I recently moved the contents of a 35g tank and a 50ish gallon tank into a 180g tank. I made sure that the temp and ph were the same. I filled the big tank, dechlorinated it, THEN added the 2 old filters (that way the water running through my bacteria filled filters was not killed by chlorinated water). Then I scooped in my fish. All was well, and I never had a cycle. Put your fish in some tank water in a bucket, keep your filter media wet in some tank water. Get your new tank in place. Fill with water and dechlorinate, add your gravel from the other tanks, make sure water temp and ph are the same as the old, get your filters running, pour your fish in. Test everyday just to be safe, but I doubt you will have a cycle at all. If you do, it should be small and easily kept under control with a couple of water changes.
converting 2 tanks to 1-need help
- Thread starter BabelFish42
- Start date
holly. thanks for your help and everyone else as well. a few of questions:
How long did it take for you to do your transfer?, from the time the new tank was ready to - to when the fish were in and doing ok?
How long did it take to dechlorinate the new water? is there a chemical solution that helps this process out?
I don't use a Ph tester or anything. do i really need this? I usually eyeball the water and occasionally just smell it. I can usually tell how the water is by the smell.
How long did it take for you to do your transfer?, from the time the new tank was ready to - to when the fish were in and doing ok?
How long did it take to dechlorinate the new water? is there a chemical solution that helps this process out?
I don't use a Ph tester or anything. do i really need this? I usually eyeball the water and occasionally just smell it. I can usually tell how the water is by the smell.
2 hours
Yes, the best is called Prime, at www.bigalsonline.com
Yes, you need to test for ammoina, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and maybe KH and GH. You can not just smell the water.
Yes, the best is called Prime, at www.bigalsonline.com
Yes, you need to test for ammoina, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and maybe KH and GH. You can not just smell the water.
I would suggest a test kit as well, not only are the handy but if you choose the right kit it can be simple and alot easier than trying to smell the water. (though smelling the water has its benefits done quit doing this.)
Another suggestion I would make about getting your fish used to the water settings of your newly set up tank. This has more of an effect on salt water fish but if your tanks have been setup for along time and if you used alot of chemicals or any chemicals in your old tanks you should do things like this, transfer your fish into buckets or one large bucket with the old water from your tanks, remove the media's as stated by someone else, clean the tanks or remove some of the gravel/sand setup the new tank. If you have always used water from your tap to setup your tanks the PH should be pretty close to the setup your have now..setup the tank using a dechlorimantor like prime if you using stress coat or a few others that do not remove ammonia make sure your buy some ammo-lock or some kind of related product as well. set up the new tank run the filter with no media for about 15 to 20 minutes to circulate the water and the chemicals, make sure temps are the same. Heat the water slowly. (40G of water can take a long time to change temp.) Fish can live in a bucket for a long time but they will not be happy. You dont want to risk a newly setup tank to get hit by a serious parasite or other disease so try not to keep them in the bucket to long i.e. the amount of time it would take to heat the water from a cold tap. (hot water sometimes contains salt from water softner so cold non-salted water is best to start from but longer to heat.) anyways i would suggest using 2 submersible heaters that you can buy from walmart for 15 bucks. they will also come in handy when doing water changes later anyways...
after the tank is setup pH and temp are fine, gradually add small amounts of water from the new tank to the bucket your fish are in. (depending on water size of container they are in gradually add water every couple minutes..) another way is the drip system (tie a small loose knot in the syphon hose and drip water gradually into the old water..) this will allow your fish enough time to adapt to chemicals lack of chemicals or nutrients or lack of nutrients in the the tank settings. remember osmotic stress has always been a unknown cause of death to newly setup tanks for many new aquarium owners... the best idea is to be patient..
this task could be done anywhere from 45 minutes to a day project depending on well you prepared for it. just remember the more sudtle of change with fish the more you will be guaranteed success.. after you gradually adapt your fish to the water net them and slowly put them into you tank, by this time it would just feel like a small jump out of the water for them.
hope this helps.
Another suggestion I would make about getting your fish used to the water settings of your newly set up tank. This has more of an effect on salt water fish but if your tanks have been setup for along time and if you used alot of chemicals or any chemicals in your old tanks you should do things like this, transfer your fish into buckets or one large bucket with the old water from your tanks, remove the media's as stated by someone else, clean the tanks or remove some of the gravel/sand setup the new tank. If you have always used water from your tap to setup your tanks the PH should be pretty close to the setup your have now..setup the tank using a dechlorimantor like prime if you using stress coat or a few others that do not remove ammonia make sure your buy some ammo-lock or some kind of related product as well. set up the new tank run the filter with no media for about 15 to 20 minutes to circulate the water and the chemicals, make sure temps are the same. Heat the water slowly. (40G of water can take a long time to change temp.) Fish can live in a bucket for a long time but they will not be happy. You dont want to risk a newly setup tank to get hit by a serious parasite or other disease so try not to keep them in the bucket to long i.e. the amount of time it would take to heat the water from a cold tap. (hot water sometimes contains salt from water softner so cold non-salted water is best to start from but longer to heat.) anyways i would suggest using 2 submersible heaters that you can buy from walmart for 15 bucks. they will also come in handy when doing water changes later anyways...
after the tank is setup pH and temp are fine, gradually add small amounts of water from the new tank to the bucket your fish are in. (depending on water size of container they are in gradually add water every couple minutes..) another way is the drip system (tie a small loose knot in the syphon hose and drip water gradually into the old water..) this will allow your fish enough time to adapt to chemicals lack of chemicals or nutrients or lack of nutrients in the the tank settings. remember osmotic stress has always been a unknown cause of death to newly setup tanks for many new aquarium owners... the best idea is to be patient..
this task could be done anywhere from 45 minutes to a day project depending on well you prepared for it. just remember the more sudtle of change with fish the more you will be guaranteed success.. after you gradually adapt your fish to the water net them and slowly put them into you tank, by this time it would just feel like a small jump out of the water for them.
hope this helps.
