Moving to larger tank -- lots of incompatable elements

T

tuvok

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Dec 16, 2004
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Right now I'm working on setting up a 38g tank which will eventually house the 2 adult platies and two platy fry that now live in my 5g tank. Later, I plan to add a few corydoras and a couple of angelfish. Right now I'm debating if I should do a fishless cycle on the larger tank using some seed material (gravel in some pantyhose) from the smaller tank or just try to transfer as much as possible over from the 5g to the 38g. The problem is that I am not going to be using the gravel from the smaller tank as the substrate (switching to sand) and I will be using a different type of filter (AC mini in 5g, Filstar canister in 38g) so I can't simply switch media.
From my assessment, the only stuff likely to harbour bacteria that I plan on transferring to the larger tank is a half a clay pot and a few fairly large clumps of java moss. I'm not sure though that these will provide enough of a biofilter to support my fish.
Any opinions on what would be the best option in this situation?
 
Well, as much sand as it will take for a 38g, you could pretty much bury the gravel from a 5 gallon at a later date. Maybe not entirely effective as the gravel may be turned over at some point (I know in my 29g FW I only move about 1/2 inch of sand while the rest remains quite packed, so maybe not too). I assume the AC mini is small enough to just use the filter media in the Filstar on a layer. Barring that, are you opposed to just putting the filtermedia from the mini in the tank a bit, maybe ziptie it to an intake on the Filstar? If you want to keep the plants and pots, you're looking at nearly the same amount of bio filter as before, minus the glass, if you do it the way I suggest. You may see a mini cycle, but I doubt more than a spike that quickly fixed itself.

Now, when adding the new fish load, keep in mind that your bio filter is only built around the current occupants. Any time you add new fish, even to a tank that's been cycled for years, if it means more waste and ammonia, it means a mini cycle.

Another popular route of late when adding new fish is adding BIO-Spira. Keep in mind, some folks have had the expected "insta-cycle" from BIO-Spira and some have not.
 
Thanks once again Harlock for your insights. I suppose it will be better for the current occupants of the 5g to get transferred ASAP rather than waiting for another tank to complete a fishless cycle. The Bio-Spira idea sound good for adding fish but from what I am reading you cannot get that stuff in Canada yet. I get the feeling that if/when we do get it it will very expensive.
 
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