changing stand..am i taking the correct steps?

[qieter]

Hi,

Ill be changing my stand from a wooden one to a metal stand so i can have one more tank YAY!..anyway ill have to practically take my whole tank apart so this is what im gonna do....please let me know if im doing something wrong or if i miss a step..

1) Net out all the inhabitants...put them to a large pail...
2)empty the water to just a couple inches above the gravel
3) get all the decors out...leaving the substrate
4) disconnect the filter and heater and air pump and remove them...
5) replace the stand with the metal one....
6) replace the water, add dechlorinator, add some bacteria

now i have a few question:
1) since I left the water above the gravel, the bacteria wouldnt die rite and the bacteria in the filter wouldnt die too rite since ill keep water in the filter? so i wont have to go through the cycling process again rite?

sorry for the long post guys, i wanna make sure all my fish make it through this.....thanx again

vic

[wetmanNY]

No need to disturb anything. Leave the decor in place. Draw down the water right to the gravel. The bacteria need to be wet, not more. You could fill a mister with aquarium water before you begin, just in case.

Shift the tank like you were moving a card table set up for tea. Don't slosh whatever water/gravel is in there. Set it on two sticks so you can pick it up again. (You have a partner for this eh?)

Don't let the filter media get dry.

Give the glass a good clean while you're at it.

De-chlorinate before the water goes in. Pour onto a saucer set on newspaper.

...and Bob's-your-uncle say the Brits.

[serjuanca888]

I would reccomend saving the aquarium water and using that when you set it back up.

[wetmanNY]

I wouldn't agree on that. IMO, all qieter needs is a founder population of plankton. One doesn't need the nitrates and other metabolic endproducts dissolved in the water. If there were plants, they'd be getting nitrogen directly from the fish once more.