Switching tanks

corrieberry

corrieberry

AC Members
Mar 8, 2009
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London
I've just bought a new tank - exactly the same volume as the old one, just fits a bit better into the area I'm keeping it. Can I just move everyone over, or do I need to set the new tank up, cycling etc? I'm planning to use exactly what I've got in the old tank but there is a new filter that I want to use as well as the one I've got at the moment; if I've got the old one running at the same time will they be OK? They're all goldies and a few oxygen weed bunches that get eaten so fast they probably won't even realise they've got more light before they're gone.

Also, I have a brown oranda (Ory...original!) who has been losing scales recently. How do I help him heal? Do I need to take him out or will they just grow back? I don't really know what the loss is caused by - it's never happened before but now suddenly it is. There are a few round pebbles in the tank, as well as an ornament that looks like a jetty that he loves to hide in, as well as a couple of plastic plants, but as they've all been in there as long as he has so I'm perplexed! The only behavioural change recently is that someone spawned (don't know who - 11 have survived and are all doing well, cycling a tank to get them in asap) but I don't really see why that would change things this much?
 
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I was planning to use the old filter and the new one, but obviously I can't put the old media in the new filter if I'm still using the old one. Is this possible or should I just use one of the filters? The old one can't quite manage to keep everything as clean as it should be.
 
Probably safest and easiest to just run both filters on the new tank, the old filter with its own media, to minimise disruption to the bacteria colony. The new filter will develop its own population of bacteria over time.

This is doubly true if you mean you are going to run both filters permanently.
 
The bacteria colony should disperse itself between the two filters as long as the bioload stays the same. So techincally you will be losing bacteria on the old filter while gaining the same amount on the new one.
 
Run both filters on the tank for best results!

As far as the scale loss, breeding behavior can cause scale loss but I would also remove any ornaments that your fish can get inside of. You said he likes to hide "in" the jetty ornament. Beside the fact that hollow ornaments cause pockets of stagnant, dirty water in the tank and can result in bacterial issues, he could also be scraping himself on the edges as he wiggles in and out. I stay away from anything hollow or anything with sharp edges.

Extra clean water will help him heal up quickly. Just be sure to vacuum thoroughly and clean your filter regularly. :)
Best of luck!
 
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