What to do

[Ghost_knife]

Ok, From my local Freecycle group where I live someone gave away some cichlids, I also bought the tank (50 Gallon 50 bucks) Let me say it's awful, there's about 80 small convicts severum and firemouths in there not counting the young, The tank is a horrid mess, would they get shocked if I put them in fresh clean water in a 75 gallon tank? I know It's still too small for them all but It's better then what they are in and I am selling alot of them off too, would there be a problem with shock? please let me know ASAP

[Star_Rider]

I would think the best method would be to gradually acclimate them to cleaner water .

I would be afraid of moving them too soon to a new tank. also is this 75 an established tank with other fish in it??

or a new set up? (I'm thinking quarantine here)

[Dangerdoll]

yeah, me too.... I would not move them to the 75 gallon with the clean water because I would think it would be too much. What I would do is start with small water changes to that 55 gallon though... curious to how the tank was transported or if the fish and tank are in your possession at this time. If the fish and tank were transported... and the tank is still a mess, I'm thinking you kept the filter in tact as well as the deco wet for transport in order to save the bacteria... what about the water.... wasn't that replaced when you got everything to your possession?

[Star_Rider]

I was thinking the same thing..as dangerdoll

how did you transport? did you keep the filter media(great seeding material for a new tank)

[Ghost_knife]

It was a mess but I took my truck to where It was and put the tank in the back and cut foam to keep the tank from sliding back and forth and ran an inverter with a tank transit filter I use that Is a small cannister running off an inverter, think of it as a glass box wrapped in foam, this is how I transpost my tank, I take out all the deco and remove some gravel and run Air lines and a power line so they will be happy and move them. my transit cannister is running on the 145 with the Emporor biowheel to keep bacteria alive,
It's an odd way to move tanks but I feel it works the best, I have custom foam for 55's 75's 145's 200-500 just incase. most of the larger tanks get wedged by the wheel wells though. Hope this makes sence

[Dangerdoll]

you removed the water too, correct?

[Star_Rider]

if you didn't remove the water I sure hope you had help from friends with stout backs..

[Ghost_knife]

Not all the water, about 80% of it,
I filled it midway at home and It's runing in my garage with a heater. I've been doing mini water changes since then, only taking about a gallon through a Drill-pump (runs off a drill) from the bottom of the tank to get the muck,