Advice On Mature Filter Medium Appreciated For Newbie!

[Jennifersunshine]

Hello everyone. this is my 1st post on here but I've spent the last 4 hours reading a LOT of other posts here!

I'd love some advice on my 2nd mistake in fishkeeping that I've unfortunately made today!

I've had 1 male Betta in a 26l cube tank for 4 weeks. The tank was cycled (fishless) before adding him and I admit that he was a bit of an impulse buy. He's been fine since then, quite docile, feeds well and built a lovely bubble nest. Today I made the mistake of buying 2 male Dalmation Molllies. Lovely to look at and I know that my kids were wanting them too. I introduced them gradually today and all was fine for 2 hours. Then my Betta went beserk and wouldn't stop chasing, headbutting and trying to attack them. I monitered them for a (short) while and decided to remove the Betta to a large container. I ran along to my LFS and bought a floating isolation tank.

A couple hours later and I had a brainwave I would get a new tank for the Mollies! So of I wander back to the LFS and picked up a 35l full set up long tank.

Now, I've set the new tank up tonight and used some of the water from the old tank in it. I also gave the filter medium a good squeeze in the water from the old tank that I was adding to the new tank. I've added Nutrafin AquaPlus and Cycle too. I'm really worried now as the fish are all probably rather stressed. They are in the 26l tank at the moment with the Betta in the floating isolation tank. The Mollies seem fine and are swimming ok and playing in the filter current together. I've been testing the water and it seems fine in both tanks but I realise this may not be the case if the new tank has to cycle.

SO.....will I have to fully cycle my new tank (fishless) or will the filter medium squeeze and the old cycled water added to the new tank speed things up at all???

Hopefully someone will be able to give me some pointers.

(and yes I now realise that Mollies are not a good choice for the new tank due to size issues but my LFS have given a lot of bad advice unfortunately. including not cycling a tank at all and putting Cardinal Tetras in after a week of "standing" the water. Poor Tetras didn't last 24 hours. Put me off fishkeeping for 3 months. My 1st mistake was taking their advice instead of researching for myself)

 

[Larissa]

Sorry about your bad experiences starting out - many LFS get newbies into trouble, but I'm glad your trying again.
I would get another filter sponge and cut it in half. Cut your cycled filter sponge in half and put half of each in each filter. This should deal with the bioload of both tanks if you don't add fish for a few weeks. HTH.
-Larissa

p.s. On another note, I don't no much about livebearers but will 2 males fight? Also, mollies are brackish fish meaning they like slightly salty water. I don't think they have to live in it but they certainly need it to thrive. I would consider swapping out your mollies for platies which are similar but are purely freshwater fish.

 

[Rooster]

Old tank water is of NO use whatsover ... filter squeezings, on the other hand will seed the new media - but without food it will die quickly.
Have you put fish in the new tank yet ? If not, did you add ammonia ? If the answer to either of these questions is "NO" , then I'm afraid you need to start again...

 

[Jennifersunshine]

Thanks for the advice. I added tropical fish flakes after setting up the new tank as I was told this can break down and cause the ammonia needed for the bacteria to keep working. I'm now not so sure as this isn't mentioned in all the sticky posts on fishless cycling.

I think I might go with the advice to cut the old filter media in half and place some in the new tanks filter as this does seem a logical step to help establish the bacteria needed in the tank quickly. I know patience is a virtue but I'm feeling sorry for my betta as he's cooped up in the isolation tank and want to be able to let him out as soon as possible. Obviously I want the Mollies to be healthy and happy in their new tank too but I'm confused still (it's easily done! ).

If I put half the old filter medium in the new tanks filter, how long would be best to wait before adding the Mollies?

Obviously it's been said that the bacteria can die if it has nothing to feed on so should I add the Mollies straight away or wait 24/48 hours or more? I'm happy to do daily water changes or anything else to help them settle and be comfortable in their new home. Water tests this morning have been fine and all the fish seem happy, healthy and active (my Betta looks miserable to me though!)

With the Mollies being good brackish tankmates (another thing my LFS didn't mention), I'm thinking up suitable companions for them. I'm hoping to get a new larger Juwel tank at the end of Feb (my original plan) and am considering setting them up in there with some others once it's cycled. Don't think my LFS take fish back. When I told them last year that the cardinals had died overnight they said it was probably new tank syndrome even though they said I didn't have to cycle the tank. The fish look healthy and well looked after in the shop but I take their advice with a pinch of salt now.

 

[f1sh1275]

once the filter media from the old filter is placed into the filter in the new tank the fish can be added to the new tank

 

[Larissa]

As soon as you get some of the old sponge in the new filter you can switch the mollies over. Test your water frequently and do water changes if you need to, but the filter should take care of them. As for mollies being brackish fish, they can survive in freshwater just fine I believe, so don't wory about adding salt or anything for now - make life easy for yourself. Hope all goes well.
-Larissa

 

[Jennifersunshine]

Thankyou Larissa, Rooster and f4sh. I've taken your advice in regards to the filter medium and swapped half into the new tank. The Mollies seem happy and have been exploring the new tank for a few hours now. My Betta looks a bit happier now he's not in the prison tank (as my kids call it). I'll keep and eye on the water test readings, do water changes if needed and not even think of buying anything else for a while. Certainly no impulse buys.

Thanks again for the replies.

 

[Larissa]

I'm sure your betta will be very happy having his tank all to himself - I suspect you probably won't be able to keep many tankmates with him. However, if you eventually want to put something in with him you could do an apple snail - they are very cool, and oto suckermouth catfish would work too. Glad it is all working out for you!
-Larissa