Fishtory]

Great idea, Mridul

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

Great idea Mridul, always thank you for sharing!! Hope you're having a great weekend! 🙏🌿🐟🌿

[@MridulSinghMusic]

@@marypaigeflynn4512 thank you! The same to you!

[@varanidguy]

I've been brainstorming about this very thing for weeks now. I have a 75, the right half is dirted but I'm not really a fan of it. I'm not going to mess with it though, but for the left side, I was thinking about getting a bag of aquasoil, removing the sand that's in there, putting it the soil, then recapping with the old sand for the bacteria and to reduce the impact on parameters. I don't care about buffering the pH and hardness down, and definitely don't want an ammonia spike, just want the nutrients without the mess of straight dirt. Kinda funny you came out with this during this time.

[@FishCapadesProductions]

Just did this just capped my gravel with sand ❤ then the other tank added stratum more gravel on top might top that with sand too lol i just bought the tripple waashed tripple kilm dried sand to cap. Keeps the mulmy gravel down there and now all i do is lightly vac around the top of the substrate. Instill root tab though lol 😅 best topics and all i did was dump the sand in the 29 and brushed it off the plants barley clouded the water . My polishing filter tidal made short work of the mild cloudynness after dumping in the sand. Best channel ever ❤

[@Fishtory]

Sweeet! ... i knew you could do it, without my opinion needed haha. Go team Mel

[@FishCapadesProductions]

@Fishtory is that why you havent messaged back 🤣. Jk

[@FishCapadesProductions]

@@Fishtory also thanks for the vote of confidence in me ❤️

[@FoxiesFishes]

The jar method is tried and true. I use a piece of PVC cut at an angle to funnel the substrate to where I want it. To remove substrate, I suck out with a siphon hose and scoop any left after the water is drained. I also add additional water lettuce or other floaters to suck up any additional nutrients that get kicked up into the water column, but if done slowly, not much clouding will occur.

[@Fishtory]

Awesome tip, thanks!

[@mellewedin8221]

I have found for a good active substrate I use flora max eco complete. My 40 breeder has it and I have capped off. There is also sand mixed up in the eco complete. It's been 4 years and I still have awesome growth and everything else. I think having active substrate last longer, it helps to try to recreate how a natural bottom would be for live plants. But I keep deep beds, it gives the tank a better stomach stop speak. I love your style of fish keeping man. I have learned so much from you. I wish you lived in the same town as me,lol I feel like we could be friends. I love geeking out with fish talk like this. I live in a very small minded area and like no keeps fish. Just Betta's in old pickle and cheese puffs container's, with a flower in it.

[@Fishtory]

Lol well. Thank goodness for the internet then! Where do you live near? I feel like these days with the internet and shipping, we are all much less alienated. Like to be an ignorant and backwards person in Europe or the USA, it almost takes effort lol

[@henryjia4725]

I have 55 gallons stone gravel aquarium for years, and I never succeeded in growing plants with beautiful big leaves and most of them eventually in months. I feel stone gravel only do not provide enough nutrients and not able to hold roots. I am going to add soil substrate into the existing established bit by bit as shown on your video. Hope it works and it won’t harm the fishes. Thank you

[@Fishtory]

Root tabs may be helpful. For you also.

[@antoinetteballesteros8841]

I stumbled across your video & just bought clay substrate earlier today.Due to my area&pandemic the substrate hasn't been in both locally owned pet stores & large chain store. I've never done substrate & my fish love the plants that don't require substrate or co2 but now I want to try different plants for my fish. I was eager & added water to mixed gravel&clay substrate it was very cloudy.Very informative. Glad I have a second aquarium to experiment before putting in fish or plants. Thank's!

[@Fishtory]

Oh of course! That should work well as a cap layer. You may want to do gravel or sand for an inch...then 2 inches soil and or gravel then top it all with clay and some sand (use 1 cup crushed coral per 10 gallons for livebearers or rift cichlids and I find it keeps neutral water near perfect for them...but it depends if you're starting with soft, hard or neutral water I suppose.) Hope it helps a bit. Best wishes!

[@antoinetteballesteros8841]

THANK YOU! I googled & KZbin for info on clay substrate for aquarium plants/fish for tips & nothing. Then saw your video & gave great tips. Ofcourse clay will get cloudy but I know there must be other ways & your reply helped. I didn't want to order online I'm suport of local venders.Again thank you. I can't wait to see my fish enjoying new plants. Off to pet store again.Thank you. Have a great day!

[@voluntaryismistheanswer]

Great timing, I'm considering pulling substrate out a hex, or at least adding to it. My best tip for scooping (with a bunch of nano tanks, it works) is a fast food soft drink jumbo clear plastic cup- not mine, soda is Satan's piss, unless it's Mexican coke 😄- with the stiff rim cut off for a betta feeding ring- I nearly chucked it as trash, and then realized the combination of stiffness and flexibility was perfect for scooping substrate etc.

