Changing To Bigger Aquarium

[Ian H]

Right i have 28G (UK) tank set up, its been set up for almost a year now (well in feb) anyways i've gotten a bigger tank now a nice 83G (UK)

I've started the cycle by adding 20ml of ammonia which was around the 8ppm 10 days ago and is now down to 1ppm, my nitrItes are either 5 or off the chart and the nitrAte is between 20 and 40 (API master kit used) now i know this is no where near cycled but my question is can i put my old fluval 3 in with all of my fish and everthing will be good?

My idea was to part cycle the 2 new external filters and then add my olf fluval 3 this way i shouldnt get a mini cycle (well that's my thinking anyways!)

Here's whats in my old tank:

1 common plec (may be going soon, only a baby dont know if this tank is big enough for him)
1 bristle nose plec
1 clow loach (more will be added once i know the filters can take it)
5 amano shrimp
5 pentazona barbs
3 bronze corys
2 jullii cory (same as clown loach, more will be added)
7 neon tetras
6 glowlight tetras
3 black neon tetras
1 blue german ram

im slightly worried about my shrimp and bristle nose not making it though if theres a mini cycle. What do you guys think?

 

[Jules H-T]

Totally unnecessary mate.

Put it this way- your Fluval 3 already has sufficient bacteria to process all the waste your fish produce irrespective of which tank they are in, so shift them all over and what's the difference? Just don't add any new fish at the same time.

I would stop dosing/cycling straight away. Big (95%) water change, then as soon as you're up to temp/dechlored get all the fish and the Fluval 3 over to the new tank at the same time. Switch on the two new externals too. You could have this done tonight.

The Fluval will not start to lose bacteria until the two externals have got new bacteria to compensate- all the waste still needs treating and the Fluval 3 will do it.

After, say, a month you can just take out the Fluval 3 and there will be enough bacteria in the new externals to quickly multiply (or you can keep it in there behind a big plant for current- and if you need to set up a quarantine/hospital tank in a hurry you have a mature filter to move over to your 28).

You will not get any form of cycle if you do as I suggest. I have experience of this type of upgrade by the way, and you can read the details of it:

Here, first upgrade

and more recently (probably more usefully since you will see I moved all the fish and filtration over in one go, alongside the new filtration)

Here, second more recent upgrade

 

[Ian H]

the 2 canister filters have been on for almost 2 weeks now getting a little bit cycled I wasnt sure if the bn plec and shrimp would make it since i heard they should have a mature tank?

95% water change? think i'll wait till i can be bothered, dying of man flu at the moment

 

[Esfa]

Ahhh, the dreaded man flu

The only reason why they need a mature tank is for the algae.

So if you are transplanting any plants/ornaments then there should be algae on them.

If you are still worried, feed cucumber and algae wafers for the 1st few weeks?

 

[Jules H-T]

Well, the only reason I suggest a big change is because you don't want to put the fish in to the middle of a cycle.

You could just wait until your stats are normal (stop dosing) and move over the fish and filter in one go.

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Jules H-T]

By the way, at the risk of telling you something you already know, it is far far easier and less stressful to net fish using a small net to herd the fish into a big net, than it is to chase them round the tank with a single net. If you don't already own two nets go out and get another before starting the move.

 

[Ian H]

well i've started the water change sitting here with a hose pipe as it all empties

got about 10 nets!!!

 

[Jules H-T]

well i've started the water change sitting here with a hose pipe as it all empties

got about 10 nets!!!

Good man, should take you no time at all then!

How about some photos in the relevant section when you're done?

 

[Ian H]

finished it about half hour ago. Everyone seems fine too

yep photos will be up later when i can be bothered to take some

EDIT

one of the tank

 

[benniebru]

im gonna be doing the same thing im upgrading from a 30gal to a 60 gal ive heard that if i use the water from my 30 gal and but some of the gravel from my old tank underneath the new gravel that there would be a very min cycle even if there was a cycle any thoughts?

 

[Jules H-T]

Forget the water and gravel- it's the filter you want to move over to be fine. If you're buying a new filter or have one with the bigger tank, then run it on the old tank for a few weeks before the move.

 

[benniebru]

well the one i have is just one bio wheel the new tank filter will be 2 bio wheels couldent i just replace one of the new bio wheels with the old one?

 

[Jules H-T]

Yes.