Please help! i'm setting up a new 175gallon and I need some advice

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
O

oscar777

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 1, 2014
114
0
0
Australia
Okay so I currently have a 45 gallon tank with a convict cichlid and he is only a juvenile and I haven't had him very long. I have almost finished building my 175gallon plywood aquarium which I plan to house 2 oscars, a green terror and the convict and I don't know what i'm going to do with my convict while i'm cycling my new tank. This is because I only have one filter which I need for cycling my new tank and I was going to use the water and gravel from my old tank to speed up the cycling process in the new tank because it already has the bacteria growing in it. I'm fairly sure I cant put the convict in the new tank straight away either and I don't want to get rid of him so can someone please give me some advice, is there some solution for me to use so that I can keep this fish alive. He is pretty hardy might I add.
thank you, please help! :eek:
 
With 175gal of water and a small convict, you'll be fine with it in the tank while its cycling. Just keep an eye on the parameters, don't add any new fish until tanks cycled, and do water changes every 2 or 3 days or daily if needed.

I cycled my new 180 (and brand new filters) with 2X 3"+ severums this summer and ammonia was never an issue.
 
I agree with the above post but if you don't want to do that drop in a sponge filter in small tank while cycling large tank remember if you are going to do this put sponge filter in small tank ASAP so it can seed


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
Ok sweet thanks guys, I am moving the current filter on the 45 gallon to the new 175 gallon because it is powerful enough to filter up to 300gallons and I will keep the old water in it so that the bacteria can get around the tank (its a fluval 305). Ive seen videos where people cycle their tank in 2-3 days and have had no trouble, how long should I wait until I add the new fish (2 oscars and 1 green terror)?
 
Don't worry about the old water for bacteria. Very little in the actual water column. Use it to help dilute and stabilize the differences(temp, ph, N03) of the new water and old water if you choose to, but not for bio.

For that amount of water being added, if the fish are small, I'd add one every day or so and watch your water. If the oscars are a little bigger, maybe one each week or so.

Things in this hobby tend to adjust to slow changes much better than quick ones.
 
oscar777 said:
Ok sweet thanks guys, I am moving the current filter on the 45 gallon to the new 175 gallon because it is powerful enough to filter up to 300gallons and I will keep the old water in it so that the bacteria can get around the tank (its a fluval 305). Ive seen videos where people cycle their tank in 2-3 days and have had no trouble, how long should I wait until I add the new fish (2 oscars and 1 green terror)?
Click to expand...

That's actually not enough filtration once you get more fish. At 300gph, you're getting less than 2x the water turn over. Most keepers like at least 4-5X the turn over rate. Eventhough the fluval is rated at 300gph, once you fill it with filter media it'll actually less flow. Basically, you're going to need a lot more filtration to keep that tank clean and healthy
 
So don't use the same water from the filter just the same water from the tank and add 1 fish a day because they are small. Sweet, so how long until I can add the first fish from when I set up the tank?
 
oscar777 said:
So don't use the same water from the filter just the same water from the tank and add 1 fish a day because they are small. Sweet, so how long until I can add the first fish from when I set up the tank?
Click to expand...

First thing you need to do, is get a water test kit for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite. Tank is cycled when ammonia is zero and nitrates starts showing up. This is when you can start adding fish. Worst thing you can do is be impatient and add too many fish too fast, so pace yourself. I'm not trying to offend you, but you sound rather inexperience, so I would recommend you add a small fish no more than once a week. After a few months, you should start thinking about a quarantine tank.
 
xraycer said:
First thing you need to do, is get a water test kit for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite. Tank is cycled when ammonia is zero and nitrates starts showing up. This is when you can start adding fish. Worst thing you can do is be impatient and add too many fish too fast, so pace yourself. I'm not trying to offend you, but you sound rather inexperience, so I would recommend you add a small fish no more than once a week. After a few months, you should start thinking about a quarantine tank.
Click to expand...


Yes agreed. Go slow and test. you can ad the water from the tank, but there is very little bio in the water column so your basically adding N03, assuming your filter is functioning, and helping stabilize the temps. In this situation, it probably couldn't hurt to add everything from the tank to the new one, water and all,...... just to be safe.

Didn't notice the filter type. Most canisters are rated for flow, empty, and the tank ratings are a bit exaggerated. You'll want to add another filter for sure long term. It'll handle the load now because it's so light and diluted by the water volume. But oscars grow pretty quickly, so a new filter is in your future!

A fish a week will and should keep you out of any issues while teasing as you go.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom