switching tanks

[Holly9937]

A couple of questions so that I don't screw this up!! I have a 180 gallon tank I am getting. I was going to fill it in the garage to double check for any leaks, since the floor in there is so cold, should I put it on blanket or something?
The other thing is, I am consolidating a 60g and 35g into the bigger tank. If I fill the larger tank about a 1/4 of the way full, then add as much water from both the tanks, then the fish, and the filters from both of the tanks I should avoid a cycle, or at least only have a very small one right?
And is there anything that needs to be the same besides the temperature and ph? should the nitrate level be close? I think my tanks are usually around 20-40 and the tap is about 10.
Any other suggestions are also welcome!!
Thanks

 

[Swimfins]

Are you using a totally new substrate in your 180g?
I'd add the old substrate from both smaler tanks to the new tank to help back up your biofilter.
Its the sheer size of the new tank compared to the 2 smaller ones that mght cause a mini-cycle. You'll need to balance the bio-load.
What kind of filter are you using on the 180g? You can add alot of aged filter material from your other tanks to get it going.
I'd have some bio-spira on hand in case. Your bio-load at bresent is for a 60g and a 30g = 90g. Now your tank will be double that, so it might be a strain.

Why do you need a blanket under the tank? You might want to consider some plywood or foam under the tank, and make sure the floor is very level.
Sounds like a fun project and lots of work too.

 

[snakeskinner]

same here, the tank doesn't care if it's cold, just make sure it sits flat and level. The water shouldn't make much difference as long as it's the same temp and PH. I don't see why the nitrate level would make any difference to the fish, lower should be better in my opinion but then I'm no chemist or biologist. the bio-spira might not be a bad idea either way. Kind of a safety net. KYle

 

[Holly9937]

I will be adding in the old gravel to the new tank as well. When I initially fill the new tank I will be running an established penguin 330 biowheel and an aquaclear 300, which are the 2 from my current tanks. I was hoping by just switching everything, it would just be like doing a really big water change...
I was just paranoid that I'll break the tank before I even get it in the house, so I didn't know if the cold floor would hurt it!! My husband would have probably laughed at the suggestion too, I don't know :duh: !!!!
Also, I've never used bio spira, will I be able to get it at a chain store? Also, will I be able to figure out how to use it in my specific situation from the directions on the bottle?

 

[phanmc]

You won't need Bio-Spira if you're not adding anymore fishes. I haven't seen Bio-Spira in any of the chain stores but most LFS have them.

I think you're going to need to change your filters eventually. Those 2 filters are both designed for 70 gallon tanks I believe and even combined, won't turn over enough water for a tank that size.

 

[Holly9937]

I'm getting 3 or 4 more filters with this tank, so once I figure out what I need and how to use the darn things (they're different types than I've ever had!) I'll get them running on the tank before I replace the old ones. I won't be adding more fish for at least a month or so after I get the new tank up. Will that be long enough to wait? Or maybe the question should be How long would you recommend I wait to add new fish after I get the new filters running and established?

 

[phanmc]

you can add new fishes right away, just add them slowly and allow the bacteria colony to grow to accommodate the extra bioload. I recall you aren't planning to add too many fishes anyway to flesh out your tank, so start by adding a small school of small fishes like the extra neons or cories and waiting a week. Do this until you reach your desired fishload.

 

[JosephMCorbett]

I just moved my fish from a 55g to a new 125g. You should be fine if you move everything (gravel, plants, decor, filters, and the water). It will be like doing a 50 water change. Depending on how much you change during your normal maintenance, your fish shouldn't mind. No matter how careful you are to preserve your bacteria, a lot will die from the disturbance. You will most likely have white cloudy water from the bacteria bloom for at least a couple of weeks. This is normal and ok. However, because some of the bacteria will die you could (and probably will) see an amonia spike at about 3-4 days after the move. Do at least 25% water changes daily for a few days until you see it go back down to 0. Try not to disturb your gravel/filters for this time period because you are trying to let your bacteria build up again. Also, because of this mini-cycle, I would not introduce any more fish. You want your bacteria to get built back up to your current bio-load first. Chances are it will be around the 2 week period when you start to see the water clear up and the amonia back at 0 for the last couple of days. At this point, it would be safe to add fish....slowly.