Can you upgrade tank without re-cycling?

[JCW_1]

It appears my tank is not best suited to my tetra shoal, particularly when they grow bigger - and I can't add more fish in future on this basis.

I've got equipment and just need bigger glass. As I understand, if I use my existing filter, water, and substrate, technically it should be fine, but nothing is ever easy and I don't want to disturb what has been a successful tank/cycle.

Can someone advise on the correct process to upgrade tank with minimal effect on fish/chemistry?

 

[connorlindeman]

It appears my tank is not best suited to my tetra shoal, particularly when they grow bigger - and I can't add more fish in future on this basis.

I've got equipment and just need bigger glass. As I understand, if I use my existing filter, water, and substrate, technically it should be fine, but nothing is ever easy and I don't want to disturb what has been a successful tank/cycle.

Can someone advise on the correct process to upgrade tank with minimal effect on fish/chemistry?

Net fish into bucket with tank water.
Drain tank down to halfway, remove plants and decor
Drain to bottem and remove substrate.
Rinse new tank and add substrate from aquarium
Fill with dechlorinated and heated water and re add decor and plants
Fill reminder of tank
Add heater and filter. (make sure the heater is strong enough and that the filter is big enough.)
re add fish.

Over the next few days monitor parameters. Do large water changes if theres any ammonia/nitrite.

 

[JCW_1]

Thanks. Pretty much what I thought but be extra vigilant on parameters for a few days.

 

[Rocky998]

You can also run the filter from your old tank next to the new one for a month or two to help with bacteria levels

 

[Colin_T]

Set up the new tank wherever it is going.
Transfer the water, filter. fish, plants, ornaments and gravel into the new tank.
Top up new tank with dechlorinated water.
Done.

Do a gravel clean the day before you transfer everything across so the gravel is cleaner.

Then monitor ammonia and nitrite levels for a few weeks to make sure everything is ok. But it's pretty simple and rarely goes wrong.

Get 2 nets to catch the fish. Use a 5-6 inch net to guide the fish into a 8-12 inch net that is sitting in the tank against the glass.

 

[JCW_1]

You can also run the filter from your old tank next to the new one for a month or two to help with bacteria levels

I currently have two filters running in my tank so should get bacteria boost and better reaction if i got a spike in new tank.

 

[JCW_1]

Set up the new tank wherever it is going.
Transfer the water, filter. fish, plants, ornaments and gravel into the new tank.
Top up new tank with dechlorinated water.
Done.

Do a gravel clean the day before you transfer everything across so the gravel is cleaner.

Then monitor ammonia and nitrite levels for a few weeks to make sure everything is ok. But it's pretty simple and rarely goes wrong.

Get 2 nets to catch the fish. Use a 5-6 inch net to guide the fish into a 8-12 inch net that is sitting in the tank against the glass.

The tricky part is that the new tank needs to go in the spot where old tank is now as I have a purpose built stand that can hold the weight.

 

[Guyb93]

As long as the bio load stays the same you should be ok just using the old filter / media and substrate bearing in mind you will lose Bacteria as every surface in the tank has some sort of colony I’d be extra vigilant for a few weeks post upgrade , plants will help , some hornwort or salvinia would help soak up any ammonia created if you do have a mini cycle

 

[Colin_T]

The tricky part is that the new tank needs to go in the spot where old tank is now as I have a purpose built stand that can hold the weight.

Get a couple of big buckets and drain the tank water into them. Put the fish and plants in the buckets with the old water. Put an airstone in the bucket and put a lid on it to stop the fish jumping out.

Move the gravel and ornaments out of the tank.
Move the old tank out and put the new tank in place.
Put gravel and ornaments back in tank.
Add the old water and fish.
Top up tank with new dechlorinated water.
Get filter and heater running.

Gravel clean substrate the day before so it's cleaner

 

[JCW_1]

My current tank is 60 litre which houses 6 purple tetra - i'm now looking at 112 litre which is 32 inches length.

What size would you recommend for tetra as minimum - and how many tetra is suited to 112 litre.

Thanks.