[@jamesbell4858]

I’m glad your still active so i have an EMERGENCY. I’m usually good with tanks but made a rookie mistake because it’s my first time with substrate i used pure soil for aquariums and substrate soil added that. With a tank i already added bacteria too. So my dumb a** rushing added and i live in Japan so i couldn’t read the instructions i washed both of them and added and my tank is a muck dark swampy mess. I have an endangered Japanese arawana I’m trying to save a crayfish playco and some tiny shrimp and one snail. There in the tank because they are you know pretty hardy guys. How do i go about clearing this tank right now i have my dorm room hot ash so that the tub the arawana is in can match the temps he needs but obviously it’s not something i can cycle and he can’t be in there for to long. I am on emergency right now and trying to figure something out being in Japan there’s a language barrier and the fish stores can only help so much. Hope you see this soon!

[@Fishtory]

Okay, so get some Dechlorinator... add that to the tank (double the normal dose)...then change out the water in as big of a water change as you can 80% or so. Then you have 2 choices... 1. cap it or 2. Plant and water change. To cap it, simply add 2 inches of the finest (rinsed) sand you can. That'll trap the ammonia in the soil...then plant into the sand, and the roots will reach down into the soil layer. Keep up with decent water changes until you don't see ammonia or high nitrates. Next way, route 2, do a 50-70% water change a day (pour the water in onto a colander or bowl, so it doesn't kick up the substrate again... make sure to dechlor the water, and also add as many fast growing plants as you can get your hands on. Hornwart, watersprite, water lettuce, val, or whatever grows fastest for you...a good light will help that. For both methods, make sure to check your filtration so it doesn't get clogged with dust or soil and stop working. Adding an airstone wouldn't hurt either, or anything that splashes to aerate that water. Even when you use seachem prime or some sort of Dechlorinator, the plants and algae can break the ammonia out of the bond that dechlor forms...but within 24 hours that Dechlorinator breaks free again from any remaining ammonia or nitrates, so make sure to do a water change and add some more, for a good week (if you don't choose to cap it off). Best of luck, I've been there...just remember, even if the tank was uncycled, fresh water won't ever hurt fish and in theory, they can live indefinitely in uncycled water, as long as you dechlorinate it and keep removing the old water that's full of ammonia or nitrogen compounds....eventually your biological filtration will catch up. Don't worry about algae (it's likely to occur for a couple weeks in between transition of substrates). -Alex.

[@jamesbell4858]

@@Fishtory thanks bro!

[@trixie1636]

Exactly what I needed. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@kevmike3687]

Enjoyed and received encouragement from this. Have a 36gal. Bowfront with an UGF plenum and a dirted substrate capped with pea gravel. After about 6 mo. I'm thinking I did not go significantly deep enough as my plants are starting to struggle and I don't think I have enough depth to ad root tabs. So was thinking for stripping this and starting over until I seen this vid!

[@Fishtory]

Right on! I say go for it

[@jlowe8614]

I am a high school science teacher with my background in biology (especially animal sciences). I just have to say that you are so skilled at making complex information accessible and interesting to anyone at any knowledge or experience level. It's very difficult to deliver to a diverse audience and present information in a way that will be understandable to people with little knowledge yet still interesting to those who have a lot. You should be a school teacher 😁.

[@Fishtory]

Im honored to read your words. Thank you so kindly. I do love teaching, but i have a hard time staying to one topic haha... im a bit all over the map, which is okay on youtube. HOWEVER, long-term, this whole experience with KZbin has made me want to go finish the 25 or 30 credits needed to teach ( I stopped short due to family health issues and my own health.) But with my masters in archaeology / history, apparently I can teach as a begining level lecturer at some community colleges and any private school that allows for this. Thanks for your encouragement. Have a great week!

[@mstevens6723]

Just watched this after i subscribed because of your corydoras losing barbels not due to substrate video and damn dude. For real great job. In two videos, you just shot up to my top go to fishtuber!! I cant wait to watch some more. Thanks for what youre doing man

[@Fishtory]

Why thank you kindly. I try and correct what i can if i get something wrong. But usually i get most the info correct the first try with enough research hehe

[@deshondetoro1638]

Whatever you guys do, add things slowly to your established tank!!! Super important

[@Fishtory]

Amen

[@stevep2430]

If you are doing small sections at a time, why not use a wet and dry vacuum to remove the sectioned off substrate? You will also be doing a water change at the same time. To replace the substrate, you can pour/feed the new substrate down a 4 inch PVC pipe, directing it to where you want it. A PVC pipe with one end blocked off and a few holes drilled along its length can be used for gentler method of adding water back into the tank so as to not disturb the substrate, example- blocked off end towards the substrate and open for filling of water, the water will be released into the aquarium through the drilled holes.

[@Fishtory]

That works too. Ive seen it done, also freezing new soil into an ice block and inserting that under everything. i just dont happen to have a shop vac haha

[@Readermaymei]

You are a lifesaver 😍 I just received substrate today and I was so worried putting it in my cycled tank. I am only putting a small amount as I don't intend to plant so much but this live demo is the best I have seen. Thanks for considering newbies like me ❤ Liked and subscribed 👍

[@Fishtory]

No worries! We all gotta do it sometime hehe. Best wishes and have a great time redoing the tank!

