Stupid Newbie Question...

[mrshunt90]

I bought a 20L tank and 4 male guppys after advice from idiot pets at home staff, Now having problems as you can imagine. Im getting a new tank 65L as this is the biggest I can afford. Can I just transfer the guppys and their water and filter in to the new tank and top the water up with more dechlorinated water? Or do I need to do a fishless cycle with the new filter in the new tank and when that has cycled transfer my fish?
Also I asked about what fish would live well on their own in a 20L tank and he said a male fighting fish, is this correct as up to now they have just ave me rubbish advice

 

[FishBlast]

I bought a 20L tank and 4 male guppys after advice from idiot pets at home staff, Now having problems as you can imagine. Im getting a new tank 65L as this is the biggest I can afford. Can I just transfer the guppys and their water and filter in to the new tank and top the water up with more dechlorinated water? Or do I need to do a fishless cycle with the new filter in the new tank and when that has cycled transfer my fish?
Also I asked about what fish would live well on their own in a 20L tank and he said a male fighting fish, is this correct as up to now they have just ave me rubbish advice

a single fighting fish can live there, but still would need a filter or else you need very frequent 100% water changes, which means taking fish out and putting it in a temp tank or bowl and then back it. It's risky as you could let it slip out of the net.

As for the guppies, you'd either have to keep doing big water changes in the small tank AND fishless cycle the bigger one or you could move them all to the bigger tank and fish-in cycle easier, worrying less that they'd get the water dirty too fast.

 

[mrshunt90]

Im getting another filter for my smal tank. So New fishy in 20L tank can have a filter and Guppys can have a filter in 60L tank. I would do a fishless cycl in the 20L tank before I got a fish to go in it.
Just wanted to know if I am able to transfer guppys, all their water and their filter in to the new tank? would I need to transfer their water or would all new water be ok? or should I just leave the guppys in 20L until new tank has cycled?

 

[FishBlast]

Im getting another filter for my smal tank. So New fishy in 20L tank can have a filter and Guppys can have a filter in 60L tank. I would do a fishless cycl in the 20L tank before I got a fish to go in it.
Just wanted to know if I am able to transfer guppys, all their water and their filter in to the new tank? would I need to transfer their water or would all new water be ok? or should I just leave the guppys in 20L until new tank has cycled?

Tizer said somewhere on a thread that if fish need to be transferred to a bigger tank, you should put all the water from your current tank into the new one along with the filter and add more dechlorinated water.
Now I don't know for sure if I'm wrong or not, but I'd say since you are doing a fish-in cycle already, why not make it easier for the fish? If you'd fishless cycle that one, you'd need to keep doing water changes sometimes even twice a day for the guppies in the 20L.
I'd say fishless cycle the small one and fish-in the bigger one to minimize problems on the guppies and have a good home for the betta before you get it.

 

[Jimbo1984]

I'd definitely move them all into the larger tank as more water = less toxic. Plus I'd move the water from the small tank with them that they're used to then top it up with fresh water. I highly recommend Seachem Prime as a dechlorinator and to detoxify any ammonia and nitrite should any arise, which it definitely will in these early days. Then just keep testing and water changing until you consistently get 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and a steady increase in nitrates and all should be fine.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Can I just transfer the guppys and their water and filter in to the new tank and top the water up with more dechlorinated water?

Yes. Put your filter and heater as low as you can get it in the new tank and only top up enough to cover the filter (with temperature-matched, dechlorinated water). Then top up gradually, 20litres each day, that way you'll minimise any shock to the guppies and the filter. Done slowly there should be no effect on your filter or guppies.

Then when you're sure your water parameters are stable in the big tank you can put a quarter of the media from its filter in the new filter for the small tank (replacing what you take with new media) and you've got an instantly cycled small tank. 20L is not suitable for a Betta or any other fish. Shrimps only in my opinion.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

20l is actually fine for a betta, but its the minimum one should be kept. I have two divided 10g with heaters and filters. the bettas cannot see each other and have tons of room to swim. They build bubblenests all the time.