Bigger tank - avoiding newbie syndrome

[frannyscho]

Just filling tank with gravel, plants and water (conditioned and the correct temp) right now. Need to understand upgrading tank size and cycling better.

If i run the old bacteria infested tiny filter from kids tank in tandem with new big clean filter, and old dirty gravel with new virgin gravel, two old plants with four new. How long do you estimate till I can transfer existing (and no new) fish? Will it be instantly cycled for my existing fish?

Old tank is 6.5gal, new tank 45gal.

Would love some quick answers.

 

[Ami]

Franny - if you have a fully cycled existing tank that's healthy and been running for a while, you could easily steal some filter material from it to seed your new tank's filter.

These are mainly the bacteria that break down ammonia I believe and the gravel from the old tank will hold some of the other beneficial bacteria, that break down nitrites. Adding plants will also help control any nitrite production.

You should be able to avoid a full cycle but I would recommend that you check your stats for the first week to avoid a mini cycle whilst the filter bacteria get up to strength.

Can't think of anything else to tell you, but I'm sure someone out there can!


Good luck!

Ami

PS - have you read through the pinned cycling topics in the beginner's thread? They're pretty useful.

 

[frannyscho]

I know this is a very silly question but how much filter media can you pinch without compromising the balance of the existing tank? Also I wanted to put the gravel in a stocking or something coz I have chosen a different colour gravel in the new tank. Whitish to go with the following...

I am sitting with a gin and tonic and some peanuts staring quite happily at my stonking and very empty tank. It has a blue picture of some extremely corny Roman maiden with some Roman remains complete with pillars. Has five rather isolated looking plants and one funny hut-like shelter. The Fluval 4 plus filter is blasting out a current that would make an Oscar flip, and I am wondering in a very happy sort of way, how on earth the little green Tetras and Rasboras I looked at in the LFS today, are going to fare in such a current. I've switched the switch both ways and the blue nozzle seems to blast it out just as fast. Is one supposed to put an airstone on this or something? or is this ok?

Very happily impatient to get my existing fish in to give them a lovely massive home, but not in a hurry to get anything wrong...this was all because of a rainy half term....it was for the kids....honest....

 

[glolite]

Shouldn't worry about the fast output on filter, most fish will deal with it. I tried putting a spray bar on the end of my fluval, and it just slowed the cycle down. Let it bubble away, the fish will deal with it.