Placing Old Gravel Into New Tank

[neilw_uk]

Hi,

I am re-housing some fish from a small tank into a larger on that has been running now for about 4 weeks... It’s almost cycled, however to speed things up a little I have placed some gravel into a net and then into the filter system. (Its an AquaOne tank with the filter media at the top and water is sprayed over it.

Is this a good idea or will I do more harm than good?


Any advice welcome.

 

[Somethings Fishy Here]

I know that adding cycled gravel in with the new gravel on the bottom of the aquarium helps as does placing some in the net so I dont know why putting some in the filter would hurt, I've never heard of doing so before so if you don't want to risk anything you could always sprinkle it in with the gravel on the bottom

 

[neilw_uk]

I have a sand base, so didnt want to sprinkle the gravel into it...

Well if it wont do any harm then thats good.... I just though it was the best place to add it... (on top of the new media)

 

[Somethings Fishy Here]

yea I haven't found anything saying that putting gravel in with the media would hurt... and its definitely the better thing to do if you don't want to pick out gravel from the sand later.

 

[neilw_uk]

Thats good news... I think i will add the lava rock from the old tank too... i guess this will have some of the good stuff too?

 

[Somethings Fishy Here]

Yea the best way to think of it is, the old aquarium is cycled so the more of the old aquarium that is in the new one the better (as far as having no shortage of the necesarry bacteria).

 

[paulthegreat]

Gravel in a net will be of good help. I would also recomend that you take some squeezings from a cycled tank filter sponge/pad and pour it in through a net into the new tank. The net(if it is of a tight weave) will trap the poo and food waste and the benificial bacteria will pass into the tank. It has worked fine with my tanks and I have never had to do a fishless cycle.HTH

 

[neilw_uk]

Good idea about squeezing the filter into the new tank... If i was to do this over the new media would that work too? I have a system that draws water up into a tube and then sprays over the sponge and then that drips down into these noodles/ ceramic tubes things... The water then flows back into the tank. There is also carbon in the system too.

 

[paulthegreat]

That should do the trick. I use internal Eheim filter pumps and the sponges are the best way to move the goodies to a new system, even using an external system, the bacts will get a good home and do the job. If you do not have enough gunk in your filters a good local fish store that you buy fish from may be nice enough to squeeze a filter into a bag. it may make your tank cloudy for a few hours but the bacts should get a chance to settle in your sand/gravel/plants/decorations and the filteration system will catch the rest.