[@terrygorsch386]

I just did that myself 🤓 I switched from Blue substrate to Natural 🐠Wow the fish and plants look so much better 😜🎸

[@Fishtory]

Rock on! I dig it

[@terrygorsch386]

No more plastic plants either 😜🐠

[@Handygrrl]

Very educational and timely for me too! I think that orange bucket should be *your* signature equipment! ;)

[@metasymphony]

For stem plants, I just add new substrate around them, they’ll grow new roots there. Plants with a rhizome do need to be removed but most other plants are ok to get buried a bit

[@outdoorfr3ak]

So I cultivate a bacteria that I use for maintaining my root zone in my house plants and cannabis. It's an aero tolerating anaerobic bacteria that's a probiotic. I have reached out to a few professors to have it tested for control of blue green algae blooms since probiotic bacteria are found throughout all forms of life. I recently got back into aquarium keeping and realized how useful this bacteria would be in fish keeping and will start tests soon. I'm subscribing and I'll keep you updated because in theory, you could inject this bacteria into your soil and it would eliminate the algae occurring in the root zone

[@ratboyiscool]

Thanks for this excellent video on something that must be so trivial for experienced fish keepers

[@Fishtory]

It may seem trivial to some, but with all the new substrates in the last decade or so, its allowed for some strong ammonia and nitrate related outcomes, and so people don't always expect that a cycled tank may need a step by step taper of changing it out. Regardless, I'm Glad it was of some use to you and your fish! Cheers and thanks for stopping by & tuning in!

[@ratboyiscool]

@@Fishtory It was seriously a big help. I recently upgraded to a 75gallon long for my axlotols and fish and really regret not putting sand in. Now I have a bag of Seachem black sand that I cant wait to get in there!

[@StephenAlcala-xp3nw]

I have been searching for this information for quite a while, this is very informative, great job....

[@PotooBurd]

Boosting for the algorithm 🙌 Love your work, keep it up! 🌻🐝

[@Fishtory]

Thank you!

[@Giftig--Daniel-P]

Love this. I have a gravel tank (about 2 1/2 - 3"). I'm not looking to remove the gravel, but I want to put some soil on top (maybe 1/2") then cap with sand. I have maybe 3 plants in there right now, not really big ones. Just wanting to add more and realizing I want more nutrients in the substrate without using a ton of tabs. Any recommendations on substrate I can add on top of gravel? I'll be capping with some sand after.

[@Fishtory]

Ada amazonia is the gold standard, but eco complete, brightwell or fluval plant and shrimp all will work well. Best of luck to you

[@Giftig--Daniel-P]

@@Fishtory thanks Alex!

[@Kim20Fins]

Where have you been all my hobby life?😂😂😂Great video

[@Fishtory]

Welcome! Theres 1200 videos to browse lol

[@katebattista7400]

Perfect! I'm going to try topping my black diamond blasting sand with seachem flourite. This video came at the right time 🙂

[@Fishtory]

Glad to hear. Let me know how it goes for you

[@Fishtory]

Good stuff

[@KyIieMinogue]

How did it end up? I’ve had problems with granular convection when I mix substrates with different grain sizes even when I cap.

[@hawksnest7527]

I’m fairly new to this so I appreciate the tips! Thank you 😊

[@Fishtory]

Glad if it helps! Welcome!

[@jhonycruz421]

Thanks so much for this video dude 🤙🏽 exactly what I was looking for !

[@Fishtory]

So glad I could be of some assistance! Best wishes,- Alex.

[@meganward1314]

Thank you for your video! You are so knowledgeable. I have gravel in my tank and have been wanting to change it out to an active substrate for a planted tank. Could I use this method and cap it with some of the gravel that is already in there to mitigate any ammonia spikes ?

[@Fishtory]

So you probably want to use sand to cap it, if it's a substrate with lots of debris or waste a mere 2 inches of sand will totally pronect the animals from the ammonia leaking... now if you want to use fine sized gravel instead- that can work, but you need 3 to 4 inches of it to get a full "cap" on it

[@Martin_Gregory]

It's a fantastic topic - no-one helps us with this! I do wish you'd actually shown it being done for real. It's also confusing that you talked about adding sand, but your aquarium doesn't have a sand cap.

[@Fishtory]

So you only need to add sand If you have an ammonia issue...and some brands of aquasoil come with ammonia and nitrates mixed into them

[@davidefarrofarro4269]

Hallo Alex, want to thank you so much for the honest and immersive info you share from your great knowledge and experience. Within high respect, and still admiring your work, I only have one suggestion, shorter video, maybe splitting arguments, could be awesome. On 15/20+ min video is very hard to get to the point, and not frequently may be possible to watch it entirely. Just a point of view, hope not offensive in any possible way. Thank you so much!

[@sandypandys]

thank you for the great tips!

[@pa.fishpreacher6166]

Where do you get your Big Rocks for your scapes, you mentioned a truck load, for the new tank? Also what was the 50lb bag of stone called that came from Lowes/ homedepot or whatever? was it river rock or such? Any sites you use for driftwood?

[@Fishtory]

Yeah river pebbles at home depot ... 4.99 for .5 cubic feet/45-55 lbs. Then the stone is Oso quartz and jadeite, olivivine, serpentine, and low transparency blue jade sometimes with band of Ellensburg blue

[@greenarray]

Thanks for the live demonstration

[@connie6705]

I love your videos! So interesting and educational! I have a question if you have the time to answer. I’ve done a deep bed in a 10 gallon with eco complete. I topped it with a soft gravel in case I decide to have some bottom dwellers later. I’m getting ready for a second surgery so I’ve kept it lightly stocked with a couple nerites and some short nose algae shrimp so I don’t have to feed. It’s heavily planted, been running for 6 mos and everything is thriving thankfully. I do plan on adding “ small” fish this summer. Can I top this with sand or will I have a problem with the sand sinking to the bottom? My hope, without redoing everything, is that it will mimic the Walstad method by doing this? Or if you have a better suggestion I’m open. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us! Edit: I didn’t specify my tank is low tech, medium light, using root tabs and liquid fert. Sounds like from what you’ve explained that all substrates for planted aquariums eventually need replacing. Is there a circumstance where it doesn’t have to get replaced for a planted tank?

[@Fishtory]

Sounds like a nice set up, that's probably really stable by now! I think if I were you, I'd get pool filter sand (not fine concrete sand, play sand or pet shop sand)... the "HTH POOL FILTER SAND" , its fine enough that its still a nice sugar sand that compresses, but no so fine that it will fall through your substrate fast... all substrate will eventually settle to the denses and smallest particles on the bottom with agitation and pressure but if you don't gravel vac it, and water change without a splash zone (pour it into a bowl or colander type vessel) it should last at least a year or two from my experience.. and likely more with 2 inches of it as a cap... 1 Inch is what I do...but I do 2 of the 1 inch zones like lasagna with active substrate in between either mulm silt or sand... ( it all works ..its just preference and I set up 5 or 6 tanks a year and rotate which ones I'm observing for changes either good or bad.). Best of wishes and thanks for watching!

[@connie6705]

Thank you for your advice! Greatly appreciated

[@human47134]

2 questions: 1 to reiterate: by capping you mean lay sand or gravel (if you want both on top) on top of the aqua soil ? and 2. can you do this if you have a cycled tank but the tank isn't fully established? We started a tank a month ago, it felt really rushed. I really wanted to do an aqua soil but was scared out of "redoing" the tank because of people warning about the ammonia spike from the substrate. So I could technically redo the tank, but we don't have a fully planted tank. They're still establishing. Do I get more plants and wait for it to establish more (like 6 months) or do I YEET the aqua soil in and just check the water and perform necessary water changes going section by section while adding new plants ?

[@Fishtory]

So id go with fluval stratum or a mineral rich, non-ammonia based soil, if the tank is already up and going...then yeet like root tabs every 4 to 5 inches...and plant the heck out of it asap. And the sand cap helps hold down the young plants, acts as a sifter for fish poo and so the nutrients falls into the gravel or voids in the substrate over time. A cap isnt needed if you wait months (assuming you had used dirt or ammonia loaded substrate)... bacteria will handle it. But if u do it fast...cap it

[@emblossm]

I found this very informative and timely, as I was starting to remove the substrate from my very lightly planted aquarium hoping I could add something that would grow plants better, all without harming the fish. There are some aspects I'm still uncertain about, I have had Eco complete for a couple of years and thought I would try to replace it with what I understood to be an "active" substrate with Fluval Stratum but what I'm hearing is that Eco complete is considered active not Fluval Stratum? Also it sounds like rather than removing the Eco complete it would be better to add another substrate over it? What would be a better growing medium for a low tech planted aquarium? I would really like to grow dwarf hair grass or some other kind of carpeting plant. Thank you

[@Fishtory]

Glad to hear it!

[@Fishtory]

Correct, eco is active... stratum has all the minerals but not organics...so its not technically active...but it gets lumped due to the plant nutrients still being decent. You could top it off...you could add some root tabs also... or you could layer it a new way... you have options. Ada amazonia or ecocomplete are probably best for carpeting plants...but the light and or usually co2 is the key for most carpeting plants... dwarf hair grass, star grass, chain sword, vals and monte carlo are possible without co2...but a decent light is key. Fluval 3.0, a kessil, a uns, oddysea ADA or.Twistar are the ones id recommend

[@human47134]

@@Fishtory I've heard that Fluval Stratum can spike ammonia when added to a tank... is that true?

[@Fishtory]

@vmethod see above comment. But no, it has no nitrogen or ammonia, however the other nutrients can cause cloudy water and or algae growth

[@billburghgraef1651]

Good video as always . I did this same idea using a shop vac . Quick and easy no mess. Ps keep one finger on the power button lol.

