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This question may be lengthy (sorry), but I’m not sure what is best procedure. I have a 75 litre tank, entering it's 2nd week since setup. Not long after setup, I regretted size & shape of my tank & longed for a bigger & particularly longer (current tank is taller than it is long). So I have a 155 litre on order - should be here soon. Plan is to tfr the old water & plants across to the new tank & I’d like to help the recycle period along. My old tank is being traded in so, unless my tank is fishless, I won’t have the luxury of a leisurely approach to the new setup. I don’t think I can transfer the old filter to the new tank, as both tanks are the type where it was a package deal, with biological wet/dry filters & lights built into the hood. Both filters have spray bar (different length for each tank) dripping the returning water over 3 layers of filter media (carbon cartridge, a black sponge type thing & then ceramic noodles). I could def. swap over the noodles, & maybe the black sponge & carbon cartridge,if they’re not too short for the new tank–I think they will be too short. I'll have to leave the actual hardware in place. Would this help speed up recycle? My 1st plan for the gravel was to tfr all from old tank to new tank. But 2nd thoughts. Found great posting by Frank dated back in Dec 04 re plants. I think Frank said a good size gravel for plants was between 1/8th to 1/16th inch & that larger gravel is not as good for anchoring plants & also is harder to keep clean. My gravel is much larger than this (also don’t like the colour), so my latest thought is to replace all gravel with new appropriately sized gravel, & maybe just add a handful or so of old gravel to help kick start recycle process. My lfs told me during the cycle period to add about 20ml of "Cycle" daily - so I've been doing that. I started off with 3 gouramis - but returned 2 to lfs, as they were too aggressive. At this stage, I've kept a golden gourami & that's the only fish in the tank. Undecided if I should keep this, as I prefer small fish & I read this fish can grow to 8cm. Is that true? If so, I probably won't keep it. I want to make sure this time around, I take my time with layout of substrate, etc. When I tfr my old water to new tank, this will approx ½ fill new tank & hopefully be enough to cover plants I’m transferring – but probably won’t be enough to cover the filter impeller. How long do I have before good bacteria in my old water starts dying, if I don’t turn filter on for a day or so (this will only be possible if I don’t keep the gourami), while I play around with substrate layout. It will be easier to do this with tank only half full, but if this takes me a few days, am I better to ½ fill, tfr plants I know I’m keeping, then fill nearly to top so I can turn filter on (with or without fish) while I plan improvements to layout. Then add fish when I’m happy with all?? I think my next fish purchase will be platy (maybe 3 – gradually building to shoal of say 5). Will continue to build until stocked as a community tank. What do you think? All comments gratefully appreciated.
Thanks, Robyn

Cheers
TW

congrtats on new tank - trust me it will not be long before you want a bigger one - i started with a 10g now in process of setting up a 72g.

anyway - i would try and transfer as much of the filter material as you can, with some of the new material, plus if your removing the gravel add some of it into the filter as it will aid the bacterial growth in the filter - don't bother with the carban, only use it to remove and medication used - it absorbs chemicals but after a while it will begin to lose them back into the water.

i would take to gold gourami back they can grow large and he probably want like the cycle process.

with old water add it to new tank then fill rest up with water that has been treated to remove clorine and it about same temperature.

Bacteria don't really live in the water they will be attached to rocks plants, sides of tank. so need to get filter going really quick if have moved material over.

platies are a good fish to start with, i'd get 2 after the tank has been running on it's own for at least 1-2 weeks

just keep checking the water for ammonia, nitrate levels etc.

if want to grow plants try flourite or eco complete they are substrates made for plants they hold loads of nutients for them. some eco completes come already cycled containing bacteria which might help - i've never really believed the bacteria can survive months in a bag, but what do i know.

anymore questions just ask

shekoi

Last edited by shekoi at 17-Jan-2006 07:34

www.blooming-brilliant.co.uk

Robyn,

I read here a few times that one way of getting the gravel from an established tank to help in a new tank is by placing it in a stocking and resting it on the substrate. Then, after a few weeks, you simply remove the stocking. This way none of your “old” gravel and new one will get mixed up.

The problem here is that your “old” gravle is not really old – like two weeks – and as such it is doubtful that bacteria in sufficient numbers have settled on it already. I don’t think it would harm, but it might not help either.

