Upgrading Tropical Kit Questions

[oneblondebrow]

Hi all,

I currently have a 48litre (10 Gallon) tropical tank with the below fish..
1 x Cherry Barb
2 x Zebra Danio's
6 x Black Neon Tetra's
4 x Neon Tetra's
3 x Peppered Cory's

In a couple of months i will be upgrading to the Juwel 180 litre tropical tank and was wanting a few answers from the below questions if at all possible

1.Obviously i will need to cycle the new tank before adding the fish but would like to use the Media from my current tank to speed up the cycle, I assume it will be a different pump thus the media not fitting into it, How do i go about using the cycled media?

2.Is it worth me getting real plants or should i wait until the tank is fully settled with all the fish?

3.Most importantly is how many of the original fish could i transfer to the new tank? The only fish i know i will be getting is a Pleco but not sure how if you can keep a pleco in with the current fish?

4.What other fish would you recommend for a larger tank, I have only really looked into fish for the smaller tank up until now?

Many thanks

 

[ian]

1. if you can take all the media out of you existing filter and put in your new filter then you should be able to transfer the fish straight away.

2. I'd get real plants from the start, if you haven't had plants before, go for the easy ones.

3. You can tranfer them all, but i'd give it a week or two until you get your Plec. Just be aware of the size plecs become. There are certain ones you'll be able to get. Someone will advise you.

4. Dwarf Guarami,Kribs

 

[Kitty_Nin]

1. You should be able to cram your old media in there somewhere. The media is usually some sort of floss or like a very loose sponge.

2. A new tank is usually too 'sanitary' to support plant life right away. There's not enough nitrate and stuff built up. But you could start the plants in your old tank and then transfer them.

3. All of your current fish can be transfered to the new tank, and you'll be about 57% stocked. A pleco will probably devour your plants and thank you for the snack. There shouldn't be any conflict with adding a pleco to your current group of fish. However, you'll want one of the smaller plecos, like a pitbull or bristlenose.

4. Before you get new fish, why don't you first add to the fish you already have? Cherry barbs, peppered corys, and zebra danios are all recommended at least 5 in a group, because these fish like to school. They'll all be happier and more active if you do this. If you add 4 cherry barbs, three zebra danios, and two peppered cories, your stocking will be 84% So, still a little room if you wanted one or two 'centerpiece' fish, as long as they're not too big.

 

[VaegaVic]

Just to throw my 2 pennies in.

Why not just use your old filter in the new tank for the first few weeks. Letting it seed the other filter. THEN transfer the old media. Allows for instant stocking if you're careful.

 

[oneblondebrow]

Just to throw my 2 pennies in.

Why not just use your old filter in the new tank for the first few weeks. Letting it seed the other filter. THEN transfer the old media. Allows for instant stocking if you're careful.

I require my other tank/filter to be fully working due to keeping my current fish in it whilst cycling new tank, I have replaced the carbon filter in the current filer with a new sponge filter (so am running 2), by the time i have the new tank the new sponge will have all the bacteria required for cycling the tank (this is the plan anyway)

Thanks for all you replies, I have also been looking into airation and filter systems, The aquirium will come with an internal filter but i have been reading about under gravel filters as well, is it worth getting one? do i need one that will cover the whole of the bottom of the tank or is this not how they work?

 

[VaegaVic]

Just to throw my 2 pennies in.

Why not just use your old filter in the new tank for the first few weeks. Letting it seed the other filter. THEN transfer the old media. Allows for instant stocking if you're careful.

I require my other tank/filter to be fully working due to keeping my current fish in it whilst cycling new tank, I have replaced the carbon filter in the current filer with a new sponge filter (so am running 2), by the time i have the new tank the new sponge will have all the bacteria required for cycling the tank (this is the plan anyway)

Thanks for all you replies, I have also been looking into airation and filter systems, The aquirium will come with an internal filter but i have been reading about under gravel filters as well, is it worth getting one? do i need one that will cover the whole of the bottom of the tank or is this not how they work?

What ever you do, do NOT buy an undergravel.
If you really fancy going for a different filter, go with an external.

Undergravels may be cheap, but it makes life so much harder when you're trying to clean them.

 

[K-Holed]

I require my other tank/filter to be fully working due to keeping my current fish in it whilst cycling new tank

If you transfer the filter from your old tank to your new tank (along with all your fish) you won't need to cycle it, the filter you transfered will keep doing the job it did before. Run it alongside the new filter and in time the new filter will develop its own bacterial colony.

 

[ellena]

Yes, as long as you move fish and filter media together, it doesn't matter what size tank they're in. If there enough filter bacteria to handle those fishes' waste in your current tank, they will do the same in the new tank, either in the current filter or moved into the new filter.
All you'll have to do then is add new fish very slowly so the bacteria have time to catch up each time. Maybe 2 a month or so?