# Reusing Water in a Rescape



## nmacog (11 Feb 2015)

Hi all,

I am currently in the process of rescaping my 260L tank. Have syphoned off 50% of the water into various buckets etc and stored in my garage last night.

Have cleaned the tank and added Tropica Plant Substrate along with 25kg of Limpopo Sand. Also scaping with rocks tonight, along with adding dwarf hairgrass and some plants previously used.

My question is - should I reuse the water I have stored overnight, or add clean water - the filter has been established with media for over 2 years now so would clean water cycle fairly quick to get the fish back in there in a week or so ?

Would my syphoned tank water be ok to use or would all the beneficial bacteria have died off overnight ?

The other thing is that I had treated the previous water for cyanobacteria which cleared up last week.

Thanks in advance.


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## ian_m (11 Feb 2015)

When I rescaped my tank, water & fish were removed Friday night and didn't return to Sunday afternoon, along with fresh water as in the first water change.


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## nmacog (11 Feb 2015)

Thanks Ian - so you did a 100% clean water change / fill - didn't use any old water ?


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## ian_m (11 Feb 2015)

nmacog said:


> Thanks Ian - so you did a 100% clean water change / fill - didn't use any old water


Friday night I put fish, a heater, plastic plants and air stone in a small plastic dustbin and kept some water in 40litre buckets. All of this our in our lounge. Wife supressed unhappiness and as not a lot could be done about job in progress....

Saturday cleaned tank, used descaler to removed scale, fiddled with sand and substrate (washed & sieved the old sand). Also put in JBL e1501 filter and tested. Squeezed gunge from internal Juwel filter into JBL filter to seed it.

Saturday night watched a film in lounge with family (and damp smell ???), half way through film a clown loach jumped out of dust bin onto floor, causing much hilarity...maybe it wanted to watch the film ? Sorted by covering the dust bin.

Sunday, bought plants, planted, tied plants to wood etc. Put water back, put fish back and as only saved possible 50% water had to top up with warmed dechlorinated tap water.

Over next couple of weeks, used Amquel+ to suppress any ammonia from having so much new substrate, but never measured any. I assume Amquel+ and having mature filter took out the ammonia. Also performed daily 40l water change (4 buckets). Began to suspect my test kit, but when I tested tank water with a drop of household ammonia, test kit did register it, so test kit was working.

The mistake I made was placing sand over top of Fluval substrate, sand looks nice but eventually over a period of months and plant rearranging the substrate works its way to the top. Also I banked the substrate/sand up using plastic dividers to hold in place, 3cm deep and front, much deeper at back (use marked lolly pop sticks to set your depth), but it worked its way to level, exposing the plastic dividers.

So one long evening (when family were away) I took everything out, sieved the sand/substrate to separate them, put sand back first, Fluval on top all level'ish this time and put all plants back. Started 5pm finished just after mid night.


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## stu_ (11 Feb 2015)

nmacog said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I am currently in the process of rescaping my 260L tank. Have syphoned off 50% of the water into various buckets etc and stored in my garage last night.
> Have cleaned the tank and added Tropica Plant Substrate along with 25kg of Limpopo Sand. Also scaping with rocks tonight, along with adding dwarf hairgrass and some plants previously used.
> ...



Hi,welcome to the forum
The bacteria live in the filter media and the old substrate not in the water column.
Did you keep the filter wet overnight?


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## ian_m (11 Feb 2015)

stu_ said:


> Did you keep the filter wet overnight?


I did nothing special with mine, was drained from Friday night until Sunday. No issues.

I have also had a 3 days power failure, whilst away once, and filter was OK when turned back on.


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## Jose (11 Feb 2015)

I would keep the filter media wet and add only 50/70 % new watter. Just as a safe measure.


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## Iain Sutherland (12 Feb 2015)

New water everytime, why risk transferring issues especially as you've been suffering from bga.... 


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