cycling a new aquarium

whiteymoza · Post by **whiteymoza** » 28 Dec 2005, 12:34

Ive just got a new 30g and I need to move my fish from my 15g as soon as possible. the filter on the 15g is powerful enough and then some more for a 30g and is well established if i put water from my 15g into the 30g daily as water changes over the course of a week (the 30g is currently filled with 90% RO water, 10% tap water and treated with cycle and aqua plus) and running a fluval 3+ internal filter. Can I move the fish, sand, plants, wood ect over after a week without too much adverse affects to my fish?

catfishCain · Post by **catfishCain** » 28 Dec 2005, 13:13

The main cycle concern with a new tank is making sure the filter has enough Nitrosomonas bacteria (to convert ammonia to nitrite) and enough Nitrobacter bacteria (to convert nitrites to nitrates). If these bacteria are not actively cycling or there are not enough for your stocking levels, you can get harmful spikes in the cycle stages.

Cycle as a product is meant to help the growth of these bacteria.

Using mature water from the old tank is a good idea but you should check the nitrate levels.

If you are using the filter from your old tank in the new tank then the bacteria levels should be correct and cycling properly.

Phathead6669 · Post by **Phathead6669** » 28 Dec 2005, 13:16

I would have to agree. If you using your old water and filter then you could probably put the fish in a day after you started cycling.

whiteymoza · Post by **whiteymoza** » 28 Dec 2005, 13:24

you think?! excellent well im gona give it a few extra days but my fish are reli not looking too happy sitting in there 15g next to a nice big brand new 30g i bet they cant wait to move!

Jackster · Post by **Jackster** » 28 Dec 2005, 17:49

At least 15 years ago one of my friend's that owned a pet store warned me about this
type of situation as he had witnessed the bad results many times.

IMO a tank takes 6-8 weeks to cycle properly. If you throw in a large bio-load right away
(only 1 week?) your going to have problems. I've also watched people set up a new larger
tank and be in such a hurry to move their fish into the new tank that common sense
flew out the window and not long after disaster struck. I suggest only adding a few
fish for the first 6 weeks to make sure your aquarium cycles safely. I personally would
add fish that I really don't care about until I know the tank is safe rather than risk fish
that are important or expensive.

I actually set up a new 20H tank once and had a bleeeding heart tetra in the tap water
within 5 hours. The tetra lived for a very long time but I would never risk anything like
that again. I was a novice and thought that I could set a new record for the shortest
time to have an aquarium up and running from the store to fully operational including fish.

Post by **Barbie** » 28 Dec 2005, 20:13

Where you're upgrading the tank size, without adding to the bioload, you'd be perfectly safe moving the fish, filter, decor and everything into the new tank. Just move all of the water from the existing tank, as was stated before, and then top it up. Basically it will be like a 50% water change for the fish is all. It shouldn't harm them in the slightest. The filter is already at capacity to manage the waste level being created by the fish. To be safe, back off what you're feeding for a week or so and test for ammonia and nitrite, just to be safe, but it should be no problem whatsoever.

Establishing new tanks, without adding water with food for the bacteria colonies can cause many problems. People move established filters onto tanks with fresh tap water and no fish waste to convert. The subsequent die off in the bacteria sets the process back a bit.

Barbie

Kana3 · Post by **Kana3** » 29 Dec 2005, 05:37

I've just referred back to my tank diary of three years back, just for info, not saying wether this was right or wrong...

And bear in mind my old tank was horrendously overstocked because of breeding, and they were starting to get crook.

Day 1: Set-up 250 litre tank, equip & electricals, gravel, stumps, 2/3 full of tap water. Applied 'Aquatan' water conditioner, and 'Amtrite' biological conditioner. Heater set. Tank operational.

Day 2: Plants in. Top up with tap water. Test fish population (eight) transferred in. (one Cory appeared to spasm a bit, but within 2 hours seemed normal).

Day 3: More fish, population now at 26 (Cory's, Bristles, Guppies).

Day 4: One Cory suspected of white spot - removed to old tank for treatment (later brought back when ok)

Day 10: Nitrite at 0.3 mg/l, Ammonia also at 0.3 mg/l.

Day 30 (approx): Cichlids added (Rams, Angels). Nitrate and Ammonia at Zero readings.

I believe I've only lost one of those original Cory's, about 18 monthes later. Of the original Catfish (Cory's & Bristlenose), they're still going well, and are breeding. Angels still going. The Rams had several broods, and passed away shortly before the end of the first year.

So, I guess it can be done, though I admit my fish are reasonably robust species. Oh, and there are pics in my Gallery...

whiteymoza · Post by **whiteymoza** » 29 Dec 2005, 09:58

Currently my old tank is fully cycled absoluteley no amonia nitrites or nitrates, the water is soft and very acidic. The filter contains ceramic media, peat, sponges, polywool nitazorb and green-x. I test the water daily and everything comes up fine altough the tank is slightly overstocked this is why I want to move them as soon as possible.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 03 Jan 2006, 14:11

I agree with Barbie, if you move the filter & as much water as you can reasonably get out of the 15g tank into the new tank, it should be fine.

Ideally, you would also move some of the substrate (sand/gravel) and as much of the plants and other decorations as possible. You can always move some of it back again when the tank is settled down.

Run both filters for several weeks, at least 4-6 weeks, preferrably longer. This should help the new filter get it's bacteria started. Squeezing a bit of filter media from the small tank into the filter of the big one would also help get it started.

--
Mats

whiteymoza · Post by **whiteymoza** » 03 Jan 2006, 14:56

Ive had the larger tank running for a week now with no adverse affects to the fish or water quality, moved all of my plants, wood and most of the sand into the aquarium im using the old and new filters on the aquarium cycling the smaler one to go into the 15g when I re-set it up for leaf fish, banjo cats and ano other small and weird south american fish.