How do you guys change out your tanks without a cycle?

[fetto]

So I should be getting my hands on a 120 gallon for my oscars, which are currently in a 40 and outgrowing it slowly. My problem is, the 120 gallon has to go in the same corner cut out in the wall where the 40 gallon is. And without any time to cycle how would you go about this? I need to empty the 40 gallon and put the oscars in a spare 20 gallon till i can remove the 40 and install the 120 and fill it up (figure an hour if that). But then if im keeping the 120 gallon with a barebottom, can i just move the oscars in? I mean i can save the 40 gallons of water to put into the tank, then fill it up.

Im really in a bind as Im not sure exactly how to go about it.

 

[nooshbag]

people may say other wise, but in a tight situation like that, i would and have:
used all of the water from the old tank, trasnfered the same filter(s) with bio media. and kept the fish in the old tanks water until the new tank was at the correct temperature.
and added the water from the old into the new.
havent lost a fish after a transfer of tanks before.

 

[aclockworkorange]

Old water has no benefit if you're using the same source of water for the new tank. All your bacteria lives in your substrate (if you have any), tank surfaces, and mostly your filter--not in the water column.

 

[Joe M]

I had a similar problem. My 55 in my room had to be moved for my 125, but I needed the fish to stay in the 55 while I set up the 125.

This is what I did. I moved the 55 to a temporary spot with the old filters, set it back up with new water and put the fish in, then put the 125 in the old spot. I then set up the 125, and then moved all the fish and established filters and dreiftwood over to the 125. The whole process took 1 day, and I never got an ammonia reading at all through the whole process.

Good luck.

 

[Jc1119]

What kind of filters are you running? I had to move my 90 upstairs and knew it would take several hours to complete the move so I went to lowes, bought a 55 gallon trash can, filled it with water moved my fish in, threw my canisters over the side and went to work. For my wet dry, I kept a cooler full of old tank water and poured a pitcher full over the bioballs every 15-20 minutes. Once the tank was setup, I filled it put the filters in place, moved the fish and tested the water. All was well.

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

Seachem stability

 

[suds1421]

I have taken down a tank and setup the next in a couple hours. I took down the old tank, putting the fish in buckets.

Took EVERYTHING out of the old tank and put it in the new. (Even if I didn't want it). I changed out substrate and I put all the old substrate in new nylons and hung them in the tank. Fill it up with water. Run the old filters on the new tank, along with the new filters.

Float the fish to equalize temp and dump them in.

I've had good luck with the above.

Every couple days you can take out something for the new tank if you don't want it in there, Take the filter off last (if you are going to). If your filter has multiple sets of media, take out the bio first, then the next and finally the most coarse media. (sponges last).

 

[MyGiants]

people may say other wise, but in a tight situation like that, i would and have:
used all of the water from the old tank, trasnfered the same filter(s) with bio media. and kept the fish in the old tanks water until the new tank was at the correct temperature.
and added the water from the old into the new.
havent lost a fish after a transfer of tanks before.

This pretty much how I would do it too. The fish would be sitting in buckets while I'd put the remainder old water into the 120 then fill the rest with new water close to correct temp it was at. Just straight transfer the filters to the new tank and drop the fish in your done!

 

[muffywrx]

all you really need to do is transfer the old filter(s) over. It should have plenty of bacteria for your bioload, and diluting that bioload with more water is only a good thing. you could transfer old deco over in a nylon if you wanted ,but I personally think that is over kill if you have had you filter set up for a while.

 

[bigbadfish711]

Old water has no benefit if you're using the same source of water for the new tank. All your bacteria lives in your substrate (if you have any), tank surfaces, and mostly your filter--not in the water column.

+1

There is very little if any BB in your water column. I think what most people worry about is going through a "mini cycle". I like many people have changed out different tanks over the years. What kinda filtration are you using? As long as you are not using and UGF then the majority of your BB will be in your filters either HOB or Canister. If you want to have the new tank Bare Bottom then you can take the old gravel out of the old tank and place it into some mesh bags or pantie hose. Then just dangle them into the new tank. This water you insure you get the biggest amount of BB you can. However depending on your filtration system I would think that the existing BB in the filter would fine for the new tank.