Adding New Fish: Best Practices?

[mbpted]

I've just upgraded to a new tank - from 10 US gal to 29 US gal. This was a recommendation on this forum because I was told my old tank was not large enough to happily house my fish.

It's been about 3 weeks with the new tank running both the old and new filters. In my research I read that I should do this for about a month to get the new tank and new filter up to speed. In another week and a half, I'll remove the old filter and see how things go with just one.
 
In preparation for that, and the future, what should I do next? I got the larger tank to help increase the shoals of my fish. So what's the best way to do it.
 
Here's what I have now:
 
3 Serpae Tetras
3 Danios (one zebra, two pearl - I had a second zebra but one did not survive the switch to the new tank...)
1 Blood Fin Tetra
 
According to past posts and advice, plus some extra research, I need at least twice as many serpae tetras (http/www.fishlore.com/Profiles-SerpaeTetra.htm) and danios (http/www.fishlore.com/Profiles-ZebraDanio.htm) plus another half a dozen Blood Fins (http/www.fishlore.com/profile-bloodfintetra.htm). I understand more is better, but I don't want to over crowd them, even in the larger tank.
 
I know I shouldn't do this all at once, so what's best practice? Start with one species and build up 2 or 3 at a time? Then move on to the next species? Or Add one, or two, of each every week over a few weeks?
 
I'm considering donating the blood fin tetra to the LFS rather than trying to build up a shoal for my lonely little guy, and working on adding another species that would add more color - maybe some neon tetras after I'm sure the serpae and danios are happy.
 
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks. 

 

[RRaquariums]

Well in my experience when adding to a school of fish it's best to add whatever number you want right off the bat to reduce picking on from the old fish and also help them do better. An example if you have a 4 fish already in there and want a school of 10 add the 6 new ones all at once. Do this with each school u till you have the number of each you want.
Something to keep in mind though is this will put some strain on the filter so some extra small water changes wouldn't hurt.
Anyways that's my input hope it helps and good luck with the new bigger tank

 

[Ichthys]

Don't remove the old filter, that's bad advice. You already had enough bacteria on your old filter media to cope with your current fish. When you upgrade to a bigger filter, put all of the old media into the new filter, top it up with new media, and switch on, job done.

All you're doing by running both is slowly sharing the bacteria (you will never have more than you need) between the two filters. Then when you remove the old filter you'll actually be removing half of those needed bacteria.

Just put the old media into the new filter as above, then remove the empty old filter.

The load on the filter is mainly determined by the amount of food you put in the tank. That's where most of the ammonia comes from. So when you add fish, think about the food. Increase the overall amount of food gradually, and the filter won't have a problem keeping up.

 

[Akasha72]

I'd agree with what been said above by both parties. 

 

[BiggTexx]

Again, I agree with all that has already been said.
 
To add to what Ichthys said, and since you are running the tank empty right now, you could always does the tank with ammonia to ensure it is ready for the extra bio-load you will place on the tank with the extra fish.

 

[Ichthys]

Oh I didn't realise it was empty. You can't run an established filter on an empty tank, the bacteria need their food. You must add ammonia or the bacteria will go dormant and then die.

The first post reads like the fish have been transferred with the filter, seeing as both filters are in the same tank?

 

[mhancock]

....When you upgrade to a bigger filter, put all of the old media into the new filter, top it up with new media, and switch on, job done.
 

 
I agree - much easier, and more importantly, safer

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Oh I didn't realise it was empty. You can't run an established filter on an empty tank, the bacteria need their food. You must add ammonia or the bacteria will go dormant and then die.

The first post reads like the fish have been transferred with the filter, seeing as both filters are in the same tank?

 
 
I thought the same thing.  

 

[Byron]

From the initial post, I too think that both filters, and the present fish, are in the new 29g tank, and have been for 3 weeks, so I will continue with this in mind.
 
In my view, you can at this stage remove the old filter.  In this volume, with this number of fish, and with the other filter, you will not have issues.  But I would then wait a week before adding new fish.
 
And definitely acquire the full group of a species when you add each.  Do one species at a time, leave a few days (a week) between.  Are you going to use the smaller tank as a QT for the new fish?  Very advisable these days.
 
Byron.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

From the initial post, I too think that both filters, and the present fish, are in the new 29g tank, and have been for 3 weeks, so I will continue with this in mind.
 
In my view, you can at this stage remove the old filter.  In this volume, with this number of fish, and with the other filter, you will not have issues.  But I would then wait a week before adding new fish.
 
And definitely acquire the full group of a species when you add each.  Do one species at a time, leave a few days (a week) between.  Are you going to use the smaller tank as a QT for the new fish?  Very advisable these days.
 
Byron.

 
 
Absolutely, the best choice of action!!!   Putting the old filter back on the 10 is the best solution, and you can watch the new fish for a week, or better yet - 2 weeks to a month - before adding them to your bigger tank.  Then you can move them over without a concern of them infecting the other fish.  Then you can get a new batch from the LFS to put in the QT, until you have reached your stocking levels that you want for each specie.

 

[Byron]

Yes, I forgot to mention using the old filter "as is" on the old tank, good point.
 
While we're here on QT, I would say no less than three weeks ever, preferably four or even five or more.  I don't know where the OP lives, but here in NA these days we are seeing serious health issues with commercially (farm) raised fish in chain stores.  I have lost entire acquisitions after a few to several weeks, to the point that I no longer even consider their fish.  Ich can appear after the second week, so three weeks is minimum.  But other issues like internal protozoan may not show up for a few weeks.
 
Byron.

 

[ShinySideUp]

I tend to 'hope for the best when it comes to quarantine as I do not have room for a QT. I work on the premise that the LFS I use has never given me any diseases and on top of that I don't change my fish stock very much. Most common diseases are relatively easy to control these days too.
 
I hope my philosophy continues as I shall be upping my present 15 rummy-nosed tetras to a nice group of 40 or so fairly soon.

 

[RobRocksFishTank]

I highly recommend keeping more than one filter in any tank. If one fails, the other is there as a back-up to prevent the emergency factor when a failure occurs.

 

[ShinySideUp]

Perhaps it is not necessary to have two filters running. I have a spare filter ready to plumb in but I would use the filter material from the failing filter to put in the standby filter if the first failed.

 

[mbpted]

Thanks everyone for the advice.
 
To clarify: The new tank was not empty, I had moved the fish from the old to new. The advice about using both filters came from this website: http/www.firsttankguide.net/upgrade.php (A guy at my LFS gave me the same advice.)
 
I don't have room in my house for both my old and new tank so a Quarentine Tank is not possible. (alas)
 
However, you have all answered my question about how to complete my shoals, so I hope it will go smoothly.
 
This forum is great! Thanks again.