# Tank full of fish & now want to redo it



## Fishiez (Mar 17, 2012)

I've got a 28g bow front tank and started off with regular gravel in the bottom. I have a couple of live plants (onion, amazon sword fern, marimo) but want to liven it up with some cool ground cover and other plants. I didn't think about this when setting up the tank and don't have a good substrate for growing. Is it possible to change it somehow with my existing fish in there? What's the best way to go about doing it if so?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

what clown told you that you had to have special gravel to grow plants..i had a friend that grew the most amazing plants in his 90 gallon tank..gravel was good old pea gravel from the garden center..lighting was 2 48" shop lights with plain old daylight bulbs...no metal halide or other special lights..no co2 injection system...no special fertilizers..crypts..swords..aponogetons..vals..sags..and about 5 other species of plants...ferts came from the fish...only filtration was from an undergravel filter..
every 6 months he would remove half of the plants and bring them to me..i would sell them and we would split the money..
you can switch out the gravel without tearing down the tank...actually would be better that way...
clean the new gravel..drain some tank water into a clean bucket..run an airstone to the bucket..put the fish in the bucket while you remove the old gravel and replace with the new..i new mini cycle will start but should go pretty fast...


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## Fishiez (Mar 17, 2012)

So I could plug in some creeping ground cover into the gravel, no problem? I'd like to have the entire bottom covered eventually. I think my guys are making enough fertilizer for any plant to be happy. lol


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

it all depends upon how much light you groundcover plants require..


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Java moss as a ground cover. It is a cold water plant and might not do well in warm water (it sometimes does), but it looks really cool as a substrate.


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## Fishiez (Mar 17, 2012)

My tank is set at 78 degrees.  I just bought some fissiden online to cover a piece of driftwood. I got a few extra pieces and am going to see how they do along the bottom, though I read they're slow growing. I wouldn't mind mixing different ground covers (really low profile stuff) and have adequate lighting for it. If basic aquarium gravel is ok as a substrate, should I pop in some food caps for the plants?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

a little fertilizer is ok ; but don't everfeed...


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## Mr. fish (Mar 8, 2011)

Flourish comp should be dosed once a week to get good results on your plants.


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