starting up 55 gal - a little info needed

[impur]

I am planning to start up my 55 gal tank this weekend. I currently have a 10 gallon that has been running for about 8 months w/o probs. I am planning on hanging some of the rock from my 10 gal in the penguin 330 filter i have for the 55 gal to aid in cycling. I also will use some of the water from the 10 gal to start. I am wondering if i should also get an AC sponge to put in the 10 gal filter(whisper 10 i believe) for a week or 2 and then add that to the penquin filter as well. If this is a good idea to I use it in conjunction with the replacable carbon filled cartridge or in place of. If I use it with the replacable one, would i insert the sponge in the water after it goes through the replacable one or before? Thanks for the help.
i also have some Cycle Biological Aquarium Supplement that i could use to help speed the process. Good idea or no? They don't have bio-spira here and actually walmart is the only place that sells fish, so i'm forced to drive and hour and a half to get anything of quality. but I am willing to do so all for the fishes

 

[semper fi]

you will have to be real careful setting up a larger tank like a 55 from a smaller tank like a 10. usually you do it the other way around. you want to watch that you do not crash the 10 gallon by taking out too much of the bacteria from the 10. removing too much will cause the 10 gallon to not be able to handle the bioload from the occupants and send it back into cycle until the bacteria colony is up to handle the load.

as for the sponge it would be a good idea to put it in the filter for a week or two and then add it to the new filter. you might also want to run the new filter on the ten for that period to get some bacteria colonizing in it. the sponge would go after the replaceable cartridge. the water flows through the cartridge and back into the tank. before the water flows back into the tank it would flow through the sponge.

not a big one for adding bottle bacteria to tanks. or that matter any kkind of chemicals. what are your water parameters and what kind of fish are you planning on adding?

semper fi

 

[impur]

Thats pretty much what i figured but i wanted to be certain. A second opinion is always helpful. i know it usually goes the other way to cycle but this is what i have so i'm goin from here. I will simply be adding the inhabitants of the 10 gal to the 55, these include (all 2" or under) GT, JD, blue gorami, 3 channel cats and a Depii (still looking for info on this guy). PH = 7.2 Ammonia = 0 Nitrite = 0 I have not checked KH or GH readings. I can also add the plastic plants from the 10 gal to aid in bacteria growth.

 

[semper fi]

if you are taking the 10 gallon and putting everyone into the 55, just tear down the 10. see if your lfs or someone around you will let you have some of their water atleast to fill the tank halfway. acclimate the fish to the new water and transfer everything from the 10 to the 55. could add the fish as soon as they are acclimated to the new water.

semper fi

 

[impur]

Great idea, only problem is walmart is the only place in town that sells fish and i wouldn't trust their water to water the lawn. I will try acclimating them definately slowly and just keep a sharp eye on my water parameters. thanks for the help though.

 

[Gabe]

How would you go about acclimating the fish to the water? I am planning on getting a 55 US gal, and could use a couple tips myself. Thanks

Gabe

 

[impur]

by keeping the fish in a container of some sort with the water they have been in. Then slowly adding water from the new tank and removing about the same amount from the container. Its the same as acclimating a brackish fish to freshwater, assuming the fish can live in both ie puffers, silver-tip "shark". Must be done slowly over a few hours works well for me.