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This is almost exactly how I bought this tank from the previous owners. I got it home and set it up almost exactly the same way they had.. as I wanted to get the fish back home ASAP. As I have some rather nice cats living in it, I want them to feel at home, and to look as good as possible. To my mind, the red and blue gravel does not do so good in this tank... and I'm thinking that the bell and the barrel are also surplus to requirements. With this in mind, I'm going to remove all of the gravel in the tank, and most of the rocks. Probably the shells too, as they don't really fit, as far as I'm concerned. The plastic plants.. well, I'm not convinced either way just yet.. I may have to see them in situ before I decide.
I'm planning the whole process for tomorrow, and hopefully I'll have the substrate and ground cover down before tomorrow evening rolls around.
The substrate I am going for will be sand, direct from my LFS, and I'm wanting a few large pieces of wood, as cover for the catfish. No plants allowed, as I have a large and inquisitive Oscar, who enjoys a bit of a dig...
As I am a bit of a geek, I've set up a webcam taking pics every five seconds (I was trying to get pics of my crepuscular friends).. and this will be moved, but will continue to run during the 'facelift' on the tank.
If anyone has any last minute advice or helpful hints, please share.. but whatever happens I'll document as much as I can.

I would make sure the back of the tank is covered by something - that will make the fish feel more calm.

Otherwise, your plan sounds like good one. Your Oscar should really be in a bigger tank, but I guess you knew that already.

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Mats

Thanks for the advice.. I was wondering on how to cover the back of the tank for ages... I had got rid of the old stand that the tank came with, as it was rickety and unstable, and bought a new bookshelf that has the strength to hold the tank. The bookshelf came in a huge box, as it was flatpacked... so I have now utilised the box, and some spraypaint.. and I've now covered the rear of the tank with black-sprayed cardboard, that seems to have worked a treat.
I'm just waiting for the bogwood to drain of tannins, and I'll start the removal of that gravel.

My current plan goes as follows:

-remove gravel and stones from tank
-add sand
-add some bogwood (to provide cover)
-remove barrel, bell, and any other extraneous decorations
-add remainder of bogwood

Sounds like a reasonable plan. If you can stand a bit of messyness, you could try to "rinse" the gravel with aquarium water and pour the water back in the tank. That will help recover some of the "good bacteria" that is in the gravel now.

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Mats

Generally speaking, approximately half the nitrating macteria iare in the filter, and the rest in the tank.

Thus, cleaning the filter - that is, killing 90 % of the bacteria will be compensated quickly, and killing the bacteria in the tank can be compensated just as fast - provided the filter remains in good condition.

Therefore, if possible, try to remouve the gravel with a net, or a hose, and don't shut the tank down.

Likewise, fill the tank with rinsed sand wile still keeping the tank filled with water.

As Matt said, it will be a bit messy, but much better for your bacteria

Thanks, Mats, Bas Pels. The sand is now in! There is also enough cover for all the cats to get out of sight, but looking at everything in the tank, I feel I'm going to be adding to the bogwood very soon. I have rinsed the gravel using some tank water, that has now gone back into the tank, I may do this a few more times before storing the gravel, just to make sure I've got as much as I can. I'm really liking the look so far, but I need to wait for the water to clear completely before getting any new pics. I'm also playing with the idea of going for another half bag of sand.. but I think I'd better wait until tomorrow to see how the chaps get on with it.

Okey doke.. here is the tank is it was about an hour ago... I'm still waiting for the sand to settle properly, but I do feel that so far it is an improvement. I'm not happy with the bogwood in the lefthand corner of the tank, or the airhose in the centre of the tank, but I'll leave sorting them out for a few days, just let the guys get used to it as it is before laying any more tank upset on them.

The sand is CERTAINLY an improvement over the unnatural red/blue gravel you had from the previous owner.

The decorations look better too, but perhaps not quite as desperately in need of replacement.

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Mats

Thank you muchly

Arrgghhhh... Fluval ext. filter broke down (plastic rim locky bit broke off) so I'm living with an internal filter for the time being.. thank god for ebay! (and for having multiple tanks running...)
Does anyone else have any info on changing gravel for sand.. and any differences that makes to your tank maintainence?

Aside from sand being a bit more "moving on it's own" (not counting Oscars that work on overtime as JCB's, of course), I don't see any great difference in maintenance. Of course, the dirt usually ends up ON the sand, whilst the gaps in the gravel tends to trap dirt in it.

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Mats

hy MOOSHIPER nice tank..
Why you don't have some plant?i think that with a big plant maybe with large leaves you would make to become your tank very beatiful and you can remove the machine for the oxygen in the middle...
don't gettin angry its just my tough...
i still think: nice tank
peace

Seeing as moosipher is keeping an Oscar in the tank, I doubt plants will last long (in planted condition at least), as these fish tend to move any smaller objects in the tank as they see fit, which usually leads to the plants floating at the top sooner or later.

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Mats

sure maybe he can use some plant with deep e strong roots like echinodorus...or some kind of vallisneria that usualy we tied on some root or stone, because doesn't have deep root....
peace

Hey, aledk85.. thanks for the comment! Yes, exactly as mats said, the Oscar is unfortunately too much of a macho man (fish?) to leave anything as frail as a plant alone. Real plants are out, and I don't particularly like the look of plastics in this tank.
The airstone will be moving at some point in the future, not sure exactly what's going to become of it, but I've done a lot of changing in the tnak over the last few weeks, and I need to let them calm down a bit first.

what about floating plants?

maybe you could look at an established anubias growing on a large rock or bogwood? If you wanted to......