starting new tank, establishing bacteria

does the 4-5 days go with the new filter on tank or the water in a tub? periods are good at seperating thoughts :p makes it easier to see the chronology, and by nylons u meen lil nylon nets right? and the water that sits has the substrate in it correct? then put my puffers in, mini cycle happens, and test water...how often tesT? and how often water changes? i'm worried bout a mini spike cuz dp's aren't the hardiest of fishies
 
It would probably be easier to just swap media and add some gravel from the old tank at the same time as you add the fish.... Then just be sure to test daily and do water changes to handle the spikes you might have.

Oh by nylons we mean pantyhose ....just be sure they are new and havent been washed... pick up a cheap pair at a dollor store.
 
Be careful not to move all of your media to the new tank. You don't want to restart the cycle on the old one. The real objective is to share the bacteria between the tanks so that both have enough bacteria in them to quickly reproduce up to the stable level you will need. Its like adding a few fish to your old tank, the bacteria respond to the higher load by reprocing to the new food supply. That is basically what you are doing by moving meadia and substarte, you are setting up the bacteria you have moved and the bacteria you have left behind to reproduce and take care of the new load they are seeing.
 
when i get the new tank i'm going to take say 1/5 of the media add it behind the new filter media and transfer 1 of the dirtier fish to the new tank, that should help reduce impact of lowering the colony in the old tank if thats a problem and help keep establish one in the new tank, then put that 1 back in the old tank when i get my 3 dwarf puffers that'll prob be a lil dirtier then that single one and my bio load wouldn't fluctuate too much in either tank doing this, atleast thats the goal
 
If you are going to do it that way just wait to put the media in when you get the puffers...this way the bacteria will adjust itself to the new fish instead of possibly lowering the colony with adding one fish and waiting.

When you get home with the puffers and put them in the tank transfer the media over then.

Or cycle the tank a few weeks with the media and some pure ammonia and once test results read good add the fish.
 
i'll prob do 1 of the 2 you suggest southpaw, all depends when i can get back home and hour away from here, none of the LFS around here sell DP but the petstore i work at an hour away does, so depends how long it takes for me to get the dps
 
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