Alright so I have a 125 gallon tank full of SA/CA cichlids and its been running for about a year and a half, cycled and everything. I just bought a 265 gallon and I'm wondering if I could just do a complete swap from 125 to 265. Filters, gravel, ornaments, fish, everything. Would I still need to cycle or can I just do this swap?
New 265 gallon tank situation
- Thread starter reoysh2
- Start date
I think you should be okay to swap out everything.I wouldn't worry about the water though.just refill with close to same temperature.maybe add some bottled stuff for additional BB.
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Yeah the guy at the store was trying to tell me that adding the other half of water ws going to kill my beneficial because chloramines turn into chlorine and create ammonia? Is that True? Oh and also the tank came with and fx5 along with the filters I already have so that should help also.
+1, agreed I think you should be okay. I would just use a much water from the 125 as possible.
fill it up, toss some prime in, connect your filters, get the temp right, then put the fish in. there is no need to use much, if any, water from the 125. why transfer over all the ammonia and nitrite? all your bb is in your filters. there is not much of it in the water. as long as you put fish immediately the bb will thrive. i recently set up a 75 from a 55. i keep the media in my filters wet, i rinsed out the gravel, filled up the 75 with the hose, put some prime, started the filter, waited until the water was at the temp i wanted it at and dropped my fish in. dont make it more difficult than you have to. as long as you treat the water and are using the previous filters (or filter media) you shouldnt have any problems.
This has worked well for me in past situations like this;
-catch fish and put in bins/holding tank.
-drain half the water into storage containers (stirring up the gravel is going to make it nasty!) or pump it directly into the new tank.
-transfer gravel etc over to the new tank, leaving behind as much muck as you can.
-add old tank water to new tank
-dump fish in [only reason I keep the old water is to save acclimatising them]
-top up with pre-heated water to avoid too much of a drop in temp
-hook up filters etc.
You don't really need to transfer the water over, as someone said all the beneficial bacteria is in your filters, but it does save time on acclimatising them. I shifted house with three tanks running and did a bit of a relay using this method. I had a new 210g waiting at the new house, caught fish from my 160g, transferred fish, media for the sump and about 80g of water over to kick-start the 210g. Then moved the empty 160g to the new place, then repeated the process with the fish and filters from my 80g. Then moved the 80g and repeated again with the fish/filters etc from my 40g. It was a hell of a day but it went off perfectly and the fish were happy and eating the following day.
-catch fish and put in bins/holding tank.
-drain half the water into storage containers (stirring up the gravel is going to make it nasty!) or pump it directly into the new tank.
-transfer gravel etc over to the new tank, leaving behind as much muck as you can.
-add old tank water to new tank
-dump fish in [only reason I keep the old water is to save acclimatising them]
-top up with pre-heated water to avoid too much of a drop in temp
-hook up filters etc.
You don't really need to transfer the water over, as someone said all the beneficial bacteria is in your filters, but it does save time on acclimatising them. I shifted house with three tanks running and did a bit of a relay using this method. I had a new 210g waiting at the new house, caught fish from my 160g, transferred fish, media for the sump and about 80g of water over to kick-start the 210g. Then moved the empty 160g to the new place, then repeated the process with the fish and filters from my 80g. Then moved the 80g and repeated again with the fish/filters etc from my 40g. It was a hell of a day but it went off perfectly and the fish were happy and eating the following day.
This is pretty close to what I do and never had an issue.
Cycling the tank is a misstatement. You are building a colony of bb to handle your stock, if you transfer from a 100 to a 300 but don't change the stock your bioload is the same.
If you are setting the tank up in different locations, here's my process;
1. Setup new tank, fill, & treat
2. Move filters, decor, etc
3. Move fish
4. Shut down old tank
If you have to swap the tanks out in the same location, you''l have to use bags, totes, or something to hold the fish as posted above.
1. Setup new tank, fill, & treat
2. Move filters, decor, etc
3. Move fish
4. Shut down old tank
If you have to swap the tanks out in the same location, you''l have to use bags, totes, or something to hold the fish as posted above.