Re scaping tank question

[Nemo2182]

Morning (or afternoon/evening) folks

So i know this is mental after only 3 months of owning the tank, but im thinking of rescaping already...

So currently I have fine gravel bottom with a layer of tropica substrate underneath to feed plants. I have several knife rocks and two medium pieces of bog wood. I curently habe two java ferns, 4 moss balls, some flame moss and 4 VALLISNERIA SPIRALIS
I keep 5 guppies, 8 corydora habrosus, 10 shrimp + a zebra snail.

I want to change to a sand bottom tank, just because i think its pros outway the cons when compared to gravel. I keep corydora habrosus, and even though the gravel is fine, i worry for there barbs and underbelly's. It will be easier to keep clean and hold the rocks better (fine gravel moves very easily)

I brought a 17 litre "hospital tank" so my question is can I chuck all my current occupancy in that and if so how long will they be ok? Also with reference to cycling, will the fact that im using all orginal rocks, plants, filter media etc be enough for the biomedia or will I have nasty spikes I dont want? I was thinking to take the clean top water from current tank and put that back in with 50% new water?

Any advise or shall i just leave it lol

I included a pic of current setup

Cheers in advance

Nathan

 

[PhantomCarp]

Morning (or afternoon/evening) folks

So i know this is mental after only 3 months of owning the tank, but im thinking of rescaping already...

So currently I have fine gravel bottom with a layer of tropica substrate underneath to feed plants. I have several knife rocks and two medium pieces of bog wood. I curently habe two java ferns, 4 moss balls, some flame moss and 4 VALLISNERIA SPIRALIS
I keep 5 guppies, 8 corydora habrosus, 10 shrimp + a zebra snail.

I want to change to a sand bottom tank, just because i think its pros outway the cons when compared to gravel. I keep corydora habrosus, and even though the gravel is fine, i worry for there barbs and underbelly's. It will be easier to keep clean and hold the rocks better (fine gravel moves very easily)

I brought a 17 litre "hospital tank" so my question is can I chuck all my current occupancy in that and if so how long will they be ok? Also with reference to cycling, will the fact that im using all orginal rocks, plants, filter media etc be enough for the biomedia or will I have nasty spikes I dont want? I was thinking to take the clean top water from current tank and put that back in with 50% new water?

Any advise or shall i just leave it lol

I included a pic of current setup

Cheers in advance

Nathan

I think your keeping to many fish. The cories need atleast a 37 liter tank. The shrimp and snail would be fine with 3 MALE guppies if you want to keep them. Please move the cories to a different tank that they can live in or return them because that tank is way to small for 8 of them.( If this is a hospital tank and the fish are healing what is wrong with the fish.)

 

[Salty&Onion]

I think your keeping to many fish. The cories need atleast a 37 liter tank. The shrimp and snail would be fine with 3 MALE guppies if you want to keep them. Please move the cories to a different tank that they can live in or return them because that tank is way to small for 8 of them.( If this is a hospital tank and the fish are healing what is wrong with the fish.)

Corydoras need a 20 gallon tank and a school of 6 or more. They also need a sand dsubstrate so their barbels won't get hurt.

 

[Nemo2182]

I think your keeping to many fish. The cories need atleast a 37 liter tank. The shrimp and snail would be fine with 3 MALE guppies if you want to keep them. Please move the cories to a different tank that they can live in or return them because that tank is way to small for 8 of them.( If this is a hospital tank and the fish are healing what is wrong with the fish.)

Sorry, i wasnt very clear there. The pic is my 46litre Fluval Edge, and im at max for stocking, but then again im not asking about stocking. Im asking can i chuck all the fish in the 17 litre spare tank while i rescape my Fluval

 

[PhantomCarp]

Sorry, i wasnt very clear there. The pic is my 46litre Fluval Edge, and im at max for stocking, but then again im not asking about stocking. Im asking can i chuck all the fish in the 17 litre spare tank while i rescape my Fluval

You probably could if it is not to long and you make sure the spare tank is cycled(if not put some biomedical from the first tank in the spare) and make sure it’s heated. Also even a 47 liter isn’t good for that many fish. If you want cories you can do 8 Pygmy cories and return the ones you have now.

