# Mature e tank - reset with new Ada?



## _noob (Oct 30, 2016)

Hi everyone!

Currently have an Ada 60p mature planted tank with fish that I’ve gotten bored with.

Considering resetting the tank with a new layout and have a new bag of ADA Aquasoil to replace the three year old Aquasoil.

I don’t have a separate tank so would a full reset be to risky for the fish if I were to do daily water changes?

I would remove the fish, take out all the current ADA Aquasoil and replace with new Aquasoil and plant with new plants.


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

Hello _noob.

I would NOT cycle the new ADA with fish in it. 

JMHO

Stuart


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## _noob (Oct 30, 2016)

Would it still be cycled if I’m using the same filter? My plan was to keep the same filter running afterwards, dose Seachem stability and daily water changes for any ammonia spikes.

Not sure how I would swap out and replace the ADA Aquasoil otherwise.


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

It will cycle quicker using the same filter with old media. As an added bonus, I would keep maybe 1/10th or 1/20th of the old substrate and use that as your bottom-most layer of the new substrate as well.

To help remove leaching Ammonia, I would do 2 100% WC for the first 3 days, and do 4 100% WC for the remaining 4 days of the first week. I would also heavily plant with some fast growing stem plants initially to expedite the cycling even faster.

JMHO.

Stuart


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## _noob (Oct 30, 2016)

Thanks Stuart appreciate the help!!!


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## kivyee (Oct 15, 2016)

Crazy idea, but generally the ammonia spike with new ADA helps in cycling a new tank - in your case, the ammonia spike is detrimental. Hence, if you have the patience, I would actually just put the ADA in a bucket with water for a month for the ammonia to spike off, as long as you are ok working with wet substrate. This would be a much lower risk to your fish.


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## _noob (Oct 30, 2016)

kivyee said:


> Crazy idea, but generally the ammonia spike with new ADA helps in cycling a new tank - in your case, the ammonia spike is detrimental. Hence, if you have the patience, I would actually just put the ADA in a bucket with water for a month for the ammonia to spike off, as long as you are ok working with wet substrate. This would be a much lower risk to your fish.


Great tip. I plan to start all my plants over again with a new scape. I could leach the ammonia out and not lose nutrients, I'm assuming it won't get mushy being handled wet?


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## kivyee (Oct 15, 2016)

No, it doesn't get mushy - but it will crush more easily so you need to be gentler.


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## fireweed (Jan 7, 2013)

If not too late, just place the fish elsewhere until the tank is complete and balanced. 
No just for the spikes but scaping a tank full of fish is a pain. And it gets cloudy so you can barely see what you are doing. 
I recently did this, but removing 80% of the eco complete and replacing with white sand. With a huge school of neons in the way. Sand however doesn’t spike. 
The amount of garbage that came up from the old substrate was disgusting, no fish died but would not have been surprised if they all did.


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## _noob (Oct 30, 2016)

I haven’t made the move yet. I only have one tank so my options are limited


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## fireweed (Jan 7, 2013)

You could always get another tank


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## _noob (Oct 30, 2016)

Haha I know if I get a second it will spawn into a third. Not sure if the wife would approve she’s been pretty good with all the time I spend on the current tank lol


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## Apisto70 (Feb 7, 2017)

Suggest you try removing a little first to see if you can handle the result. I just uprooted a few crypts in my 4.1 gal aquatop with 2 year old ADA Amazonia light and power sand. It got pretty cloudy and that was minor activity.


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