[joglynne]

Save as much of the water as possible as it is at least partway conditioned and it would be a shame having to start from scratch.

A planting design I have seen used successfully by a friend has been to leave the middle front third of the gravel fairly shallow then bank up the side and back areas giving a shallow area centre front that he has made into a bumpy moss field for his browsers. The sides and front are planted up hiding his heater and filter with the whole tank looking like a stage.