How Much Water Do I Need To Keep To Put Back In Tank

[wilchil64]

I'm moving my 180l Juwel Rio two metres across the lounge. I know I have to empty it to move it because otherwise the glass could break or leak. I'm in the process of moving the fish into my Fluval Roma 125 litre for the meantime. As soon as I've moved the tank I plan to put 3 rosy barbs, a L134 plec and an angelfish back in.

I'm going to put the baskets holding the filter foam and ceramics in a bucket of tank water whilst I move the tank.

My question is this: if I am putting the Juwel filter back in, which is more than capable of supporting those fish, as the tank has had more fish in until now (all of the fish listed in my sig. until yesterday when we took the danios and barbs out), how much of the original tank water do I need to keep to put back in the tank or can I just use dechlorinated tap water at the correct temperature? I currently only have two 10 litre buckets but will get hold of more at the weekend if necessary.

I don't have to put the fish straight back in, although I would prefer to if possible, because of keeping the bacteria in the filter alive.

Thanks for advice.

 

[smegforbrains]

I'd be putting about 1/3 of the original water in. That should suffice for such a low strain on the tank's ecology.

 

[wilchil64]

I'd be putting about 1/3 of the original water in. That should suffice for such a low strain on the tank's ecology.

Thanks, that sounds reasonable and I can manage 6 buckets of water stood around whilst I move everything.

 

[wilchil64]

I'd be putting about 1/3 of the original water in. That should suffice for such a low strain on the tank's ecology.

Will I be ok leaving the gravel in the tank after syphoning off the water? Has anyone done this successfully?

 

[andywg]

If your tap water is the same pH as the tank and you heat it up to a similar temp then you don't really need to keep any of the old water.

 

[Schmill]

I'd be putting about 1/3 of the original water in. That should suffice for such a low strain on the tank's ecology.

Will I be ok leaving the gravel in the tank after syphoning off the water? Has anyone done this successfully?

For the sake of spending half an hour (or whatever!) getting the gravel out of the tank, and then putting it back it, I'd prefer to do that than risk iether the base panel in my tank, or else the actual silicon seams, (which may not become apparently until you have filled the tank up again and think you have everything done!)

 

[Socks]

I've moved alot of tanks,I always keep the gravel or sand in the tank when moveing it.Remember to take out big rocks or other decor so it does slid or shift and break a window.

 

[Tolak]

Here's a picture of the top frame of a 72 gallon bow front tank that was moved with substrate, a little water, and fish;

This is a well built expensive tank, that cross brace is an important structural component.

All you have to ask yourself is if it is easier to remove & replace the substrate, or clean up 180 liters of aquatics that decided it didn't want to be in the tank any longer.

 

[rdd1952]

I would take the substrate out for 2 reasons. The first has already been mentioned. If you aren't extremely careful, you can crack the glass, most likely underneath the gravel and you may not even know it. The second is that regardless of how well you have done gravel vacs, there will still be a lot of trash in it. Take it out and rinse it well before putting it back so you get as much trash as possible out. Unless you have an undergravel filter, you don't have to worry about beneficial bacteria.

 

[wilchil64]

I would take the substrate out for 2 reasons. The first has already been mentioned. If you aren't extremely careful, you can crack the glass, most likely underneath the gravel and you may not even know it. The second is that regardless of how well you have done gravel vacs, there will still be a lot of trash in it. Take it out and rinse it well before putting it back so you get as much trash as possible out. Unless you have an undergravel filter, you don't have to worry about beneficial bacteria.

Thanks for your replies. My worry with removing the gravel is that I'll stir up all the dirt in it and I don't want to go through rinsing it all again, but I will have to put at the very least my plec back in straight away and preferably my 3 barbs and maybe the angel fish? Will that be possible if the water is cloudy and there is muck from the gravel floating and swirling around?

I'm really wishing we'd never started moving things around but now have to move the tank as it's temporary position is too close to the window! I'm dreading catching the remaining fish on Saturday, especially as we never see the plec, as he hides in the bogwood, but I have to remove the bogwood when I empty the tank. I just hope he comes out when I move it so that I can catch him, as I wake up in a sweat every night at the moment, dreaming that he fell onto the carpet when I lift the bogwood out!

 

[rdd1952]

You should remove all the fish and water into buckets first. Then you can simply dip the substrate out and rinse it to remove any trash in it.

 

[wilchil64]

You should remove all the fish and water into buckets first. Then you can simply dip the substrate out and rinse it to remove any trash in it.

Well, we did it! We emptied the tank of everything, moved it and filled it again.

It was a littel cloudy last night, but is almost clear today. We put just over a third of the water back in and put the Leopard frog plec straight back in, hope he survives the ordeal! I'll give the tank a few days to settle before putting the rosy barbs and angel fish back in.

Mind you, I was worried late last night, as all the cardinals had lost their red colouring, they were almost transparent! They've never done that before. However, I came and had a quick read thru some posts here, then turned the light off and went to bed and left them. When I came down this morning, they were as bright as usual, thank goodness!

Thanks for the advice.