Your sole fish is a gold gouramy, that, if I am not mistaken, is a color variation of the blue gouramy. This fish can be even 6 inches long, at least that is what I read in a magazine this morning, so way bigger than 8cm. If you don’t like to keep the fish then now would be the time to return it and then you would have no problem with starting the new tank, right? Let’s hear some more opinions on the gold gouramy though before concluding that what I say is right. Oh, they are supposed to be hardy and good cycling fish, that is what my LFS says.

I would in any case fill the new tank all the way and run the equipment. Although I cannot give you the time it would take for all the bacteria to die in a “stale” tank, it is way less than a day.

Platies are cool, but will breed like mad. Given that you have plants, aka hiding spots, even if you don’t care for the fry they will survive and within a rather short time you will have to worry about what to do with the ever growing population (and I am right at this point in my 29G). You asked if 3 males by themselves (other thread) would be fine and I don’t know, sorry.

Building up the fish load slowly is a good idea, no need to rush anyway .

Hope this helps a little,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Thanks Shekoi & Ingo Thanks for reminding me re my query on 3 platy males from the other thread Ingo - I forgot to ask that. I'd prefer not have fry - at least for a while, so does anyone know if platy will be happy in an all male shoal. Starting with 3 & buiding to 5 or six?
thanks, Robyn


Cheers
TW

Hi Robyn,
Congratulations on the Premium membership, and getting the
hang of starting new threads.

The earlier answers will take care of the shifting tanks.
As far as the substrate is concerned, I can provide some
more reading for you.

For the depth, how much to purchase, this will help:
http://www.plantedtank.net/substratecalculator.html

For the type of substrate material, this is a pretty
good article. In the end, the choice is, of course, yours:

http://home.infinet.net/teban/substrat.htm#peat


Generally speaking it is a good idea to use a substrate
that will contribute something to the well being of the
plants besides being something that they can anchor in.

Regular aquarium gravel, and sands, are basically just
quartz (SiO2) and are inert. They furnish a bed of
"stuff" for the plants to grow roots into and anchor.
The other substrates such as Fluorite, Laterite,
Eco Complete, etc, all provide nutrients for the plants
over a long period of time. The most common nutrient that
they furnish is iron (Fe). Some "last" longer than others.
Amano uses a substrate that he discards after the show life
of each tank. I prefer to use Fluorite. Others use a clay
called Laterite, and place a layer of it on the bottom of
the tank, and then "cap" it with a layer of aquarium sand
or gravel.

Welcome and I hope this helps...
Frank



Last edited by FRANK at 17-Jan-2006 09:51

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Thanks everyone &#8211; you&#8217;ve helped a lot. Will put a little gavel in the filter, as you suggest shekoi. My old tank / filter didn&#8217;t come with instructions &amp; (pardon my complete ignorance) when you say &#8220;don't bother with the carbon&#8221; &#8211; which part of the filter is the carbon. Is that the black sponge (that sits on the ceramic noodles&#8221; or is it the white fluff contained in a small frame, which sits on top of the black sponge. I&#8217;ll also put some gravel in a new stocking to sink in the tank (thanks Little_Fish). Never would have thought of these ideas on my own!! Glad I can add the old gravel temporarily, without mixing with my new. Not only is my old gravel bigger than I want, it is a brightish lime green (not a look I like). Thanks too Frank. Read the links &amp; they&#8217;re helpful. So far, here in Sydney, I&#8217;ve not been able to find Fluorite, Laterite, or Eco Complete. Will keep trying. LFS&#8217;s I&#8217;ve rung know what I&#8217;m talking about, but don&#8217;t have it &amp; suggest something else. I only got the name of one brand &#8211; Aquabasis. Does anyone have experience with Aquabasis? or know where in Sydney, Australia I might find Fluorite, Laterite, or Eco Complete (preferably Fluorite or Eco Complete as shekoi &amp; Frank both recommend one or the other of these? Thanks, Robyn

Cheers
TW

Robyn,

I know nothing about Australian sources, sorry

But about your filter media, without ever having had this specific type (I use AquaClear filters on my small tanks):

The white fluffy thing is a mechanical filter. It simply traps debris

The noodles is a biological filter that serves as a host (large surface are in all the noodles) for beneficial bacteria

And the black stuff is a chemical filter, Activated Carbon. It binds things in the water until it gets clogged up and needs to be replaced.

So far so good?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club