I currently have 2 peacock bass and a tiger oscar in a 125 gallon tank and I’m buying a 240 gallon tank tomorrow because they are outgrowing the 125 gallon tank. Should I fill the 240 almost full and move the water and filter from the 125 over to the 240 and instantly move the fish or should I let the 240 run for a bit and cycle before moving them. I’ve heard if I move the already cycled filter it will instantly cycle the new tank should I have to worry about an ammonia spike in the new tank if I move them right away?
Moving fish to new tank
- Thread starter Hunterpearson
- Start date
I’d move the filter and media to the 240g. Recheck the water and dose some dechlorinator and bacteria in a bottle as needed.
There is still a potential for spiking as there is still not enough bacteria in the new tank. Best to still let it cycle. You should also add decor and substrate from the 125. Also, 240 probably isn’t enough for a full grown bass, they get huge.
Your current BB numbers in your 125g are in line with the bio load of the three fish you already have. As long as those three fish are the only ones going in your new tank then you should, in theory, have pretty much an instant cycle, or as close to it as you're likely to get.
If I was doing it i'd fill the new tank up, put dechlorinator in, and put a power head in to give it a good "swish" about for a bit. There's no real benefit of transferring old water from your 125, just use 100% new. Make sure it's up to temperature and then add your filter and fish pretty much at the same time.
Then just monitor your parameters, and fish. The only gliche that can happen sometimes is an ever so slight spike in ammonia but it won't last long. This can happen because, don't forget, your old tank has BB on every submerged surface, as well as in the filter. Your new tank WON'T have any submerged BB, not for a while anyway. So your BB numbers in your new tank, at first, will be slightly lower than your current mature 125.
You can always add a bit of bottled bacteria to help you along with this anyway. Good luck, and congrats on the upgrade
If I was doing it i'd fill the new tank up, put dechlorinator in, and put a power head in to give it a good "swish" about for a bit. There's no real benefit of transferring old water from your 125, just use 100% new. Make sure it's up to temperature and then add your filter and fish pretty much at the same time.
Then just monitor your parameters, and fish. The only gliche that can happen sometimes is an ever so slight spike in ammonia but it won't last long. This can happen because, don't forget, your old tank has BB on every submerged surface, as well as in the filter. Your new tank WON'T have any submerged BB, not for a while anyway. So your BB numbers in your new tank, at first, will be slightly lower than your current mature 125.
You can always add a bit of bottled bacteria to help you along with this anyway. Good luck, and congrats on the upgrade
Yea I know they can get up to 20 inches my plan is to do a custom 500 or a pond once they are too big for the 240