How To Transfer Filter And Shrimp From 5G To A 10G?

[Gvilleguy]

Back in January I started a cherry shrimp colony in a small 5 US Gallon bow front acrylic (cycled in the Fall and kept cycled with some Neons from my main tank). I have managed to keep a group of about 18 shrimp alive in there. My first attempt was to mail order 30 shrimp when there was still snow on the ground. Not a very good choice of timing - the shrimp arrived VERY cold, and after three days I only had about four left. Then a month later I found a local source and purchased fifteen more. They all seem to have made the transition into my tank without trouble. And now I'm seeing signs of breeding, so this is good.

I then got a great deal on a 10 gallon glass tank with hood and lights from the same person that provided the shrimp. So I would like to transfer the existing cycled filter (an Aquaclear 20) and all shrimp to the used 10 gallon tank.

What are the best steps to follow for this procedure to ensure the sensitive shrimp don't have trouble? The filter is cycled for a 5 gallon tank - will it have trouble keeping up with a 10 gallon once it is moved? The bio-load of shrimp is staying the same - they will simply be in a larger tank.

I have been running the 10 gallon for a week now with dechlorinated water, black gravel, a good heater, and a crappy HOB filter. I have not attempted to cycle the tank - I just wanted the water to settle in to the right pH and temperature to try and match the 5 gallon conditions.

Assuming the temp, pH, and hardness match up to the 5 gallon, should I just move the filter and scoop over the shrimp? I feel like I am failing to think of something important here...

 

[BigbruiserAl]

I moved 10 shrimp from my 70L into a shrimp only tank 50l. I Left the shrimp tank to settle the same as you for a week, once the PH and temp was the same as the 70l i scooped them in anet an put the in......4 weeks later 1 death (No idea why) but 6 berried shrimp

 

[Gvilleguy]

Thanks, BBA - that's at least +1 to my method!

 

[soph_betta]

I would move a large amount of the water from the existing tank to the new one mix with the new water to fill so its more like a water change and you take some tiny microbes (algae ect) with it to help the shrimp feed naturally too. But thats just me...

 

[Gvilleguy]

Soph - I like that suggestion, too. I will use part of the bigger aquarium capacity to transfer a big chunk of the existing water. Thanks for the idea! It will probably be a few days until I try this. The used gravel that I got with the tank has a lot of dirt and grime mucking up the tank (in spite of me rinsing it before adding it back to the tank), so I will probably clean it out and start over with fresh gravel.

 

[ZoddyZod]

Doubling the size of the water volume whilst keeping exactly the same bioload will have no detrimental affect on your filters ability to cope with the ammonia/nitrite. All it will do is further dilute any waste before it enters the filter.

+1 for taking the old water and using it to fill the 10g. I would do that, then add the shrimp (no need to acclimatize that way) and then top up with additional water.

 

[Gvilleguy]

Thanks, Zoddy. Today I totally cleaned the tank out and discarded the used gravel. It had an unpleasant smell to it that I could not seem to wash away! I bought new gravel and got everything running again. Should be able to try moving the shrimp by this weekend!