[@Fishtory]

Good tip!

[@KentuckyGOP-wx9rv]

I have a 75 gallon planted community tank with AQUASOIL. Its about 5 years old. I am trying to decide if I can add a layer of new Aquasoil over it, or just cap it with sand and use fertilizers

[@Fishtory]

You take their favorite food and fresh garlic, and you mash the garlic into a paste or puree and then work in so there's 2 or 3x the food they like to the garlic...then make tiny little balls of the mix and feed them to the fix... super tiny fish you may be out of luck, and tannins from leaves , as well as salt are the only thing besides a temp above 86f that will help

[@taylorgibson5982]

Yay! 1st one to comment 😊👍 Great video as always! Ironically I need to add substrate to my existing tank so very good timing!

[@Fishtory]

Something is in the water I guess... all of us are doing it haha

[@leoamaya1818]

Just subscribed & thank you for the priceless advice. Now I can confidently redesign my tank & be happy with my set up. 👊🏼💯

[@johnjwedrall4290]

Very helpful ,timely and easily understood video for me 😊👍

[@Fishtory]

So glad to hear it

[@patriziabeaucage258]

Awesome! Exactly the info that I needed to know!! Thank you

[@Fishtory]

I'm so glad you were curious and checked the info before potentially harming your animals. I'm honored to be of a little help on the matter. Cheers, and welcome

[@Bobby11]

Ok this is creepy, earlier today i was thinking about how i could add more substrate to my tank and i am concerned about the fact its well established.. creepy you releasing this the same day.

[@Fishtory]

Yeah i heard you... no worries ;)

[@MrGrombie]

How did you post this as my new substrate came in the mail today! Literally the perfect video for me right now. Lol

[@Fishtory]

I am half wizard

[@MrGrombie]

@@Fishtory Mixes well with my 1/4 Mexican XD

[@ratnadeepdhar4816]

Well liked your guidance really helpful and will keep watching your videos. Regards 🙏

[@Fishtory]

Thanks and welcome!

[@josepolanco1228]

Thank you for usual great info

[@Fishtory]

You bet

[@urbansk8r231]

Hi, if you are taking substrate out in sections- how do you keep the rest of the soil in tank at bay, before adding new stuff? About shrimp- neos and royal tigers in a planted tank. I'm running med-high light pressurised co2. So what do ferts till you you keep your nitrates at..20ppm?. My nitrates get used up so fast. Besides dosing your regular fertiliser, would you add extra nitrogen? Or just keep adding more ferts till you reach your desire nitrate level? Beautiful tank btw

[@Fishtory]

Thanks man. Um I use a piece of plastic from packaging like blisterpacks or clamshells...the hard clear stuff that like scissors are sold in...I save scraps of it and use it as a retaining wall to hold back the other soil while I scoop out the other stuff in multiple sessions... it generally spikes the nitrates + 20-50ppm if you dig up and disturb a rich substrate...and in that case I dose fertz with no nitrates (so no all in one's pretty much...or just skip fertz for a week or two while I do the swaps.) Every tank is different, but I like to have the max amount of fish per volume, which keeps those nitrates between 10 and 40 (20 being my ideal usually). So I use either the Brightwell Flourin , or ADA brighty K and Brighty Green (macros and micros). Best of luck! I hope that answer helped a bit more

[@urbansk8r231]

@@Fishtory thanks alot it sure did. I'll give your techniques a go for sure.

[@alexabartha7670]

I have a 10g betta tank and for past year just had sand substrate but now that my tank is more planted I started looking into bio substrate instead of fertilizer. I’m wary of doing a full substrate switch where I take out the sand and lay down the bio-substrate then cap it off with the old sand or would it be possible to just add handfuls/jar fulls of the bio-substrate around the base of where some of the bigger plants are rooted? Would adding little bits of it into the top level of the sand make too much leeching or should I just suck it up and do the full substrate switch properly and replant my plants?

[@Fishtory]

If you do it in a few rounds over a couple weeks it should be fine to just add around key areas... you can always pot plants or take a coffee filter and fill it with aquasoil as a little pouch to bury...and overtime it'll decompose if you get organic ones

[@melaniesimpson6322]

I just started a planted tank with controsoil 2 weeks ago, but I'd like to add more. How do I do that? Rinse it first? Will it hurt my fish?

[@Fishtory]

Yeah so rinse it first, then do what I mentioned in the video...add a little bit at a time and monitor nitrates the next day or 2...then repeate as long as nitrates aren't over like 50 to 60 ppm or so

[@melaniesimpson6322]

@@Fishtory Great!! Thanks :-)

[@GolfCrafter]

Many thanks, I'm going to remove 1/3 of my gravel of my 5 year old tank and replace it with black sand next week. I'm going to remove the gravel entirely in the 1/3 portion of the tank from the left side, do a water change at the same time, then fill up some more water before putting the black sand with a few root tabs. It sound good right? I'm going to get JBL black sand. I'm doing this because I did not set up this aquarium myself and Im unhappy with the white gravel and I want some fish who prefers sand. I have maybe 30 fishes in the tank so I don't want to remove them nor do I have another tank.

