starting up a new tank

[gale]

My current tank is 20g and this new one is 10g. I haven't set up the new one at all yet. What should I do when I set it up? Should I put rocks from the old tank in there? They use different size filters so I can't use the old filter cartridge. Any other t&t methods? I'm planning for it to be a planted tank but haven't yet decided what to put in it. Maybe something weird like frogs or shrimp or something-are those hard to keep? We have very high ph here but so does the LFS. Thanks!

eta: I'm not replacing my old tank, just putting up a 2nd one. Just wanted to clarify that. I am not planning on moving my current batch of fish.

 

[The-Wolf]

Cloning an aquarium

You will need;
An existing mature aquarium or access to one.

1. Siphon some tank water (from the mature tank) into a bucket.
2. Rinse the filter media (of the mature tank) in this bucket of water
3. Take you new filter media and also rinse this in the bucket.
4. Now add this new media to your new filter in your new aquarium. It now contains some of the beneficial bacteria.
5. Take some of the substrate from the mature tank and place it in some stockings (new preferably) and lay this on the new tanks substrate. The bacteria will multiply and migrate to the clean substrate.
6. After a few days remove the old substrate from your new tank and put back into the mature tank, without the stockings of course.
7. You now have a cloned tank and are ready for fish.

This process takes 2 to 3 days to complete. However be aware that adding too many fish at one time could overload the bacteria, causing the aquarium to re-cycle.

HTH

 

[teacherspet]

I am also starting up a 10 gallon, and was planning on following your instructions. Should I use water from the old tank as well? If I am planning on moing fish from the old tank, at what point should I add them? And do I just net them and put them in the new tank as long as the temp is consistent?

 

[kev_kb]

And do I just net them and put them in the new tank as long as the temp is consistent?

No, I wouldn't. Use the old tank water, and use exactly the same temperature. Then bag the fish and introduce it to the new tank as you would when you buy a new fish. Be sure to add the fish slowly and check your levels, unless you are swapping the whole filter from one tank to another.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Old tank water does not actually achieve anything other than transfer dirt and bad bacteria (if there's ny present). Putting the new filter media in alongside the old for a few days will also be helpful, it doesn't need to be the same size. I have media from all manner of filters in others that don't match. Squish it in, as long as the water runs through it will be fine. Using substrate is also good.

I set up a 19US tank in an emergency on Thursday. To do this, I filled it half with old water (not for bacterial reasons but for acclimitisation) and took media from one of the filters from the 5ft tank and put it in the filter fro the 19 (the 5ft has eheim externals and the 19 has a biolife internal) filled the rest of the tank up and put the fish in.

Just remember that when you have put the filter and substrate in that you will have to put fish in asap or the bacteria will die.

 

[gale]

Cloning an aquarium

You will need;
An existing mature aquarium or access to one.

1. Siphon some tank water (from the mature tank) into a bucket.
2. Rinse the filter media (of the mature tank) in this bucket of water
3. Take you new filter media and also rinse this in the bucket.
4. Now add this new media to your new filter in your new aquarium. It now contains some of the beneficial bacteria.
5. Take some of the substrate from the mature tank and place it in some stockings (new preferably) and lay this on the new tanks substrate. The bacteria will multiply and migrate to the clean substrate.
6. After a few days remove the old substrate from your new tank and put back into the mature tank, without the stockings of course.
7. You now have a cloned tank and are ready for fish.

This process takes 2 to 3 days to complete. However be aware that adding too many fish at one time could overload the bacteria, causing the aquarium to re-cycle.

HTH

eta: errr never mind. I should learn to read more thoroughly.

 

[Def]

Old tank water does not actually achieve anything other than transfer dirt and bad bacteria

I cvan vouch for that. I regularly do a 100% water change on my quarantine tank, then use ammonia to keep it cycled - I see no difference in time for ammonia->nitrite->nitrate from before a 100% to after a 100% change.

 

[gale]

Just remember that when you have put the filter and substrate in that you will have to put fish in asap or the bacteria will die.

ok finally getting this done and have a question. In the cloning post, it says that after 2-3 days I am ready for fish, but the post quoted says put fish in asap. Which is it? Or am I missing something?

 

[gale]

 

[evilbunny]

my understanding is that the good bacteria from ur old tank eats the ammonia (waste) that the fish produce, so in ur new tank if there's no ammonia then ur good bacteria will die.

i'm just guessing cause i have no idea but if i were i'd probably just wait a day before putting in fish, and only one or so fish at a time so as to not overwhelm the bacteria

 

[gale]

my understanding is that the good bacteria from ur old tank eats the ammonia (waste) that the fish produce, so in ur new tank if there's no ammonia then ur good bacteria will die.

i'm just guessing cause i have no idea but if i were i'd probably just wait a day before putting in fish, and only one or so fish at a time so as to not overwhelm the bacteria

How quick will it die without ammonia? I'm going to get 2 fish on wednesday to put in the tank-should I put the treated filter and the gravel from the old tank in before I leave to get them (about an hour drive both ways, but I have other shopping to do before I pick up the fish) or put them in when I put the fish in? I'm going to go with 2 fish at a time for 2 reasons. One is that the store is so far away, and one is that fish are 2 for the price of 1 on wednesdays.

thanks

 

[modernhamlet]

A couple of hours with the filter on isn't going to be a problem. Most bacteria die-offs (like my recent one )) happen when you turn off the filter for too long. Getting the mature filter running on the new tank for a couple of hours before introducing the fish sounds like a good plan to me. It's good to make sure everything is set up and working before you get home with fish. Don't want any surprises!

Good luck!

 

[gale]

A couple of hours with the filter on isn't going to be a problem. Most bacteria die-offs (like my recent one )) happen when you turn off the filter for too long. Getting the mature filter running on the new tank for a couple of hours before introducing the fish sounds like a good plan to me. It's good to make sure everything is set up and working before you get home with fish. Don't want any surprises!

Good luck!

Thanks for the quick reply! I have the tank all full of water now, with the filter and heater going. Just need to add the plants and then the treated filter cartridge (which is sharing space with my established filter cartridge at the moment, and has been for a couple of days. Hopefully lots of bacterial migration going on in there) and sock of gravel.