Filter And Fish Transfer

[BobbyBray]

Ok so here we go. I've had a 29 gallon tank for over 2 months now. The first month I was pretty ignorant and had no idea what I was doing, but after finding this site I decided to begin fishless cycling my tank. Everything was hunky-dory for awhile, and moving along. Ammonia was getting broken down and I was waiting for the nitrite eating bacteria to grow up, but here's where it gets tricky. Around this time I purchased a used 29 gallon for my girlfriend. When I purchased the used tank it was fully functional with fish in it, and a mature filter. To help keep the bacteria in the filter alive I put it in my cycling tank so they could munch on some ammonia and nitrite. Well that all worked out great, the 'used' filter stayed alive and is now setup with fishies happily swimming around.

On the downside, ever since temporarily putting the second filter in my cycling tank, my own filter has stopped breaking down the ammonia in the tank. The second filter was only in my tank for about 18 hours, and its now been 3 days since taking it out with no change in the level of ammonia what-so-ever.

So here's my thoughts. I've got a 10 gallon thats temporarily housing some fish that will be moved to one of the two 29 gallon tanks I mentioned before. Shouldn't I be able to move all those fish, and the filter that the ten gallon is using into the 29 (after draining and replacing the water of course). It seems logical that since the 10 gallons filter is able to handle its current 'bio-load' in a 10 gallon setting it should be able to do so in a 29 gallon setting as well. I'll then slowly introduce more fish and keep a close eye on the toxin levels as the filter's bacteria grow and multiply.

What do you guys think? Hopefully this all makes sense to you guys.

Thanks!

 

[fatheadminnow]

Ok so here we go. I've had a 29 gallon tank for over 2 months now. The first month I was pretty ignorant and had no idea what I was doing, but after finding this site I decided to begin fishless cycling my tank. Everything was hunky-dory for awhile, and moving along. Ammonia was getting broken down and I was waiting for the nitrite eating bacteria to grow up, but here's where it gets tricky. Around this time I purchased a used 29 gallon for my girlfriend. When I purchased the used tank it was fully functional with fish in it, and a mature filter. To help keep the bacteria in the filter alive I put it in my cycling tank so they could munch on some ammonia and nitrite. Well that all worked out great, the 'used' filter stayed alive and is now setup with fishies happily swimming around.

On the downside, ever since temporarily putting the second filter in my cycling tank, my own filter has stopped breaking down the ammonia in the tank. The second filter was only in my tank for about 18 hours, and its now been 3 days since taking it out with no change in the level of ammonia what-so-ever.

So here's my thoughts. I've got a 10 gallon thats temporarily housing some fish that will be moved to one of the two 29 gallon tanks I mentioned before. Shouldn't I be able to move all those fish, and the filter that the ten gallon is using into the 29 (after draining and replacing the water of course). It seems logical that since the 10 gallons filter is able to handle its current 'bio-load' in a 10 gallon setting it should be able to do so in a 29 gallon setting as well. I'll then slowly introduce more fish and keep a close eye on the toxin levels as the filter's bacteria grow and multiply.

What do you guys think? Hopefully this all makes sense to you guys.

Thanks!

That will be just fine, that is if the filter you are going to transfer over to the 29 is big enough to run on a 29 gallon tank though.

One thing is though, the ammoina that fish were producing in the 10 gallon tank would be more concentrated then when it is in the 29 gallon. There is more water in the 29 gallon (obviously) and the ammonia that the fish are producing will be more diluted than before.

This should not effect anything, but just thought it would be worth mentioning.

-FHM

 

[BobbyBray]

One thing is though, the ammoina that fish were producing in the 10 gallon tank would be more concentrated then when it is in the 29 gallon. There is more water in the 29 gallon (obviously) and the ammonia that the fish are producing will be more diluted than before.

That makes sense, I don't suppose that would actually make it any easier to add new fish into the tank

 

[fatheadminnow]

One thing is though, the ammoina that fish were producing in the 10 gallon tank would be more concentrated then when it is in the 29 gallon. There is more water in the 29 gallon (obviously) and the ammonia that the fish are producing will be more diluted than before.

That makes sense, I don't suppose that would actually make it any easier to add new fish into the tank

You could probably add a couple more fish, just because you do have a fully cycled filter.

But personally I would wait like a day, check the water parameters, and then see where you are. Just to make sure you dont have an ammonia or nitrite spike.

That is what I did last weekend.

I transferred a fully cycled filter from a 10 gallon to a 29 gallon, and then the next day I added more fish.

EDIT: What could of happened when you added the mature filter to the tank with the cycling filter was.
The mature filter had enough bacteria in it to process all the ammoina in the tank, not allowing the bacteria in the other filter to process any ammonia. And since Autotrophic Bacteria do not live in the water, they will not transfer form filter to filter that easily. So basically "starving" the bacteria, and killing them off.

-FHM

 

[BobbyBray]

That was my assumption, that the mature filter completely depleted the food source and thus mine died off. I didn't make it clear, but I didn't put the two filters in the same box, they were both completely separate, and not physically touching at all.

I guess I'll try moving the fish into the 29 gallon tonight or later this week when I've got some time.

Thanks!

 

[fatheadminnow]

That was my assumption, that the mature filter completely depleted the food source and thus mine died off. I didn't make it clear, but I didn't put the two filters in the same box, they were both completely separate, and not physically touching at all.

I guess I'll try moving the fish into the 29 gallon tonight or later this week when I've got some time.

Thanks!

Sounds good!

-FHM