Need A Question Answered

[Durbkat]

Once I get my 55g stand fixed I plan on putting my tetras and common pleco from my long 20g in it along with other fish and the tetras and pleco are going to be the first fish to be in there and was wondering when I clone the tank if running the filter from the long 20g with the filter for the new tank together will help the tank get started so I can skip the cycling process. The filter in the 20g is a whisper filter and the one in the 55g is a penquin filter so I can't very well use the media from the 20g to put in this new filter and thats why I wanted to know if running them together would make the tank be ready for fish in a matter of minutes.

 

[fishing4exotics]

Hi Durbkat, that would be a great way to instant cycler your 55. I would also add the water and gravel from your old 20g. Then stock your 55 slowly while keeping an eye on your ammonia and nitrite levels.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Durbkat

I agree with everything fishing4exotics just said, but would like to add that you might want to leave the two filters running together for at least 2-3 weeks to give the bacteria a chance to get a good start in the new filter. When you take the small one off, wait a week or so more to be on the safe side before adding any more new fish.

This is a case where it's better to be cautious than to try to hurry and risk throwing the whole thing into a cycle. That would defeat the whole purpose of what you are doing.

 

[Ethos]

I wouldn't bother adding the same water, it doesn't do anything.
And if your old gravel and new gravel match, you might as well use that bacteria over again, unless your planning on using the 20G still.

 

[Durbkat]

Hi Durbkat

I agree with everything fishing4exotics just said, but would like to add that you might want to leave the two filters running together for at least 2-3 weeks to give the bacteria a chance to get a good start in the new filter. When you take the small one off, wait a week or so more to be on the safe side before adding any more new fish.

This is a case where it's better to be cautious than to try to hurry and risk throwing the whole thing into a cycle. That would defeat the whole purpose of what you are doing.

Thanks alot Inchworm. So I could add all the fish from the long 20g at once then add other fish a few weeks later?

I wouldn't bother adding the same water, it doesn't do anything.
And if your old gravel and new gravel match, you might as well use that bacteria over again, unless your planning on using the 20G still.

Yeah they are the same and I was still planning on using the 20g again, but I could take maybe about half of the gravel from the 20g and put it in the 55g then put some of the new gravel in there. Then once I get the tank up and going with fish and I put the filter back in the 20g I'm going to get some congo tetras and maybe a bristle nose pleco for the long 20g.

 

[Ethos]

Sounds like a plan.
Do you know much about the Bristle?

 

[Katchan]

I wouldn't bother adding the same water, it doesn't do anything.

Not quite, There is one thing adding water from your old tank does and thats make the change over a bit less stressfull, gives them water they know (well a bit anyways), kinda like you dont normally do 100% water changes if you can help due to stress on fish

Andrew

 

[Ben]

I agree with Katchan, it is best to use the same water, so no PH shocks etc, but that doesn't mean you cant use some new water aswell.

DD

 

[Jules H-T]

Durbkat, have a look at this thread, see if it helps. I did precisely what you're going to do, a while ago.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=101203&hl=

 

[rdd1952]

I wouldn't bother adding the same water, it doesn't do anything.

Not quite, There is one thing adding water from your old tank does and thats make the change over a bit less stressfull, gives them water they know (well a bit anyways), kinda like you dont normally do 100% water changes if you can help due to stress on fish

Andrew

I agree. While the water doesn't contain any beneficial bacteria and is of no use in the cycling process, it will put the fish back in their same water and make acclaimation easier, especially if the tank pH is significantly different from your tap pH. Basically, it would be about the same as a 60% water change. If you add the new water (which will be about 35 gallons) over the course of a couple hours, like a bucket every 20 minutes, the fish would be les stressed.

 

[Inchworm]

As a side benefit, I've found that if I fill a newly set up tank 1/4 to 1/3 of the way with old tank water, it reduces the number of tiny bubbles that form on the surfaces of the tank.

 

[Durbkat]

Sounds like a plan.
Do you know much about the Bristle?

Not really. Are they any different than a common pleco e.g. feeding wise or whatever?

 

[Katchan]

BN's, in general care are similar to plecos except they can be a bit more touchy (more so when young, so if its less than 6-7cm keep a good eye on water params, mostly cleanliness etc) they eat the same veggies etc but can be a bit more picky when it comes to dry foods, as a side note they are easily coloured via natural food dyes/proteins/whatever eg a diet heavy in pumpkin makes their spots VERY orange, that type of thing

There are a few different types out most being a varient brown, normally with spots. Sexing in mature fish is easy as males develop "bristles" around the snout/head area females either dont or very small (depending on exact type). Albino, longfin and longfin albino varients are also becoming more common. HTH

Andrew

 

[andywg]

I agree. While the water doesn't contain any beneficial bacteria and is of no use in the cycling process, it will put the fish back in their same water and make acclaimation easier, especially if the tank pH is significantly different from your tap pH. Basically, it would be about the same as a 60% water change. If you add the new water (which will be about 35 gallons) over the course of a couple hours, like a bucket every 20 minutes, the fish would be les stressed.

If your tank water is significantly different to your tap water then you are either buffering it with something (and thus you can just buffer the new water) or you are not doing enough water changes. Using old water is a throw back from the days when aquarists thought that "aged water" was the best thing in the world for the fish.

Unless you have hyper sensitive fish (like the Zebra Shovel Nose or sting rays) then there is no point in moving the water. I have cloned about 5 tanks and never bothered using the water and have had no casualties. Just make sure the pH is the same and that GH and KH are in the same region and you'll be fine.

Remember these are tropical freshwater fish, not marine. Their natural habit is subject to changes due to rainfall and seasonal variations in landscape.

I myself would add all the water to the tank before throwing the fish in so they do not have the stress of the move followed immediately by the stress of the added water.

 

[rdd1952]

If your tank water is significantly different to your tap water then you are either buffering it with something (and thus you can just buffer the new water) or you are not doing enough water changes.

The KH from my tap water is 0 and the pH is about 7.2. My tanks with the bogwood stay around 6.4 to 6.6. I don't add anything to buffer it as the fish I keep are fine with a pH in the mid 6 range. I do a 15% water change every week which may raise the pH back up a point or so for the short term but not much. It is definitely possible (more likely probable if their water is from a municipal water supply where they try to keep the water soft) that someone's tank pH is .5 or more lower than their tap pH unless their using buffers to keep it up (I used small amounts of crushed coral in the filter pack at one time) or some type argonite sand to raise the pH (for cichlids for instance).

It's true that you can go ahead and add the water and move the fish just as when you bought them but it will take more acclimation time to allow for the large pH change especially if you have the water situation that I do.