Advice/help please-bigger tank-last minute doubt

[frannyscho]

Very happy, have just bought the biggest tank that I could(n"t) afford, a 47.5 gal fluval, upgraded from a 6.5gal kids tank.
Now I need some very basic help making sure I fully understand this cycling process.

1) My little 6.5 tank is fully cycled and its filter and gravel are fully biologicalized.
so
I am just about to set up the new tank, with all its new stuff, big filter, big heater, new gravel etc
this is the bit I need some understanding on

2) as I understand it, if I run the new tank, even with all that bigger volume of water and put my old filter and the old gravel in with it at first, then it will still be cycled for the same amount of fish as I currently have...is that right?

The man in the LFS seemed to say this too, and said all I had to do was wait three days for the temperature to be right.

3) Biggest question - If I use warm water as well as cold and get the temp right manually at the beginning - can I put the current fish straight in if the new tank is cycled for just them and no new fish??

4) If I have got all the above assumption about right, then how long would I run the big new filter in tandem with the old little one until the new one is colonised?

5) Then I could put some gravel back in the little tank and its little filter and then that tank would be instantly cycled too and would be ready as a fry tank?

Am I there? Help appreciated.

 

[WILDER]

No i wouldn't add the fish today as that tanks going to take at least 40gals of fresh water added declorinator, let is run for two days, then you can add all the gravel and things to the tank, and then the fish, sounds nice, good luck.
http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/cycling2.htm

 

[WILDER]

http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/beginner.htm

 

[frannyscho]

Thanks peeps. Understood the cycling process for the first tank but not about how it is affected by the increased volume of water and keeping the same number of fish. The query isn't about the cycling process itself as such.
Don't also understand why to put the gravel in later, because isn't that the bit with all the mature bacteria in? Not sure that I'm not even more confused.
If there is more water, then isn't the potential ammonia or nitrite peak of a mini cycle much reduced??? Or even virtually non existent in a damaging sense?
i.e won't the new filter take over and get new bacteria from the old and overlapping one before any potential peak happens due to the new volume??
If the tank is full of some mature gravel, some new and old and new plants and therefore ready before the fish are added, wouldn't that be better?

Sorry if I'm being thick.

 

[WILDER]

Big tanks are more forgiving with water quality, you wil have to keep a very close eye on water stats, the bacteria from the old tank is going to be diluted with the 40gal new water, plus alot of new gravel it's going to take time to build the bacteria colony up.

 

[frannyscho]

I'm ok with that, but then if the water is diluting the bacteria that I have...won't the increased water volume take as long a time to get over-polluted by ammonia as it takes the bacteria the time to catch up, if I'm not putting any more fish in than i already have for the bacteria that I have....does that make ANY sense?

I'm not disputing anything you say...merely trying to fully understand it.

 

[Cossack1977]

I'm ok with that, but then if the water is diluting the bacteria that I have...won't the increased water volume take as long a time to get over-polluted by ammonia as it takes the bacteria the time to catch up, if I'm not putting any more fish in than i already have for the bacteria that I have....does that make ANY sense?

I'm not disputing anything you say...merely trying to fully understand it.

[snapback]856480[/snapback]​

The added volume of water wont affect the bacteria at all.
Shoud be fine to set up same day. Tank might (might) go through a very small (small) mini cycle but thats about it. If you put all your biological stuff from the old tank into the new tank without fish whats the bacteria going to feed on?
Bacteria needs food to survive.

Ive done what you have said a few times and no time did i have an issue. Most important thing for your fish will be getting the water temp to the correct temp early on.

 

[simonbrown403]

You would be beter to set the tank up and run it for a few day, to settle it.

Then you can trancfer your fish, water, and gravel and place the medium out of your old filter into the new one to sead it.

build up gradualy a few fish each fortnight and the bactera will multiply and colanise your filter to cope with the extra loadand.

 

[simonbrown403]

You would be beter to set the tank up and run it for a few day, to settle.

Then you can trancfer your fish, water, and gravel and place the medium out of your old filter into the new one to sead it.

build up gradualy a few fish each fortnight and the bactera will multiply and colanise your filter to cope with the extra load.

 

[frannyscho]

Fabby folks...I'm just being impatient really...but I don't want to kill fish again with it...

What I have done so far is,
1) put all the new stuff in, with two plants from the old tank.
2) Washed the old filter medium sponge with the new pad from the big one so lots of lovely green stuff got all over it.
3) Rinsed the top chalky filter in the new tank so all the green stuff came off from the outside.
4) Put cycle liquid in at new tank double dose, and put the plant food liquid in...without the fish I can't think of anything else I can do in my impatience.

I shall wait for it to settle like you say and put the whole monty in from my old tank, then test every day to see what happens. If any levels look hairy then I can put the fish back in the little tank till the crisis is over....thanks for all the help...its nice not panicking alone....

 

[Slyspy]

Fabby folks...I'm just being impatient really...but I don't want to kill fish again with it...

What I have done so far is,
1) put all the new stuff in, with two plants from the old tank.
2) Washed the old filter medium sponge with the new pad from the big one so lots of lovely green stuff got all over it.
3) Rinsed the top chalky filter in the new tank so all the green stuff came off from the outside.
4) Put cycle liquid in at new tank double dose, and put the plant food liquid in...without the fish I can't think of anything else I can do in my impatience.

I shall wait for it to settle like you say and put the whole monty in from my old tank, then test every day to see what happens. If any levels look hairy then I can put the fish back in the little tank till the crisis is over....thanks for all the help...its nice not panicking alone....

[snapback]856557[/snapback]​

Perhaps you should read the advice you were given?

Best practice would be to set you new tank up and let it run in for a few days. During this period DO NOT TRANSFER ANYTHING FROM YOUR OLD TANK. Without food in the new tank (ie fish waste) the bacteria will die.

Then you can clear out your old tank. Move the old gravel to the new tank. Move the old filter into the new tank and let it run in conjunction with the new filter (or just put the old filter media in the new unit). Then pop your fish into the new tank.

Your new tank should be able to handle this (though to tests and necessary water changes). If this set up is stable then you can add more fish at a slow rate.

 

[frannyscho]

Ammonia.