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Pointy_kitty

i eat buttons
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i have a bit of a problem
i got my new 55gallon tank home but the guy didn't have time to clean it
the gravel is REALLY dirty so he scooped most of it out and put it in bags :crazy:
how do i go about cleaning it quickly and efficiently without completely eliminating the beneficial bacteria and while not using a billion dollars worth of water (we pay for it by litre :S )
 
canarsie11 said:
I say start from scratch, you may want his beneficial bacteria, but you dont want any disease from his tank either ;)
yes but i can't re-cycle it
i have about 1 day to get the tank set up and the fish inside as i have to drain down my two 20gallons (one at a time so i can put both tanks inhabitants to the one temporarily running on the floor), and move the dresser they were on so that i can replace it with a proper stand and the 55gallon tank
i will then use the contents of water from the two 20gallons to partly fill the 55gallon, topping it off with fresh declorinated water

then i have to float the fish and release them that day :crazy:
 
rince it in dechlorinated water. or if you dont have any chlorine in your water, like i dont, you can rince it with a hose, or in the sink, in a bin, and stir it up untill its all clean. I do that with most of my bettas.
 
I'd recommend keeping the filters on your old tanks going until the moment that you are ready to put the fish into the new 55g. Then, put the filters on the 55g. The filters will already be housing beneficial bacteria, and you know they can handle the bioload.

I suppose this means you can clean the 55g. HTH~
 
its gunna be a pain in the ars but i think i might just have to rinse a teensy bit of gravel at a time in the bucket

the 55gallon tank came with a 430 (or something like that) penguin biowheel that cleans up to 70 gallons aswell as a smaller, submerged filter with a cylinder container described to remove harmful ammonia, nitrate and nitrite and to "polish off" the water
they were used for 5 years so they are well aged but well maintained
when i got them they had been out of water for less than 24 hours but they were still dry
would this "kill" off his benificial bacteria?
 
Fiddlesticks said:
Yep sorry I heard that 2. It only takes a few hours for them to die andter being removed from food source.
DAMN! :X
well if i just rinse the gravel (with declorinated water) to get the bulk of the waste off then i use the 2 well established 20 gallons water to fill 2/3 the tank and do the rest with fresh dechlorinated water, then i should be ok right?
*fingers crossed*

the tank has 2 REALLY good filters (ones a biowheel) and i have a monster testing kit (i didn't know there was like 12 things you can test :blink: )
and a ton of conditioners and medications
i should be ok :unsure:
 
using the water from the established 20 gallon tanks won't help as the beneficial bacteria live on solid surfaces eg gravel, not in the water

if you really have no option but the put fish in the 55 straight away you should transfer filter media and gravel (as mush as possible without jeopardising your current tanks) to the new tank and do a lot of water testing and water changes :/
 
clutterydrawer said:
using the water from the established 20 gallon tanks won't help as the beneficial bacteria live on solid surfaces eg gravel, not in the water

if you really have no option but the put fish in the 55 straight away you should transfer filter media and gravel (as mush as possible without jeopardising your current tanks) to the new tank and do a lot of water testing and water changes :/
oopsies :unsure:
i have all my fish in one tank on the floor with a bubble bar (airstone bar) to give them oxygen
i didn't read you response til after :X
i rinsed the gravel in the 55gal (i couldn't use the 20gallon substrate as it was different)
i set up the tank and its pretty bare except for rocks and tons of driftwood
i checked all my chemicals and there is NO phosphate and the PH is perfect
the readings are 100% PERFECT! :blink:
which is bad... because it is going to recycle
now i have my fish in their VERY temporary and overcrowded 20 gallon on the floor with nothing but a heater and bubble bar :crazy:

i heard of someone putting old gravel in socks and soaking it in the tanks
would the beneficial bacteria transfer itself?
or am i totally screwed :-(

i can't use the same filter media as the filters are completely different :/
 
Pointy_kitty said:
i can't use the same filter media as the filters are completely different :/
Why can't you just cut some up and stuff it in the filter?
 
cometcattle said:
Pointy_kitty said:
i can't use the same filter media as the filters are completely different :/
Why can't you just cut some up and stuff it in the filter?
well how about if i just set the two dirty sponges from my 20 gallon filters on either side of the tank (just drop them in)
would that work???? :hyper:
 

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