I was lucky enough to have the new tank being set up in a new area, so I did not have to bucket the fish, but as long as you can do the process within several hours (4-6 hours should be plenty of time for you to switch things around and they will be fine in a large bucket for that long) you and the fish will be fine.
It is always best to use something to dechlorinate the water. I know some people on here check with their water company if they expect something has changed, etc., but I would rather treat the water for chlorine and chloramine. I don't have to worry about if anything has changed and the stuff is totally safe for the fish, so why not?!?! I use either stuff by jungle brand, or wardley, depending on where I'm at. Its like 5 dollars a bottle and lasts me for quite a while.
Also, you cannot tell the ph by smelling the water, so you will want a test kit for that at the very least for the move. A large ph fluctuation can harm the fish. If the amonia in the tank was so strong that you could smell it, your fish would be long dead. You really want an amonia and nitrite test kit, so that you can tell if your tank does begin another cycle (small or not). Also, as long as the temp is within a couple of degrees the fish will be fine. Get a cheap thermometer from the LFS and measure it as you go.
As for filling up my tank everyone thought I was an idiot for filling the 180g with buckets, but it really only took me a couple of hours, plus I was able to keep the temp. the same and move my fish right away. Just remember to dechlorinate the water before you add the old filters on b/c if you don't the unchlorinated water can run through the filters and kill all of your bacteria, causing another cycle, which you will probably be able to avoid all together.
It is always best to use something to dechlorinate the water. I know some people on here check with their water company if they expect something has changed, etc., but I would rather treat the water for chlorine and chloramine. I don't have to worry about if anything has changed and the stuff is totally safe for the fish, so why not?!?! I use either stuff by jungle brand, or wardley, depending on where I'm at. Its like 5 dollars a bottle and lasts me for quite a while.
Also, you cannot tell the ph by smelling the water, so you will want a test kit for that at the very least for the move. A large ph fluctuation can harm the fish. If the amonia in the tank was so strong that you could smell it, your fish would be long dead. You really want an amonia and nitrite test kit, so that you can tell if your tank does begin another cycle (small or not). Also, as long as the temp is within a couple of degrees the fish will be fine. Get a cheap thermometer from the LFS and measure it as you go.
As for filling up my tank everyone thought I was an idiot for filling the 180g with buckets, but it really only took me a couple of hours, plus I was able to keep the temp. the same and move my fish right away. Just remember to dechlorinate the water before you add the old filters on b/c if you don't the unchlorinated water can run through the filters and kill all of your bacteria, causing another cycle, which you will probably be able to avoid all together.
ok to clear some terms.
media is the light, filter, heater. does this include the gravel and rocks/plants/cave-like structures in the tank?
and
cycle. is this were the water goes through the process where the fish get acclimated to the water, or is a cycle where the pH and/or nitrates are out of whack?
and I can get a couple more buckets, and dechlorinate the water in them BEFORE adding the fish. with the test kit, does it come with chemicals and directions on balancing the water out?
media is the light, filter, heater. does this include the gravel and rocks/plants/cave-like structures in the tank?
and
cycle. is this were the water goes through the process where the fish get acclimated to the water, or is a cycle where the pH and/or nitrates are out of whack?
and I can get a couple more buckets, and dechlorinate the water in them BEFORE adding the fish. with the test kit, does it come with chemicals and directions on balancing the water out?
When I refer to media, I mean the stuff you put in your filters (sponges, carbon bags, whatever). But in terms of keeping stuff in tank water during the move, I would also include the decorations and plants you may have, along with the gravel. They don't have a ton, but they have bacteria on them too. Also, how long have the other 2 tanks been set up?
Check out the stickys and articles on the top of the page. Cycling refers to the process where the amonia in the water breaks down to nitrite, and finally to nitrate (which is not harmful to the fish except for at high levels/long term exposure). That is a very rough explanation and you will want to understand it so that you can test the water as you do things and understand what is going on and what your test numbers mean. The cycling stickys do a really good job at explaining everything
Most LFS carry what is called a master test kit, it comes with virtually everything you need and will save you money than buying it all separately. Not exactly sure what you mean by "balancing the water out", but it will explain how to test and what the results mean.
Also, unless you have a use for the buckets later, you really don't need forty gallons worth of water setting around so that you can dechlorinate it before it goes into the tank
. The stuff you buy for that purpose works instantly, so you fill the tank, add however much you need to dechlorinate the forty gallons in your new tank, then add your gravel, that way any bacteria in the gravel is kept alive.
Check out the stickys and articles on the top of the page. Cycling refers to the process where the amonia in the water breaks down to nitrite, and finally to nitrate (which is not harmful to the fish except for at high levels/long term exposure). That is a very rough explanation and you will want to understand it so that you can test the water as you do things and understand what is going on and what your test numbers mean. The cycling stickys do a really good job at explaining everything
Most LFS carry what is called a master test kit, it comes with virtually everything you need and will save you money than buying it all separately. Not exactly sure what you mean by "balancing the water out", but it will explain how to test and what the results mean.
Also, unless you have a use for the buckets later, you really don't need forty gallons worth of water setting around so that you can dechlorinate it before it goes into the tank
. The stuff you buy for that purpose works instantly, so you fill the tank, add however much you need to dechlorinate the forty gallons in your new tank, then add your gravel, that way any bacteria in the gravel is kept alive.Thanks for the tips and advice, I'll definitely be using it. I'm planning on doing the switch this weekend, that's why I had so many questions.