[@Fishtory]

100% 👌 of luck to you too!

[@GolfCrafter]

@@Fishtory I finally did it today after 5 nights of cleaning sand in the dark outside 😄 it looks great and the fish are really happy, especially my new cory. Your video helped a ton

[@synthesaurus]

What about wetting it and turning into frozen block that could be squeezed into tge old substrate? I often do that with worm castings. Turn them into thick mud and make it into “ice cubes”.

[@Fishtory]

Thatll work just watch the temp overall on the tank!

[@srt4goodness]

Thank You sooooo much. I was wondering how to do this for few weeks now ☺😊☺😊

[@Fishtory]

A ton of folks have been asking as winter approaches hehe

[@DidisFINDen]

As always, teaching great stuff.

[@TheNanoAquariumGuy]

Great info! Thank you Alex!

[@Fishtory]

Thank you. And thanks for the donation to the channel, my friend.

[@rebeccadelph8385]

I have a 55 gallon tank with 1 comet and 2 goldfish. I am wanting to do a natural tank. I currently have a bare bottom - no decor. What is the safest way to add soil/sand and plants to get them started with minimal stress? I will keep my bubbler but I am also stumped on what else I need for a natural tank (what filter to use , do I need a heater, etc) Thank you to anyone offering help.

[@Fishtory]

I have a video called adding substrate to an established tank that will guide you. Goldfish dont need a heater unless its a really fancy variety like the 100 dollar ones out of asia, usually. But id use some aquasoil, then 2 or 3 inches of sand...and whatever filter you want. Goldfish make a mess and will eat plants, so i usually advise planting heavily and planting bigger plants like sword ferns and anubias or aponogeteon and lilies.

[@madhatterjones4781]

Awesome video full of great info. Thanks

[@Fishtory]

Glad it's of use to you! Have a great week. Cheers

[@robertswain5704]

How about a tube, say 4” or so wide that is also long enough to break the high water mark? Shove it into the inert existing, then add soil or active using this tube then pour the cap in amount significant enough to create required cap through gravity. Then pull the tube and plant. (?) considering this in long existing eco complete/flourite set ups for target planting.

[@Fishtory]

Hmmm interesting. I like the idea. Thanks

[@davidmcmahan2761]

What's your oldest running tank Ivw for a 74 gallon that's been running for 28 years it's made bye all glass aquariums I hope it don't ever leak

[@Fishtory]

I had a eurobrace from the 1950s for a while... as for set up, my oldest- substrate is 9 or so currently

[@SwampyAcresHomestead]

Nice to meet you thanks for sharing all the info

[@Fishtory]

Of course! Thanks for tuning in! Have a great week

[@asmoothcrimnl]

I would think they'd have some kind of wand that would make it easy to insert root tabs without disturbing much.

[@Fishtory]

That would be a cool invention!

[@msdecleir6389]

Hi….. so adding water and changing every 2-3 days gets rid of ammonia? What do you think of just putting it in a basin and treating with prime and S like the original tank set up? and then adding/? Would have to be cold water as i dont have 2 heaters…… hmmmmm thanks for this. I searched for so long for this kind of video!

[@Fishtory]

Totally. Best of luck. Just take it slow

[@Nutreasure]

Hello! Just wanted to ask, you mentioned it was okay to add active substrate (and then a sand cap) on top of existing sand substrate in the tank? Would this not still create those anaerobic pockets in the deeper layers of the substrate which would then affect the roots of the plants? Would you then say the best course of action would be to remove the old sand altogether still?

[@Fishtory]

You should be okay just to add it, as long as you cap it and do a gentle (don't kick up the substrate) water change after

[@Animalit55]

Finally found a video to what I needed to know!!

[@Fishtory]

Yay

[@deadfred821]

Interesting.... nice tips here. I was expecting some kind of funnel or reverse siphon action. So you’re only attacking about fourth of the tank (at most) at a time?

[@Fishtory]

Yes. Depending on the substrate properties & species you can be more or less aggressive with it, but this is my cautious approach.

[@raidersgirl4209]

Okay so I have sand already in a 10 gallon for my betta for 2 years can I just push alot of sand to half of the section leaving the other half a thin layer of sand then add thin layer of substrate on top of the thin layer of sand and another thin layer of substrate next water change and do the same to the other side after I complete one side? While I remove sand lil by lil every water change or so till it's layered completed? Becuz i want to start putting plants in thank you

[@PULAG]

I wanted to re-do a tank for a friend, who uses clown puke gravel. I'm replacing it with sand. There's 8 fish in the 10 gallon tank. Will this be alright method without hurting them?

[@Fishtory]

Yeah should work just the same, if not safer... add some extra dechlorinator as you remove the old clown puke lol... its probably full of years of fish poo and mulm that coulf contain nitrates or ammonia... however the sand you want to use, is much safer than active aquasoils which leech toxic levels of fertz when still brand new.

