Replacing Gravel - Alter H2O chemistry?

[Craig]

If I want to change the color of my gravel, will I alter the water
chemistry? Are there a lot of good things (water wise)
going on under the gravel?

Just wondering if I will face a bloom of some kind if I take it out all
at once. And if I'm gonna change color, I don't really have a choice.

I have 2 comets and dark red gravel just does not set them off.

color suggestions? was thinking black or a light color.

thx - Craig

[Gunther]

In article >, crw59
@earthlink.net says...
> If I want to change the color of my gravel, will I alter the water
> chemistry? Are there a lot of good things (water wise)
> going on under the gravel?
>
> Just wondering if I will face a bloom of some kind if I take it out all
> at once. And if I'm gonna change color, I don't really have a choice.

?? Why no choice??
It's best not to remove it all at once, since it does provide
a significant amount of bacterial habitat. But depending on
the size of your tank, you can take out about 1/4 to 1/3 at a time
and replace it with new clean gravel; do this with each PWC and
in a month or so it'll be done. You can worry about the strays
at the end.

Gunther

>
> I have 2 comets and dark red gravel just does not set them off.
>
> color suggestions? was thinking black or a light color.
>
> thx - Craig
>

[[email protected]]

that colored gravel is dyed and coated and the coating breaks down over time.
if you must, go with pea gravel.
http://users.megapathdsl.net/~solo/puregold/care/care.htm
look at how to remove gravel. it is done slowly at each water change. make sure you
got good filter on tank for a month first. Ingrid

(Craig) wrote:

>If I want to change the color of my gravel, will I alter the water
>chemistry? Are there a lot of good things (water wise)
> going on under the gravel?
>
>Just wondering if I will face a bloom of some kind if I take it out all
>at once. And if I'm gonna change color, I don't really have a choice.
>
>I have 2 comets and dark red gravel just does not set them off.
>
>color suggestions? was thinking black or a light color.
>
>thx - Craig



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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Craig]

Gunther > wrote in message >...
> In article >, crw59
> @earthlink.net says...
> > If I want to change the color of my gravel, will I alter the water
> > chemistry? Are there a lot of good things (water wise)
> > going on under the gravel?
> >
> > Just wondering if I will face a bloom of some kind if I take it out all
> > at once. And if I'm gonna change color, I don't really have a choice.
>
> ?? Why no choice??
> It's best not to remove it all at once, since it does provide
> a significant amount of bacterial habitat. But depending on
> the size of your tank, you can take out about 1/4 to 1/3 at a time
> and replace it with new clean gravel; do this with each PWC and
> in a month or so it'll be done. You can worry about the strays
> at the end.

that's what I meant by no choice. was just trying to avoid picking out the stray
pieces. but water quality is more important....

thx
>