Questions about redoing my 2 gallon hex.

[TheJadeBetta]

My 2 gallon hexagon is cycled and has been set up for a while. But I want to change the gravel. I also want to take the bamboo plant out, it has taken over, and put silk plants in. Oh, and I want to put the light back on it. How would I go about that? If I put the filter in some conditioned water and leave it running will it still have the bacteria? Tips?

[SaylorKennedy]

You're going to have to restart the cycle, but it should be much faster if you keep some of the old gravel tied in some panty hose and have the same filter. It shouldn't take that long.
What I would do:
Take out all water and keep it in a bucket putting the filter on that.
Take out your old gravel and tie it in panty hose then place it in the bucket with the water. Put in your new gravel and silk plants, then place the filled panty hose on the new gravel. Finally, I'd fill about half-3/4ths with old tank water and the rest with new treated water. Put the filter on and you should be good.

[TheJadeBetta]

Okay, thank you.

[TheJadeBetta]

I forgot to add something. Is it okay to keep him in a temporary gallon tank until I have completed redoing this tank?

[vilmarisv]

That's a very good system. It's very similar to how I cycled my 3rd tank.
I also kept the old gravel in a pantyhose but I sorta rinsed it in the new water a few times a day so you pretty much dirty your water with the old gravel.
That way you stimulate the spread of the bacteria into your new surfaces, instead of waiting for it to transfer itself into your substrate.
My cycle took 3 days and I was using a new filter!
Yes, keep him out of the new tank until you have it cycled.

[TheJadeBetta]

Okay, thank you. I knew that. So it only took three days, wow. Can I use the bacteria in the gravel in another tank as well like that? I have another tank I have been meaning to cycle.

[vilmarisv]

You mean to start a cycle in a new tank? Sure! That's what I did.
But I wouldn't use the same gravel since you're transfering the bacteria from the old to the new gravel. It will work, it just will take longer. Maybe divide the gravel in two and place half in each tank?

[TheJadeBetta]

Yep. Just put half of it in some pantyhose and the other half in some pantyhose, and just set them in the two tanks? And that's it?