[@fishiemon64]

so much choices. thanks for sharing 👍

[@Fishtory]

No problem. I know there were lots of options but I figured then 1 video can help like 4 or 5 situations (that I get asked about a ton)

[@fishiemon64]

@@Fishtory im not complaining i appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

[@benardlittle1711]

Been battling green water. Planted tank with eco complete and fluorite. Root tabs. After watching father fish I decided to sand cap it to help the battle. Added a black sand cap. Because of the green water I was doing it mostly by feel. I have 3 clown plecos. I’ve only seen 1 since. Now I’m paranoid I buried one. Is that possible? I still have about half a pound to put in. Any tips to avoid it? Still battling green water but I’m hoping the sand cap and a UV helps over time.

[@tarrenr8159]

What about adding fluval to a 10 gal tank with a gravel bottom? How slowly should I add?

[@Fishtory]

Add it as fast as you'd like. Gravel is inert and wont release nitrates or ammonia like soils

[@tarrenr8159]

@@Fishtory my plan was to remove the gravel and put the fluval below it and put the gravel back, would that be the best way?

[@rafaelfernandes5386]

Hey, I manually moved some of my substrate to create a higher ground on the back of the aquarium, it all became very cloudy after that but it seams that the filter has cleared most of it now. However Im afrad that the soil release a ton of things into the water column, should I do a water change or let the bacteria from the filter conver that amonia. I only have 5 ottos in the aquarium at this poitn and they seam healthy. What should I do in this case. Basically I moved the soil to reposition in while the tank was full. Help!

[@Fishtory]

A water change can't hurt! Id do it probably

[@ScottFelix-mg3gm]

I currently have a ff tank. Would it be ok to add a thin layer of fluval stratum around my carpeting plant dwarf sag? I’m talking like A 6x 6 area. I would do like a 1/4 thick.

[@Fishtory]

Yeah I'd add 1/2 inch for that.... honestly, I'd dig up an inch of sand.... put down Substrate 1/2 inch, then sprinkle the sand over it again so it mixes together...then the roots will have something to grab onto, but nutrients also. Good luck!

[@ScottFelix-mg3gm]

@@FishtoryThanks Alex! You’re the Best!

[@suman5492]

Which aquasoil did you use? And please name the echinodorus in the tank. I have 1½inches of tropica soil in the tank right now and want to add inert 2mm size gravel cap which I used in my previous setup. There are green neons and shrimp in the tank which is 1.5 feet cube. Can I add the cap while tank is running? Or if I want to add more tropica soil later then can I keep the new soil in soaked in water in a bucket and change water everyday for a week and then add?

[@Fishtory]

I always use half fluval stratum and half ADA Amazonas (original if I can find it). And that is a prinz kliener sword :)

[@suman5492]

@@Fishtory Will it be okay if I add that 2mm size gravel layer around 1½ inches above the tropica layer?

[@MaggieMay22]

So what do we do if we added substrate the wrong way and totally clouded up the tank? 😭 Will leaving the filters off a while help it settle or should I run the sponge filter to absorb the dust?

[@Fishtory]

Yeah and water changes with a bowl or something to prevent splashing and more substrate mixing

[@jpape42]

SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS THANK YOU!!!

[@jpape42]

Also, that is a gorgeous scape...

[@Fishtory]

Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed it

[@mellewedin8221]

I also use egg create diffuser. It's what lay down before adding rocks or sand or substrate to any. It just helps me sleep better at night. It works great for displacement of weight. It how would this a bit difficult. Isn't easier and way more to just set up a whole new tank, tare the old down and then rebuild? Lol. This is how I sneak in setting up another tank,🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Fishtory]

Good trick... my wife eventually caught on that I was doing that lol

[@emmafollett]

I recently asked Fluval if it was okay to add their stratum directly into an established tank with livestock and they said that would be fine. They didn't say it would need rinsing, let alone rinsing and testing for several days. I also read that washing it removes some of the good stuff. Now I've seen this video and I'm not sure what to do!

[@Fishtory]

Well fluval stratum isn't "active" so it shouldn't spike any ammonia, but ADA, Amazonia, ecocomplete or contrsoil all have organics. The only thing that will happen, is you will lose the good bacteria on the surface area of the substrate...which can lead to ammonia or nitrate spikes IF your filtration isn't able to handle the load...if you have a medium or large sponge filter in like a 10-30 gallon tank you should be fine... or if you have a HOB rated for 1.5 x the size of your tank's volume (so 20 gallon tank would want a 30gallon or more rated filter) to avoid swings... other than that it's just an issue of cloudiness and losing any beneficial substrate nutrients or root tabs in the existing substrate. I'm assuming you'll be okay :) best of luck!

[@emmafollett]

@@Fishtory thanks so much for your help!

[@Gk22632]

Just rinse the active substrate in dechlorinated water then you won’t lose as much nutrients from the substrate but you will still lose some ofcourse

[@jwag8485]

@@Fishtory hopefully you’ll see this. Piggy backing off the question, since Stratum isn’t active, can all the substrate me removed at once or should you still do it over the course of a few weeks?

