Tank Upgrade/cycling Questions

[chris_1127]

I finally set up my new 100g freshwater and 60g brackish tanks yesterday, and have a couple of questions re cycling and stocking. At present i have mature and established 55g freshwater and 30g brackish tanks - 55g was running 1000lph internal and 1000lph cannister filter, and 55g running a 600lph internal and 600lph external filter.

I have added gravel, water and a 1000lph internal filter from my existing 55g into the 100g and was planning on going through the motions of a fishles cycle in the new tank. Do i need to do this, or will i be OK to just put the external filter on the new tank as well and just fully stock it straight away? Ocupants of the 55g to be transferred include 2" severum, 4" severum, 3, 3" clown loach, 3" firemouth, 6" gibbicep, 2 2" rams, 2 1.5" kribs, 10 tiger barbs and a 6" fire eel.

the new 60g brackish, i added a large amount of sand, some water and a 600lph internal filter - left overnight there was a big bacterial bloom the next day and i took a chance and added some sailfin mollies to get it going. sane q as above really - wil the tank need to fully cycle or should cloning it like this be pretty instant?

 

[rdd1952]

If you're moving the all filters from the old tanks to the new ones along with some gravel (the water doesnt' really matter for cycling purposes as there are no beneficial bacteria present in the water) then the new tanks would bacisally be cycled for the current inhabitants of the old tank. You might experience the usual mini cycle when you add new fish but probably not much of one.

Moving the water will be a good thing though as the fish will go back into the water they are used t rather than having o be acclaimated to new water which would be like a 100% water change to them.

 

[chris_1127]

excellent thanks for the quick reply. I didnt want to go through unnecessary cycling if i didnt have to, but similarly didnt want to add any of my favourites like the severums or the eel if it put them in much danger. Think i will add more gravel, move the external filter too and then transfer them all across in one go.

 

[rdd1952]

That should be fine as you will probably be transfering at least 90% of the bacteria from that tank just with the 2 filters. Add some gravel and you've moved most of it.

 

[chris_1127]

all the fish and filters are now transferred (finding a fire eel that doesnt want to be found in the gravel wasnt easy!!!), just a case of keeping an eye on the water parameters and keeping my fingers crossed now.

One quick question - i am going to be replacing the two filters in the brackish 60g with a fluval 403 - i put the fluval in the tank alongside the two existing filters, but how long do you think it will be before its fully colonised and I can remove the old filters?