T Dawg Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I now have my second tank, a perfecto 90, on a stand and filled with all the aquarium goodness my allowance could afford. I have no media in my filters, and for now have the aquarium filled with de-chlorinated water and am happy to say no leaks and all of the equipment seems to be working well. My existing tank is 18 gallons and has a few guppies waiting to move into their new home. Once the fish are in the new tank the old tank will be retired. I’m trying to decide what the best way to get the new tank ready for fish is. If they do not all make it I will be in a lot of hot water. Could I move the HOB filter to the new tank, and then bring the fish and water straight over? While I would loose the bacteria in the gravel, would the bacteria in the filter be enough to keep the fish alive and well if we don’t add any new critters for a few weeks, our would the amount of water needed cause a cycle? I have read about people doing that when the difference in tank size was not as big as mine, but I am not sure if that is an issue. I guess the other options are placing some of the new media and pads in the new tank and let them sit few a weeks or performing a standard new tank cycle. Any thoughts or comments? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegrandpoohbah Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Put the old media from your existing filter into the new filter if possible. As long as you don't increase your stocking levels too drastically, you should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkangel Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 You could also do a good gravel sweep on your old tank and pour all that crap into your new one. It will look like hell for a day or two but you will have most of the bacteria from the gravel in your new tank. I would'nt worry about using the water from the old tank as it contains almost no bacteria in the water body. 90 percent of the bacteria is in the filter and gravel, (more in the filter than in the gravel). As mentioned in the last reply, Don't increase your stock levels too quick and don't overfeed. ( feed what the fish can eat in 2 to 3 minutes ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firestorm Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Just stick the old filter on the new tank, no need to even put the media in the new filter. With a tank that size if you're not adding too many fish to the tank you should be fine. Just monitor the ammonia and nitrites over the next few weeks just in case you have to do an emergency water change. You should be safe to add the fish after about an hour with the old filter running on the new tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qattarra Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I would do just that , hang the old filter onto the new tank (if you can). If not do use all the media from the old tank . You could hang it in a large fish net or mesh stocking in front of the water return so the water flows through it. If all you have are guppies, they don't have a lot of a bio footprint in a 90, put them in . Make sure the water is not cold for them , it has to be a t least as warm as the old tank . As for the gravel , you could put that into the new tank too but in a plastic basin so you could easily remove it later. What else will you eventually add to this tank? I'm thinking you could later add plants, the guppies will love it. Keep in mind, you can't cycle a new tank just by running it a few weeks. If you haven't already, read up on the fishless cycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Dawg Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Keep in mind, you can't cycle a new tank just by running it a few weeks. If you haven't already, read up on the fishless cycle. I was hoping if I am moving the filter over I would not need to cycle the tank. From the other replies I was gathering that was the case, but your last line seems to cast doubt on that. I was not expecting that my few days of having the tank running was starting the cycle, but testing the equipment for leaks, noise, and failure. I am trying to find out if I need to start a cylce, or if I can just move everything over since the old tank is being retired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Dawg Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 You could also do a good gravel sweep on your old tank and pour all that crap into your new one. It will look like hell for a day or two but you will have most of the bacteria from the gravel in your new tank. I would'nt worry about using the water from the old tank as it contains almost no bacteria in the water body. 90 percent of the bacteria is in the filter and gravel,(more in the filter than in the gravel). As mentioned in the last reply, Don't increase your stock levels too quick and don't overfeed. ( feed what the fish can eat in 2 to 3 minutes ). I could do a variant of that. I could take gravel from the old tank and use it to fill the trays in my XP3, then load the XP2 with the supplied media, then move the HOB over, give that an hour or so to circulate, and then move the fish over. While the water does not have much bacteria in it, I thought it may be easier on the fish to have the water they were used to. I'm not planning on any new fish for a few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geleen Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Yeah you will be fine just add the old filter and gravel and fish and you are done. Just add NEW fish very slowly over some weeks. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qattarra Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 (edited) "I guess the other options are placing some of the new media and pads in the new tank and let them sit few a weeks" Sorry for the confusion . I meant if you decide to cycle the tank before then you'll need to take steps to do so . I agree , just move everything over, I do not think you'll need to cycle first as you should already have enough bacs to maintain your bio load. Edited March 3, 2009 by Qattarra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Dawg Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Yeah you will be fine just add the old filter and gravel and fish and you are done.Just add NEW fish very slowly over some weeks. John I'm still in keep poor Fred in his harem alive mode. Long story short we started with three fish and have, um, learned not to name them and to accept lost. Fred is one of the three origonal fish from before we learned not to name them, and he has had two girlfriends since november. My mandate is Fred must make it hapily to his new home. Fred goes, so does the tank. If Fred and the gals are on the move, no new fish for a while. If there is a worry this could be high risk the significant other has said would rather keep both tanks running and have new fish test the new tank. Sounds like unless there is some other issue (I failed to rinse out some bad stuff, got hand soap in the tank, etc) there shuold be no reason not to move them over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Dawg Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 "I guess the other options are placing some of the new media and pads in the new tank and let them sit few a weeks"Sorry for the confusion . I meant if you decide to cycle the tank before then you'll need to take steps to do so . I agree , just move everything over, I do not think you'll need to cycle first as you should already have enough bacs to maintain your bio load. Thanks for the clerification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.