Few newbie questions for a new 55 gal

F

Fish killer :(

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Jun 11, 2005
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A friend of mine has had a 55 gallon tank for about a year and he is moving and cant take it with him so I am taking it.

Anyway, I have a few questions so I don't kill all the fish in it.

It is currently stocked with "cichlids, tetras, a few ghost catfish, i think a blue moon, and some cleaner fish." That is all I know.

1. What should I do to minimize shock to the fish once I set up the tank at my house?

2. Is it ok to put the fish right into the tank without cycling for x amount of weeks? Because I am using the filter he has been using so shouldnt the bio-filter already be established?

3. I have 2 platty fish in a 5 gallon tank. If I dump those guys in there, will they be bullied/eaten by the other fish?

And please tell me if there is anything else I should know. Thanks. :)
 
1) well, where will the fish be while you are setting up the tank in your house?
Match the temperature and ph as closely as possible.
whether you dump the fish into the tank quickly, or slowly add new tank water into the temp container of the fish, depends,mostly, on how the fish aredoing in their temp digs.
2. Correct. you shouldnt need to cycle the tank.as long as you don't wash it with something, or... somehow kill or throw away the bacteria in the filter.
3) I couldn't really say for sure. it doesnt Sound like it, but it might matter how crowded it is, and maybe what exactly those ciclids are.
 
zazz said:
1) well, where will the fish be while you are setting up the tank in your house?
Click to expand...
I assume in a bucket or something? I really have no idea the best way to transport this whole setup to my house.
 
1) Keep the pH, and temp the same. Try to keep the filter media and gravel wet at all times. Dont clean out the tank. Just drain it, move it, and fill it as fast as possible.

2) As long as you keep the bacteria alive by keeping the media and gravel wet at all times, the tank should stay cycled.

3) I think so. Nothing in your list will not work with them.
 
Bucket or buckets sounds good.
 
Depending on what kind of cichlids, the platys and the tetras could become a snack at some point
 
Well he has had the tetras in there for a while and none were eaten. It might be too full for me to even be able to put the plattys in there. Thats going to suck to have to keep track of my dinky little 5 gallon still if thats the case.

Also one more quesiton. Should I change filter media once a month once it is established? Also, does that mess up the bio-filter when I change it? Or is the bacteria in the gravel and stuff enough to allow it to recover?
 
It should be safe to do, but I clean it once a month. All you have to use is OLD TANK water (because there's no chlorine) to wash it off. Just take a bucket of it, and swish the media around in it. You only need to change it when its falling apart. Iv been using the same sponge for over a year now. If you ever have to change it I would do it in halves. Cut the old and new media in half, and wait 2 weeks between the change just in case.
 
IME
If you throw out the filter media you will be throwing out the biofilter. the bact on gravel etc will NOT suffice. you will have an ammonia spike.
I am assuming that you do not have any kind of undergravel filter....
What sort of filter do you have?
I use some floss for mechanical filtration that i can throw out or rinse out as I choose.( each week)
I also have 'sponges' in the filters that i Never replace or wash, I only rinse them in old tank water.
 
When you are keeping the gravel and filter media wet during the move, use old tank water, not water straight from the tap!! Tap water needs to be dechlorinated. Hope that helps, good luck with your new set up!
 
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