Speeding up a new tank?

[Ozzie Boss]

So you may have seen on my lastest posts that I am upgrading to a 50 gallon. Finally got the tank and I was wondering in order to speed up the tank "cycling" can I add the water from my establish 20 gallon (pretty much all 20 gallons because I'm not gonna use it until I need to quarantine fish) into the tank and fill the rest with treated tap water? I'm thinking of it like a big water change. I will also add some decorations and the filter media that was in the 20 into the 50 gallon as well with the fish inside that 20 gallon.

Thanks.

 

[seangee]

The water won't help. But if you are moving your fish move the filter as well and run it alongside the new filter for a month or two. Fill the new tank with clean (dechlorinated) water. Let the filter run and turn on the heater. You can decorate and plant in the meantime. When you are ready to move the fish over just move the filter too.

 

[Ozzie Boss]

Great I will do that. Gives me time to get the sand, plants, driftwood, and the stones settled for the fish. Thanks.

 

[Colin_T]

If you are shutting down the 20 gallon and using it for a quarantine tank, you can simply set up the new tank with gravel, rocks, etc, transfer the water, filter and fish from the 20 gallon into the 50 gallon tank. Then top up the 50 with clean dechlorinated water.

The filter from the 20 gallon tank will keep the water clean and you can run a new filter along with the established filter. In a month or so the new filter will be cycled too. Keep both filters running and use the smaller one for quarantine the tank.

Once the 20 gallon is empty clean it well and get all the gunk out, dry it (or let it dry) and leave it until you need it.

When you use the 20 gallon as a quarantine tank you can fill it with water from the 50 gallon and add new fish. You should also have a spare filter running in the 50 gallon so you can move an established filter onto the quarantine tank when you set it up.

 

[Ozzie Boss]

Yep this is exactly what I am going to do. When I do this (add the fish, the water, and the filter) how long do I have to wait to add new fish? (I will quarantine the new fish in the 20g because I want to take no chances with this tank).

 

[Colin_T]

If you move the fish, filter and water into the new tank, you should wait a couple of weeks before adding new fish to the 50 gallon. Monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels during this time. There shouldn't be any but there might. Having said this, you should quarantine all new fish (and plants if possible) for a month before adding them to a display tank so unless you have fish that are currently in quarantine, I would get new fish and quarantine them for a month before adding them to the 50 gallon tank.

If you want new fish now, then set up the new 50 gallon tank and fill it with the water, fish & filter from the 20 gallon. Refill the 20 gallon with clean dechlorinated water and let it aerate for 24 hours. After 24 hours, move the old filter back onto the 20 gallon and take half the filter materials and put them in the 50 gallon. Top up both filters with more material, then get some new fish and put them in the quarantine tank (20 gallon) and leave the new fish in the 20 gallon for a month.

As long as the new fish are healthy and have no issues in the quarantine tank, you can add them to the display tank after 1 month. However, if the fish get sick in the quarantine tank, start the 1 month period after they have been successfully treated for any diseases they had.

 

[Ozzie Boss]

Thanks for the information. I don’t need the fish rn so I can wait some weeks as I need time to ”aquascape” the 50 gallon anyway. I’ll be sure to quarantine the new fish. Thanks.

 

[zain611]

If you are not going to use the smaller tank you can transfer the filter media from there into the new tank. That will help boost the filter as it would now already have a colony of bacteria on the old media which will hopefully spread on the new media.

Im setting up a 130 litre tank and the day before I put in one of my filter sponges from my 28 litre tank to help boost the filter. I also bought seachem stability to give a little added boost as you won't get every single good bacteria from one tank into the other.