Subject: Reestablishing an Aquarium

The longer an aquarium is established, the less work it requires; that is one of the joys of this hobby!

It could easily be years before a well-maintained aquarium will have to be emptied. There are a few reasons that you may eventually need to reestablish your tank:

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* A desire to try something new or different

* A catastrophe occurs -- this could be when a fish disease has spread, or algae has taken over the tank

* You move to a new home, or want to relocate your aquarium

If a disease has spread to epidemic proportions, you will need to clean the substrate and disinfect the plants, substrate, and aquarium before starting again.

Wood, rocks, nets, roots, and other like items should be boiled. Water plants should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, which is available at pet stores.

A solution of 1 gram of potassium permanganate to 20 liters of water is used to soak the plants for five minutes, while moving them around frequently.

For the appliances the solution is quite a bit stronger -- 3 grams to 1 liter of water. In most instances it is not necessary to disinfect the tank itself.

As a matter of fact, it is best if we can leave as much of the well-established micro-life as possible. This allows much faster reestablishment of the tank than disinfecting everything.

After the appliances have been unplugged, siphon about 1/4 to 1/3 of the original water only from the top of the tank, before disturbing any of the items or causing anything to be stirred up.

Now remove the appliances and plants, sort the plants by species, and place in bowls or pails of water.

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The rocks, roots, and rear wall are removed at this time and placed in pails. Remove the fish and place them in a large container; be sure to cover it so they cant jump out.

Rinse the substrate with cool water until the rinse water runs clear. Do not use hot water; this allows you to save some of the established bacteria.

Now rebuild your tank using the same materials as before. This is a perfect time to try those new ideas you had regarding your tank, replacing items you were not happy with the first time around.

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Thank you,

Bill Anderson
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