Moving Fish To A Bigger Tank...

[nataliemc]

Well, I have just bought a 155/165 litre tank and I pick it up on Saturday... I would really appreciate some further advice. It's an Aqua One AR850.

So if i set it up on Saturday, as soon as I collect it, and use the filter media from my old tank - can i put the fish straight in? Or do I have to let the tank settle for a week, then replace some of the media and then put my fish in?

What about if i only replace half of the the new filter media with the media from my old tank - would that still be alright?

I would also like some advice on lighting... my old tank (being so small at only 50 litres) only had one light which I put on 8-12 hours a day - however on my new tank i have got 3 tubes!! 2 normal and one that looks like an ultra-violet one. It may sound like a stupid question to you but do i put all 3 lighting tubes on for the 8-12 hours a day??

And my final question is about an air pump/oxygen. I currently don't have one at all and not really quite sure how they work. With having a new tank, and getting a few more fish is it beneficial to get one or are they only optional for decoration?

Many thanks for all you help on this.

Nat

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

the air supplied from the airpump is decoritive i think though it will add a slight ammount of oxygen and i think yu should be able to put the fish straight in and as for the lights i dont think you put themon altogether but i really dont no how they work

 

[andywg]

Air stones really are for decoration only. I recently put a couple on my big tank (because the bala sharks still enjoy playing in the bubbles, even at 8" - personally I don't really like the things) and they contrbute next to nothing with surface movement and agitation.

The actual bubbles themselves are not in the water long enought to allow any real gas exchange to take place. If you are worried about oxygen point a filter outlet/power head at the surface to create more agitation. Spray bars help too.

As to moving the fish, if you move all the media you can put all the fish in. If you only port across half the media, I wouldn't want to put too much more than half the fish in.

I myself would put all the lights on at once. Maybe have the bluer one (which probbly isn't quite so bright) on a alittle longer before and after the others so that it gives more of a dawn and dusk effect.

HTH

Andy

 

[nataliemc]

Many thanks for your advice, I'm really grateful... I only have 2 fish at the moment , 2 black mollies.

Is my new tank big enough to house clown loaches?

Also, could you recommend the maximum number of fish I could have in a tank that is 155/165 litres (i think thats about 40 US gallon).

Thanks again.

Natalie

 

[Ginge]

If you just use the old spounges and put the fish in you wont have cyled the tank read this:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861

 

[iain.betson]

Many thanks for your advice, I'm really grateful... I only have 2 fish at the moment , 2 black mollies.

Is my new tank big enough to house clown loaches?

Also, could you recommend the maximum number of fish I could have in a tank that is 155/165 litres (i think thats about 40 US gallon).

Thanks again.

Natalie

hi, I just upgraded to a bigger tank last weekend. mine is much the same sittuaition as yours. from a 60L to 180L with mature filter media plus one of the filters from my existing tank and plants wood water (from a water change in the 60L) etc. i have had mine running for a week and have been keeping an eye on the water chemistry and everything has been fine and i have just added four fish an hour ago!
good luck with yours
as for the clown loaches bare in mind they can grow to 12" and should be kept in groups of at least four.
polka dot loaches are pretty simliar except for the markings and they only grow to 5".

 

[civicr]

ive just upgraded from a aqua1 620 to also a aqua1 850 the tank is ace!!i had to do a tank swap aswell also move the tank of the unit to fit the new 1 on now that was stressful.but job done for the moment i hav 1 tank on the floor other on the unit running both tanks,my 850 has smum fish to cycle the tank also using media out the mature tank both tanks are ace using the media helped my tank on alot.by sunday i should be able to add the rest of te fish into the 850.the lighting in the 850 is great u hav 3switches for the lights an u can mix them in the on off posistion to giv diffrent contrasts in light!!!illhav pics up of my change after sunday i think

 

[Dwarfs]

When I set up new tanks I cycle them with the substrate from another aquarium and a filter that has been on a mature tank for months. This usually gets the tank ready for fish in about a week (to be safe). Air stones actually do increase the amount of oxygen in the water by agitating the surface water and thus increasing the amount of oxygen that is exchanged for carbon dioxide at the surface

 

[andywg]

If you just use the old spounges and put the fish in you wont have cyled the tank read this:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861

Actually, using the already cycled media from a previous tank instantly cycles the tank. It is referred to as "cloning". Once a tank is cloned you need fish (or a source of ammonia) in the tank to keep the culture of bacteria alive or you will have to recycle the tank.

Dwarfs: I don't doubt the bubbles do create some surface agitation, but having recently added some (a couple of 12" air stones) to a tank, I can notice almost no extra surface agitation over that provided by the return pump from the filter. I would far rather use pumps to create agitation as it has a greater impact.

 

[Dwarfs]

It really depends on the pump. My powerheads have recently crapped out, and my fish were begin to act strangely from what I soon realized was a lack of oxygen in the tank. I added an air stone and within an hour they began to act normally again. I do have a powerful pump though, that might be what caused the quick change

 

[nataliemc]

Thanks again for all your words of advice!