Best way to switch tanks

[Dr Joe]

 

[timbo08]

Just a thought here.

I am going to be switching substrate from gravel to sand. What if i bought a 50 gallon container and filled it up most of the way. I have to buy a new filter for the 125 to go along with the Xp3 from my 65. If i were to put the sand into this container and run the new emp 400 for a month or untill i get the new tank setup, woudnt this colonize the sand and the filter?

Then i would have all the water from the 65g and almost 50 more gallons from the container. Then i would only have to add 10 gallons of new water.

How does that sound??

Thanks for all the posts also.

 

[Dr Joe]

Haven't we all had this situation...

How many fish in the 65g?

How are you cycling the 125g filter? If your just running it in paralel with the 65g's filter it will be very lean since it was sharing the bio-load with the other.

Here we go...

Get two 50g plastic storage tub, place them out of the way but close-by, drain down the 65g to 20g in one tub and transfer fish to it. hang filters in the water so they don't dry out if it's going to take very long. Drain the last 20g to the other tub. With HELP, switch tanks around and refill 60g with the 20g water(it's fresher than the water the fish are in now), put fish in the 65g and topoff with aged water or atleast pretreated water. Use your favorite stress reliever (for the fish not you i.e. stress zyme) & reinstall both filters and cover.

Now on to the 125g.



Place it, level it, put your substrate in and fill with the 45g of water that the fish were last in. Let this set for 2 days stirring the sand every 20 minutes (just kidding, twice a day is fine, this will help acclimate the sand), then hook up your filter and start it going. Fill tank with aged or pretreated water and check chemistry.

You will have to do water changes with water from the tank with the fish in it to feed this.



Now you can do the rest two ways...

1)
Do W/C on the 65g every 3 days and take that water and put it in the 125g after draining the appropriate amount from the 125g. Do this for 2 weeks while checking the chemistry. Cycling should take place at about the 2 week mark (give or take).

2)
Do the usual fish or fishless cycling...about 4 weeks.

Addendum:

Keep towels handy to mop up spilled water so you don't slip (experience talking here).

Being good to small children and old people at least a week before doing this (and saying your prayers) could be helpful.

Never knock Karma. Karma has big teeth and a long memory.

Never offer pizza and beer till after the work is done.

If you have any questions, find someone who knows what I'm talking about 'cause I'm confused.

P.S. It worked for me several times. (but God watches over small children and idiots, so I've been covered my whole life).

Good luck and Have fun.

Dr Joe

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Yes, read above highlighted area.

 

[Lil_Stinker]

Just a thought here.

I am going to be switching substrate from gravel to sand. What if i bought a 50 gallon container and filled it up most of the way. I have to buy a new filter for the 125 to go along with the Xp3 from my 65. If i were to put the sand into this container and run the new emp 400 for a month or untill i get the new tank setup, woudnt this colonize the sand and the filter?

Then i would have all the water from the 65g and almost 50 more gallons from the container. Then i would only have to add 10 gallons of new water.

How does that sound??

Thanks for all the posts also.

Not exactly, somehow ammonia needs to get in the tub to feed the bacteria.

you "could" even do a fish-less cycle in the tub if you want, but.... You cant just put conditioned water & a filter in the tub & expect it to fly, BB will not set up house.

running the new filter parallel on the old tank (or with tank water in the tub) will seed the bacteria in the filter faster, than in new water. so use tank water in the tub if you will do this. perhaps add a bit of pure ammonia each day too.

As Dr Joe says.... you need to feed the bacteria where there are no fish.

Thoughts from my simple brain

If you are not increasing your bio-load in the new tank (i.e. not adding more fish) I dont see a reason to go crazy for a month trying to setup BB in the sand. but thats just my opinion.​