Redoing a tank

[StingrayKid]

I'm redoing my 10 gallon tank by using sand as my substrate, getting a better filter and healter, and making it a rocky landscape. The prbolem is that I allready have fish in the tank. I have a 30 gallon, but that tank has agressive fish in it and I don't want to put black tetras, a cory cat, a pridise fish and a platty in with them. I have a large net breeder, it's about 9 inches long by 5 inches wide. My question is: What should I do with my fish while my tank enviroment cycles?

 

[Ahmad]

Why do you have wait for your tank to cycle?......Just take out the gravel (Even though it contains benefecial Bacteria most of them are in the filter medias).

Ok so you take out the gravel and put in sand...when the new filter comes in just put the filter medias from the old filter into the new filter along side with its new medias Then you have an instant cycle. Then put in the fish....

Are going to take out all of the water and everything in the tank and start from scratch?

If you are Then you dont have to wait all that long since you got your bacteria in your old filter....

Just get a 5 gallon bucket or something with and air stone. and keep the fish in there for about a day so the filter can clean all the water in the tank. Then just put the fish back in. If you dont theres nothing for the bacteria to live off and they die then you have a re-cycle and you dont want that.

 

[StingrayKid]

Well, I can't put the stuff from my old filter into the new one because my old one is a power filter and my new one is a internal canister. The bucket thing will probably work though. If I'm starting kinda from scratch, what should I do?

 

[The-Wolf]

can you run the old filter as well for a few days so thenew one gets established?

you can also put some gravel in a pair of tights (pantyhose) so the bacteria migrates to the sand, you can then easily remove the gravel a few days later
HTH

 

[Becca]

I'd run the two filters (old and new) side by side for a while so that the beneficial bacteria can settle in the canister.

 

[Ahmad]

Well this is what I would do......


Go to walmart get a $9.99 10g tank with no lights or nothing just the tank it self. Fill it up with water put the old filter in the tank some of the gravel from the 10g and leave them in there till the new tank is cycled.

Will that work?

 

[Nidge]

What i would do is get a large bucket or a small bin and make sure it is very clean, Fill it with the water from your tank then put your fish into the bucket , Move your filter and heater from your tank into the bucket this will give you time to redo your tank. Once you have made all the changes to your tank and are happy with it and the temperature is the same as the bucket move the fish and the water back into the tank. Always try and keep as much aquarium water as you can. Run the old and new filters together foe a month this will give the new one time to mature and you can then remove the old one. Good luck

 

[StingrayKid]

Okay, thank you everyone for your ideas. Here is what I'm going to do: I'm going to take the water out of the tank along with the gravel. Then, i will add the sand. Then, I will put new water in after the sand has been wetted and such. Then I will run my new filter along with my old one. I will take the old gravel and put it in a pair of panty hoes and wait. I will keep my fish in a heated, large bucket for the day and see what happens at the end of the day.

 

[Ahmad]

Keep Us Updated!

 

[StingrayKid]

Will do, I ordered a new filter over the internet yesterday, and it should be in within the week. When it does come in, I'll post about it and I'll redo my tank that day.

 

[Ahmad]

ok goodluck