Upgrading From 10gal To 60gal

[jdstephe]

Now that I have definitely got the bug from starting with a 10gal, I have been contemplating getting a 55gal for some time. In PetSmart today thay had a 60gal plus a contemporary black stand on sale for $229 (normally $329). Well I bought it, got it home and have just got it filled.

I am looking for some advice on how to shortcut the cycling for the new tank. In my 10gal I currently have a Marineland Biowheel which I have had good results with. I therefore bought a Marineland Emperor Biowheel 400 for the new tank.

This is what I was thinking:

1) I am running the new tank without any media right now until the water warms up.
2) In the meantime, I have the new biowheels for the 60gal floating in the 10gal.
3) Once the temperature is right in the 60gal, I was planning on putting the old mechanical filter in the new filter along with the new mechanical elements.
4) What to do with the old biowheel? - let that float in the new tank for a while as well?

Based on this, when do you think it would be safe to transfer my fish into the new tank. I only have a 4" common plec, 2 half inch tiger barbs and 3 1/2 inch von rio's, so nit a huge load for a 60gal.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tolak]

That smaller cycled filter on the 10 gallon doesn't know if it is running on a 10 gallon, or a 60 gallon. It has enough nitrifying bacteria to handle the bio load in the 10 gallon, and will handle the same bio load in the 60 gallon.

That being the case, once the water temperature in the 60 matches that of the 10, transfer the fish from the 10 to the 60, transfer the old smaller filter, and set up & run the new filter. After about a month the new filter will have enough nitrifying bacteria to handle the bio load, but I would continue to run the smaller filter as well. This will give you a cycled filter for a quar/hospital tank, using the now empty 10 gallon.

Feed lightly for the first week, just in case there is any loss of nitrifying bacteria.