[@Fishtory]

@jwag8485 as long as you have sufficient overall filtration, it should be fine to do all at once, correct.

[@BrodysBettas]

Another great video!

[@Fishtory]

Thanks again!

[@pa.fishpreacher6166]

Can fluval stratum be added to say eco complete in an established tank? without hurting anything?

[@Fishtory]

Yup

[@claytongrubbs2045]

Will this method work with neos considering they are so sensitive to ammonia and so forth?

[@Fishtory]

It will, you just need to go even slower ...like 2 months total or so to be safe

[@Pokemonsnake123]

So if the tank is already cycled and we have like gravel in it ans plants. We just take the gravel out, do little cleaning of like debrie and stuff. Then just put the fluval in and also the sand. I have Fluval substrate I just bought and I have some aquarium sand I bought I need too rinse as well. Im a little confused, im sorry. Also my tank is a 6.7 hexagonal tank

[@BrambleEstates]

Is there a reason to not just siphon out the old substrate?

[@Fishtory]

Many people want to keep the bacterial diversity and nutrients that ends up concentrated from mulm over months or years. Its like a fertalizer .

[@pa.fishpreacher6166]

YOu have me thinking, Is the Twin star light better than the flluval 3.0? What kind of sand is in your new tank?

[@Fishtory]

The high end twinstar (6k lumens) is much more powerful than the fluval 3.0 (2,300 or so) but the SA /SE TWINSTARS retail for $299-350 For a 36 inch. And twinstar has no timer, no settings really. So there's all that to consider...but ADA, KESSIL, and Twinstar are definitely aimed at aquascapes and carpeting

[@Fishtory]

I happened to get 2 for one when they were discontinuing a specific machining style of the lights, dumb luck that I noticed it listed on uns's website and had a friend with free shipping to his shop

[@pa.fishpreacher6166]

@@Fishtory Can one have a carpet of some kind without c02 and with a Fluval 3.0?

[@Fishtory]

@@pa.fishpreacher6166 yeah you can probably get glossostigma, hair grasses, and any chain/Vining plant like Hydrocotyles, or stargrass...sometimes Monte carlo...especially in a 20 long...or some setup where the light is less than 12 to 16 or so inches above...

[@Fishtory]

@@pa.fishpreacher6166 you need co2 for dwarf baby tears, a lot of eriocaulon species, and some of the Riccia, and smallest of the hair grasses like parvula

[@user2066]

Hi, I have a 25 gallon tank with plants and active substrate. After I added too many plants, there wasn't enough room left for new roots and the plants starting dying. I removed them and added different ones as I didn't realise that space was the problem. Since all the space is taken up by old roots, I don't have enough substrate for my plants now, and they are melting. I don't want to remove my now substrate, just add more (maybe an inch or so). I'm 14 and the only one in my family who knows anything about fish. I would really appreciate it if you could give me advice. I watched your video but you said to remove the substrate and I mentioned above how I didn't want to do that. Sorry for the long message, hope you have a good day. :)

[@Fishtory]

Well it all depends on how old the substrate is. The plants will use up all the nutrients in 2 to 5 years depending on growth rate and density of plants. So adding more soil can help (mix it in, so the roots get some) but getting the old stuff out is just a matter of getting useless mass out (it's not harmful if left undistrurbed...it's just a muddy layer that's about as nutritious as sand (not) lol

[@hugomouteira7015]

Hello, I know this video has 1yo, but I am hoping you can answer me this question. I have a deep substrate with dirt and sand in its top. I am finding difficult to grow a carpet, so o decided to buy some aqua soil to mix with my sand. I have a tank over 1yo, why do i need to remove the plants before adding the soil? Kind regards from Portugal

[@hugomouteira7015]

I think im understanding, since its active soil, its still to much to add it in a couple of hoirs because of the big ammonia leakage, right? What if i bought aactive soil from a used tank? Regards

[@Fishtory]

You are understanding correctly, yes! Reused soil would work just fine... or removing the fish

[@FirstLast-numba1]

do you need root tabs with eco complete?

[@Fishtory]

No. Some folks use them still, but there is the same basic building blocks built into that product

[@FirstLast-numba1]

thank you i love you@@Fishtory

[@carolinejt3544]

Thjs is a fantastically help video. Thank you

[@Fishtory]

You're welcome!

[@emilyo2985]

How long do you keep the filtration off?

[@Fishtory]

Maybe an hour is all

[@igotsnacks13]

Love the Thumb Nail. Thumb's up. Thank You. :)

[@Fishtory]

Thanks buddy!

[@cortneyviolette6398]

So you would never want to just temporarily take the fish out and, save the old water and redo your substrate? That would cause an unsafe spike in levels? I’m new to all this and have a 10 gallon with sand and a few plants. I already want to “fix” what I’ve done in mine, add a deep soil substrate and cap with sand and more plants. I only have 3 small rasbora in there and it just seems so much easier to take everything out temporarily IF that can be done safely… I guess is my question 😌🙏🏻🐠