New Aquarium Set-up

[Preston019]

I just set up a 55 gallon aquarium with a sand substrate and I used my Fluval 406 for the filter. Well, my 406 was running on my 29 gallon aquarium that has been established for over a year now. My question is, do I have to cycle this new 55 gallon aquarium since I used my 406 and it already had all of the beneficial bacteria in it? I'm only asking this because I've read that a sand substrate does not hold bacteria like a gravel substrate does, is this true?

 

[phoenixgsd]

subtrate holds very little benificial bacteria, its the filter that holds all the bacteria

 

[phoenixgsd]

if your just using the same established filter in a bigger tank, assuming the filter has not been 'washed' in tap water or dryed out during the swap over then you might have a mini cycle, just keep testing the water and act accordingly untill its settled

 

[Preston019]

subtrate holds very little benificial bacteria, its the filter that holds all the bacteria

Right. So, is it safe to just put all of my fish from 29 gallon tank (about 22 fish) into my new 55 gallon since the beneficial bacteria has already been established in the current filter I'm using for it?

if your just using the same established filter in a bigger tank, assuming the filter has not been 'washed' in tap water or dryed out during the swap over then you might have a mini cycle, just keep testing the water and act accordingly untill its settled

I made sure I didn't wash it just so I wouldn't have to go through a full cycle.

 

[Aquascaper]

The filtration capacity is with the filter not the tank....wherever the filter goes the fish can go to