Moving House, Tank Upgrade, And Pros & Cons Of Using Sand....

[Stephanie87]

Hi there,

I'm planning on upgrading my tank in June once I've moved house.
What is the best way to transfer my fish, firstly to my new house, and secondly to a bigger tank? is there anything i can do NOW to start preparing for the upcoming change??? Would placing loose filter sponges in my current tank help to build up some healthy media that I can then transfer over to the new tank?? Or will I have to cycle the new bigger tank from scratch.

Also, I'm debating whether to go for a gravel or a sand substrate.....
Can anyone tell me the pro's and con's of using sand? Is it difficult to keep clean??

Thanks
x

 

[KittyKat]

Can you buy the new tank just before you move house? The simplest way is to set up the new tank, then move fish and filter into it and later break down the old tank.

Either way, the simplest option for cycling would be to somehow transfer all current media into the new tank (either by running both filters in parallel for 4-6+ weeks or by transferring all old filter media into the new filter itself).

Sand gives you more options for fish you can keep. Corys, loaches, anything which is small and digs.. I never had any cons to using sand.

 

[Rynofasho]

I changed to sand and I love it. I'd agree with Kat too -- run the two filters in parallel for a few weeks, the one from your old tank and the new one you'll be purchasing and you should be fine.