New Tank....

[Tory]

I posted another thread to this effect, now am right royally confused...Am soon to be setting up my new tank once my cabinet has been built. When doing water changes on my current tank, I am putting it in the new one, and also transferring mature filter media from current tank to the new one.

Once the new tank was full, I was going to do a couple of normal water changes then get the water tested before slowly adding the fish

But have now read other peoples post saying that if they transfer the filter media (no mention of water) that this is sufficient to transfer the fish over and no need to run a cycle

Also of late I have been reading about adding ammonia during the cycle of a tank...would I still need to do this if using said filter media and used water?

Please help the confused one!

 

[Piltdownpaul]

If you transfer the media to the new tank, -you must either add some fish or ammonia to keep the bacteria happy. If you dont add anything the cycle will stop .

 

[minxfishy]

Assuming the new tank is larger than the old one, you can transfer half the water in the current tank over, then put the current filter in (alongside the new filter), then net the fish and add them, then put the rest of the current tank water in, then top up with fresh dechlorinated water.

Then in about 4 weeks or so, you can remove the old filter and just the leave the new one in as it will be cycled enough, then slowly add fish as you would normally.

Basically your current filter has enough bacteria to cope with the bio load your fish are producing, so adding them and the filter to the new tank will be fine to keep the filter cycled, adding a new filter (which again assuming is larger) and leaving it a few weeks running will allow it to build up enough bacteria in it to again cope with your current fish load, then adding slowly more fish will give the filter time to catch up with the extra load, just like it would if you were adding fish to your current tank.

Im hoping that all made sense

 

[Tory]

Assuming the new tank is larger than the old one, you can transfer half the water in the current tank over, then put the current filter in (alongside the new filter), then net the fish and add them, then put the rest of the current tank water in, then top up with fresh dechlorinated water.

Then in about 4 weeks or so, you can remove the old filter and just the leave the new one in as it will be cycled enough, then slowly add fish as you would normally.

Basically your current filter has enough bacteria to cope with the bio load your fish are producing, so adding them and the filter to the new tank will be fine to keep the filter cycled, adding a new filter (which again assuming is larger) and leaving it a few weeks running will allow it to build up enough bacteria in it to again cope with your current fish load, then adding slowly more fish will give the filter time to catch up with the extra load, just like it would if you were adding fish to your current tank.

Im hoping that all made sense

it did!! thank you!!

It is, new tank is a 3.5 ft I think current tank is only 2ft - although am keeping the semi agressive fish in one so wont be able to add all the water

 

[MHunt]

I did the same when upgrading from my 60l to my 200l. I put my Fluval 4 in the tank while running the Fluval 205 external at the same time. After about a month, I removed the fluval 4 and put it's media in the external to make sure the bacteria carried through. Then at the next water change I removed the media to use back in the fluval 4. It makes complete sense if you have a mature filter to clone it rather than start a fishless cycle again.