 

[Nemo2182]

Corydoras need a 20 gallon tank and a school of 6 or more. They also need a sand dsubstrate so their barbels won't get hurt.

They are the pygmy species, so while the recommended width of tank was slightly shorter than they need, the overall volume is ok. I asked this to death to get to the number 8. My biggest girl is an 1 inch at biggest and i have more males at around 0.75

 

[Nemo2182]

You probably could if it is not to long and you make sure the spare tank is cycled(if not put some biomedical from the first tank in the spare) and make sure it’s heated. Also even a 47 liter isn’t good for that many fish. If you want cories you can do 8 Pygmy cories and return the ones you have now.

They are pygmy species

 

[PhantomCarp]

Sorry your good thought salt and pepers cories were bigger.

 

[Nemo2182]

Ultimately how does anyone know how happy they are? Ive modified my tank to suit them, lots of hidy holes and gravel areas. Ive started mixing RO with my tap water to bring to there natural ppm levels. Im using micro gravel so been keeping a close eye on there barbs. The most recent three i got from LFS had two missing there barbs but looks like they are starting to grow again, so surely thats a good sign. They "seem" happy enough, eating, pooping and generally displaying behaviour from videos and websites dedicated to corydoras.

 

[Salty&Onion]

They are the pygmy species, so while the recommended width of tank was slightly shorter than they need, the overall volume is ok. I asked this to death to get to the number 8. My biggest girl is an 1 inch at biggest and i have more males at around 0.75

Ok, makes more sense now

 

[seangee]

To answer the question
If you are able to move the filter into the hospital tank at the same time as the fish you have considerably more leeway.
If not you should aim to complete the basics in as short a time as possible, ideally an hour or less so plan carefully and try to make sure you have everything ready in advance. Also try to ensure that the filter media does not dry out.

Either way you should monitor ammonia and nitrite carefully for a few days after moving the fish. There is plenty of beneficial bacteria in the substrate and on surfaces, so filtration capacity will be temporarily reduced but should recover fairly quickly.

 

[Salty&Onion]

To answer the overstocking issue, it is not a problem when fish fit in without causing some kind of problems etc,
@Byron can confirme this.

 

[Nemo2182]

To answer the overstocking issue, it is not a problem when fish fit in without causing some kind of problems etc,
@Byron can confirme this.

Byron was the man who set me on the 8 is plenty Cory's route lol

 

[Nemo2182]

To answer the question
If you are able to move the filter into the hospital tank at the same time as the fish you have considerably more leeway.
If not you should aim to complete the basics in as short a time as possible, ideally an hour or less so plan carefully and try to make sure you have everything ready in advance. Also try to ensure that the filter media does not dry out.

Either way you should monitor ammonia and nitrite carefully for a few days after moving the fish. There is plenty of beneficial bacteria in the substrate and on surfaces, so filtration capacity will be temporarily reduced but should recover fairly quickly.

Ok. So what i was thinking was I would fill 17 litre with water out main tank. It has a low spec filter, but i can cut my current filter up and put some of that in it to give some biomedia. I didnt plan to change any other filter bits, not wash down rocks, bogwood or plants. I have a bucket big enough to put all those bits in with current water. My plan then was to add the same watwr back, prob around 25% back in tank with 75% clean water. I guess im worried about the size of the 17 litre with 13 fish and shrimps. Unless i chuck the shrimp in the bucket with the bog wood? How long can fish and shrimps survive without some forced oxygen in the tank?

 

[seangee]

I would think for an hour you will be fine. That's not a definitive time limit - just suggesting you shouldn't linger and turn it into a half day job .