Advise Please

[gamwar]

Hia Everyone,

I need some advise please...
I moved house a year ago, and on the day of the move I transfered my guppy's from a filtered tropical tank to an unfiltered coldwater tank. One year on they are still alive (thankfully) and are breeding... However I want to move them back into their old tropical tank but it has been in the garage for a year and I'm slightly concerned about how to go about setting it up again (its been a while since I last cycled a tank and can't remember much about it). I was thinking of washing the tank, lid and heater but buying a new filter and gravel. Any advise would be very much appreciated!! oh and also what should I wash the tank with (if you think its a good idea).

Thank-you very much,
Gamwar

 

[Wills]

If they are in an unfiltered tank for a year Im surprised they are alive let alone breeding. Are there any other fish in there?

If its just them in a fish tank just add a filter and a heater to that tank and you have a tropical tank. If they are alive after a year in high ammonia highly toxic water they will have aclimatised to live in it so slightly unusually I would suggest just leaving them in the tank while the filter cycles. This way the levels of ammonia and nitrite will fall and the fish in there will get used to clean water again if you put them straight into clean water straight away it could kill them.

Doing a cycle with fish in a tank isnt something we do its something that happens naturally in an aquarium environment so adding a filter to a tank with fish in will provide it with a source of ammonia which bacteria will develop in the filter to cope with it like I say leave the fish in and keep up what ever level of tank maintenance you have been doing now and then a few weeks down the line when the filter is sorted and your ammonia and nitrite are 0 and then you can start a proper regime of maintenance like weekly water changes etc.

Wills

 

[gamwar]

I know its not an ideal set up but there was no other option at the time unfortunatly and it has been quite hard work this year...

I would have done that but they're in a small plastic tank so theres no room for a filter/heater.

Gamwar

 

[OldMan47]

You should be fine setting up the tank the way you suggested. The fact that your guppies are thriving and breeding means that whatever you have been doing with them has worked. I would suggest that you continue to care for them as you have been and do a fishless cycle on the new tank setup. I have a link in my signature area to our article on fishless cycling that should provide you the information you would need to do a successful fishless cycle. If you have any questions about it, the "Your New Freshwater Tank" section is where we normally address cycling questions.

 

[gamwar]

Thanks.
Do you know what I should use to clean the tank with?
x

 

[OldMan47]

I have always used plain water or a bit of vinegar to clean a tank. If it is just dirty, the water will do the job. If it has hard water deposits on the glass, the vinegar helps dissolve and loosen it so it is easier to scrub off. For a scrubber, I have been using one of those non-scratching cleaning pads for a few years now and like it better than my old method. The other methods I once used were a scratching threat to my glass.