Best Way To Move Fish From 125 Litre To 290 Litre

[lgarvey]

Hi guys,

I posted recently on the newbie section asking which fish I should get. I ended up getting the fish everyone recommended I shouldn't get, i.e. mbuna and put 12 small specimins in a 125 litre tank. They've been in there for 3 weeks, after doing a full fishless cycle and water params are great. I have just ordered a 290 litre bow fronted tank which will arrive on Friday and am busy getting all that I need including coral sand, 3d backgrounds, moon light, more ocean rock, yada yada. I want to build the coolest mbuna tank in Manchester! =)

Anyway, I just want some advice on how to go about transferring the fish. I'll use as much substrate, ocean rock, plants, juwel internal filter media and the external filter to seed the new tank. But will I still need to use ammonia and do a small fishless cycle to ensure the tank is safe?

I've heard that used media, gravel etc. from an established tank can 'insta-cycle' a new tank. I'll also be moving my existing external filter and the internal filter media across. I can place gravel in an old sock or something like that and hang that in the tank. The ocean rock and the plants should have some bacteria on them and I can transfer all of the water across the top up with fresh water.

So I have two options: -

1. set up tank, place everything in tank in one go and watch water params carefully, being ready to do water changes if necessary
2. set up tank move as much over as possible, and place an amount of ammonia into the tank and see how the tank fairs. Then place fish in when it's definitely "established"

What do you guys recommend?

L

 

[tenohfive]

Given how long your other tanks been setup, I'd be surprised if its even cycled yet. As for bacteria in substrate, rocks etc...firstly, theres next to none in or on them in a well established tank - so your old tank will have none.

I would cycle the new tank fishlessly. A bit of patience will go a long way - its not a bright idea rushing things when you've got hardy fish, but with mbuna its a very bad idea.

If its not an option to have both tanks running at the same time, give your old tank some more time - at least a couple of weeks - then move the filter and media across.

 

[lgarvey]

Given how long your other tanks been setup, I'd be surprised if its even cycled yet. As for bacteria in substrate, rocks etc...firstly, theres next to none in or on them in a well established tank - so your old tank will have none.

I would cycle the new tank fishlessly. A bit of patience will go a long way - its not a bright idea rushing things when you've got hardy fish, but with mbuna its a very bad idea.

If its not an option to have both tanks running at the same time, give your old tank some more time - at least a couple of weeks - then move the filter and media across.

Ahh, I fishless cycled the tank for 4-5 weeks prior to adding fish. The tank has had fish in it for the past 3 weeks. 12 fish in a 125 litre with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and very low nitrates = fully cycled to me. Also the bacteria, from what I have read, adhere to surfaces, with several million of them per gram of substrate, so I'm sure that it's going to help seed the new tank. Some people have claimed that obtaining used filter media is a way to "instant cycle" a new tank. I'll be going further by placing as much as I can into the new tank. Substrate, existing canister filter, used filter media from internal juwel filter, plants and water. So it should give it a real head start. My question was, is this sufficient to get it started, or should I still use ammonia and ensure that the levels are of No3 and Ni and dropping to 0 within 12 hours, prior to adding fish.

L