Fish on the move

[Clareg]

Hi,

Two weeks ago I bought a lovely new tank twice the size of my current one. It's all
set up and all the water tests I've done have come back ok. I'm now ready to start thinking about moving my current fish out of their old home into the new one.

Has anyone got any tips and advice about the best way to move and acclimatise the fish with the least possible amount of stress?

I don't have many fish, here's a list:
1 pearl guorami
5 platy
2 pakistani loaches

Not sure if the different fish need handling differently? It's the guorami I'm most concerned about as he's always been jumpy. Also, one of the platy has been looking unwell for the past week (droopy fins, very thin, keeping himself hidden).

Would appreciate any help,

Clareg

PS The new tank is 84L, a pH of 7.4, all nitrate/ammonia tests clear, has live plants and two pieces of wood in there (shop bought).

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Clareg

Congratulations on getting your new tank!

Since you are a relatively new member, and I can't tell by looking at your older posts, please don't be offended if I ask you if you entirely understand the process of cycling a tank.

Did you do anything more than just fill the tank with water, etc.? I ask this because the water tests for both ammonia and nitrate should not read zero if you have done a fishless cycle and it is ready for fish, and you don't mention nitrites at all.

Let me explain briefly how it works, just in case (like many others who have just joined the forum) you don't understand how the bacteria work to remove the fish wastes from the water.

First, when the fish eat and pass their wastes in the tank, bacteria appear that convert their ammonia into nitrites. Then others develop which convert the nitrites into nitrates. Since ammonia and nitrites are harmful to fish and nitrates are harmless unless there are very high levels of them, the water readings for a cycled tank should be 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, but should show some nitrates - up to 40 parts per million (ppm).

If you have done nothing to cultivate these "beneficial bacteria," in your new tank, you could move the ones from your old tank into it by running the old filter alongside the new one for a few weeks, or since lots of them live right in the filter media, you could take it out of the old one and put it in the new filter. Then just let your fish live there for a couple of weeks until the bacteria reproduce themselves sufficiently.

After that, you could gradually add more fish and the bacteria will increase as the demand for them increases.

I would leave the sick fish in the old tank until it is healed or dies to avoid starting out with illness in the new tank.

 

[Clareg]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum but have had my tank for a good few years and everything has been running fine, but I appreciate the advice. Even though I have a different filter, I managed to fit part of the old filter medium into the new to help cycle the tank. My local lfs is also very good (I'm lucky that there are quite a few nearby who have experienced people on staff!).

I have managed to move the loaches no problem, they are so inquisitive and are beginning to find their way around their new home. The platy's are beginning to catch on however, and the guorami, well for a big fish in a small tank, he sure is hard to find!!!

I'll let them have a rest for the time being so they don't get stressed out,

thanks once again

Clareg