New tank question...

[AndiPants]

So I'm going through the process of upsizing a tank and changing substrate. I'm not sure if this is a stupid question or not: We are using sand as the substrate in the new tank. Would it be okay to fill up the tank with tap water and the sand, and let it sit for a week to dechlorinate in the tank? Would this be essentially the same as filling up buckets of water and letting them sit in order to declorinate, or would the sand effect this?
I am not planning to put the fish in directly after this, but cycle it after the week is through. There is sand seeding in the old tank for the past couple weeks, and I would add this when I put the filter on the new tank and begin the cycling process.
Thanks for any insight.

 

[JamieB]

why wait 2 week, just add water conditioner like novaqua or prime to go to the cycling stage.

 

[AndiPants]

Low on money and low on conditioner...I don't have enough at the moment to treat the whole new tank, just the ones I have going now. I wouldn't have the funds to do so for a week, so I'm just wondering if this could work if I need to wait anyway. I'm not trying to be impatient, just wondering.

 

[soobie]

Chlorine will off-gas, but chloramine won't. I'd go with Prime (or similar) unless you're sure you don't have chloramine in your water.

 

[Star_Rider]

yup., agree..if you have chloramine letting it stand won't help much.

as for cycling..you are upgrading..? this means you have a cycled tank?
if you do you won't have to cycle the new tank..an established tank will have plenty of bacteria to seed the new tank.

btw, I second the prime ..get the tiny bottle and you will have plenty to condition the new tank.

 

[Ruben Tolon]

If money is an issue as to why you can't buy the water conditioner you need to set up a tank, I think you should forget the tank and spend fish-related money on necessities

 

[leighasnana]

When you say you're upsizing do you mean you're replacing a smaller tank with a larger one? If the smaller one won't be in use for awhile you can set up the larger one right away with fish. Use the water from the smaller tank, top up with tap water adding exactly the amt. of dechlorinator you need - no more - you don't even need to fill the tank. Just have enough water to run the filter. More conditioner isn't better. My dechlorinator goes alot further since I've learned that. Use some of the filter media from the established tank and put it into the new filter with the new filter media. Add as many plants as you can. Use ornaments, rocks etc... from the other tank (don't clean them). You can then add the fish right away. If you're switching tanks just put the old filter on the new tank but don't change or clean the media and you're good to go.

 

[leighasnana]

One more thing. I'm in Ontario, Canada and use city water. I can't find a water report so don't have any idea if there's chloramine in my water. I know I have chlorine because I can smell it and it has to be there. I go on the assumption that the chloramine is there just in case and use conditioner. If you're in the country and using well water I don't think you'd have chloramine in there. If you are using well water post that and hopefully someone with experience with that can help you out. I think there are people using well water who don't even use conditioner but best to ask people with experience.

If you want to stretch your water conditioner make sure you know how much your pail holds. My conditioner says to use one capful per 10 gals. and I add exactly that and it lasts forever. I do water changes regularly.

 

[Cory Keeper]

call up your local water company, they should tell you what its treated with. Thats what I did with mine and they gave an answer as soon as the words were out of my mouth.

 

[AndiPants]

Thanks for all the responses!

Ruben Tolon, I do have the necessities, and all that I need for my existing tanks. It is just the matter of getting a new one up and running, I just blew a several hundred $$ on the new tank, stand, paint, sand, ect...I'm just being impatient now that I have almost everything for this one!

I'm on city water, I will call and ask because now I'm curious!
I'll probably just wait until next week to set up the tank, its just sitting there so empty...