Switching to a bigger tank?

[Chickengooch]

We would like to switch to a 20 gallon tank (see siggy for current tank). How do we go about this? Do we do the same thing as we did for the 10 gal, cycling and all? Could we put some of the rocks and the filter (it is a 30 gal wheel filter) from our current tank in the 20 gal to speed the process up? We want to get some more fish (another long finned and bleeding heart tetra, and another red platy), and get rid of the plec we have (forgot that in siggy) and get a few oto??? something or rather (I forgot the name at the second). Our problem lies in that we don't have any place to put the 20 gal tank while cycling it, but I don't want to kill the fish we currently have...Help??

 

[yhbae]

After setting up the new tank (with new filter), you can let the old filter run alongside it for few weeks. This will pretty much cycle the tank instantly. You should still monitor ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels carefully though. If everything goes well, you should see no ammonia, no nitrite and see nitrate levels within a week...

 

[lizard]

I agree with yhbae. When I switched from my 10-gallon tank to my 29-gallon tank, I just took the filter from the 10-gallon and ran it alongside the filter for the 29-gallon for a few weeks, so the happy little waste-processing bacteria in the 10-gallon filter could multiply and monve into the 29-gallon's filter.

Good luck

Pamela
aka Married Lizard