Moving fish into suitable sized tank asap!

[Oli]

Hi guys,
I have 5 Cherry Barbs in a 30 litre Biorb with lots of decor. As I was informed this tank was too small I have purchased a bigger tank which has been set up today.

My question is what is the best way to get this new tank ready for these little guys ASAP. The old Biorb has 0 nitrite and 0 ammonia. It is well established so has a Biorb filter, Biorb ceramic media which I believe is part of the filtration system and will hold lots of good bacteria, as well as the full decor set.

I was planning on adding the old filter media to the new filter, as well as all the old rocks, substrate and decor, but then my Cherry barbs will be left in an empty 30 litre. How soon could I move them across? Is it better to do this gradually? Should I still ad beneficial bacteria to start with?

any help so I can get these guys into their new tank ASAP would be appreciated

 

[Naughts]

Move it all across together simultaneously - fish, filter sponge and ceramic media.
If the ceramic media won't fit in the filter it can be put in the tank, preferably in the flow of the filter.
You don't necessarily need beneficial bacteria (although if you already have it there's no harm in adding it), just test conditions daily for a week or so.

 

[Oli]

So I should move all the media, filter media, decor AND the fish right now together and the fish will be okay, the tank will be suitable right away???

 

[Naughts]

So I should move all the media, filter media, decor AND the fish right now together and the fish will be okay, the tank will be suitable right away???

Yes, with the decor, sponge and the media you are transferring a good portion of the beneficial bacteria so it should be an instant cycle. As you are not adding extra (new) fish, the bioload will be the same. The nitrite may show a little for a day or so but a decent water change should be all you need to keep it in check (hence daily tests initially). As the BB are established they will multiply quickly and catch up with the new tank.
If you didn't transfer your fish until later the bacteria wouldn't have ammonia to feed off and would start to die off so it all needs to be done together.

 

[Oli]

Okay all done! Hopefully they’re okay in the morning, I’ll keep an eye on the water levels they look much happier in a big space schooling properly. They seem to be intentionally swimming up against the filter repeater which then blows them back, almost as if for fun? Is this normal behaviour? As I type this I also notice they are swimming up and down the glass which I believe means they are stressed. I’ll turn the lights off and hope for the best

 

[Oli]

Picture

 

[Naughts]

Quick work
They'll settle down. The dark will help
Don't feed them until tomorrow so they are calmer when they need to digest food.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

All that has been said so far is good advice.
To help you get your head around it, by moving most of the old tank's contents into the new, all you've done is to change the size of the tank. It's still their old 'cycled' tank, only bigger.

Many fish are hard-wired to swim into new currents, as this is often a source of new food, back in the wild. (It's also a reason why many seem atracted to bubbles from airstones and so forth).

 

[Oli]

Sure but a good amount of the water is new, I probably moved 15 litres of the old water into this tank so the majority is new water. Hopefully they’re okay, they are still going nuts swimming up and down the glass and all over the place

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Sure but a good amount of the water is new, I probably moved 15 litres of the old water into this tank so the majority is new water. Hopefully they’re okay, they are still going nuts swimming up and down the glass and all over the place

The important point is that by transferring your filter sponges and hard landscaping, you transferred the colonies of beneficial bacteria. Any large water change, assuming you're still using water conditioner, shouldn't affect those bacteria. So, in theory, when your stressed and excited (?) little fishes poop and wee, the bacteria's there to gobble it up.
As you've no real plants in there, leaving the lights off for a while should help the fish settle.

 

[Oli]

Wonderful, thanks for the reassurance and quick responses guys! Hopefully everything works out and I can get some advice on some tank mates

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

It's good to remember that your beneficial bacteria lives on surfaces, and not in the water that's why we have a filter housing media with large surface area for them to grow on

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Wonderful, thanks for the reassurance and quick responses guys! Hopefully everything works out and I can get some advice on some tank mates

And slow down.

 

[Oli]

Thanks for the advice! Haha not for anytime soon, think they deserve to enjoy the new space for a while by themselves. For now I’ll be converting the empty 30 litre to a Betta tank