I'll try to make this as concise as possible -
I currently have an established 20 gallon tank at school with me, and an unestablished 45 gallon up and running at home that I purchased as an upgrade several weeks ago. The fish and I need to make the trip home for summer, which is a little over an hour, on Friday. I want to put the fish into the 45 gallon ASAP.
The water parameters are pretty drastically different - both waters are soft, but the PH here at school is 8+ and the PH at home is ~6.5. I am working on slowly lowering the PH here at school with acid buffer, so the change won't be as drastic.
About a week ago I put filter media into the established 20 gallon tank's filter to seed it in preparation for the 45 gallon. I will also run both filters on the new tank in order to transfer the bacteria on the biowheel of my old filter.
I plan on saving as much of the 20 gallon's water as I can through the move, while keeping the substrate, equipment and decorations wet in order to save the bacteria colonies. I will be moving the fish in a cooler with an airstone.
My question is, once I get the fish home, should I:
1) Acclimate them over the course of ~ an hour to the 45 gallon's water while they're in the cooler, and in the meantime put the substrate, decorations, filter media and old filter on the 45 gallon tank (instant cycle), or
2) Set up the 20 gallon again once I get home, perform small water changes over the course of a day or two in order to acclimate them to the water at home, then switch them over to the 45 gallon. My filter media could begin to seed the 45 during this time.
I am torn on which to do. #1 sounds good because it is one big event of stress as opposed to two, and is much easier for me, but it will require the fish to acclimate to new water parameters while already stressed.
On the other hand, #2 sounds more gradual and safer, but is two events of stress, and would also be kind of a pain.
What do you think I should do?
Any input is appreciated,
Thanks!
I currently have an established 20 gallon tank at school with me, and an unestablished 45 gallon up and running at home that I purchased as an upgrade several weeks ago. The fish and I need to make the trip home for summer, which is a little over an hour, on Friday. I want to put the fish into the 45 gallon ASAP.
The water parameters are pretty drastically different - both waters are soft, but the PH here at school is 8+ and the PH at home is ~6.5. I am working on slowly lowering the PH here at school with acid buffer, so the change won't be as drastic.
About a week ago I put filter media into the established 20 gallon tank's filter to seed it in preparation for the 45 gallon. I will also run both filters on the new tank in order to transfer the bacteria on the biowheel of my old filter.
I plan on saving as much of the 20 gallon's water as I can through the move, while keeping the substrate, equipment and decorations wet in order to save the bacteria colonies. I will be moving the fish in a cooler with an airstone.
My question is, once I get the fish home, should I:
1) Acclimate them over the course of ~ an hour to the 45 gallon's water while they're in the cooler, and in the meantime put the substrate, decorations, filter media and old filter on the 45 gallon tank (instant cycle), or
2) Set up the 20 gallon again once I get home, perform small water changes over the course of a day or two in order to acclimate them to the water at home, then switch them over to the 45 gallon. My filter media could begin to seed the 45 during this time.
I am torn on which to do. #1 sounds good because it is one big event of stress as opposed to two, and is much easier for me, but it will require the fish to acclimate to new water parameters while already stressed.
On the other hand, #2 sounds more gradual and safer, but is two events of stress, and would also be kind of a pain.
What do you think I should do?
Any input is appreciated,
Thanks!
