Tank ready for pleco???

[NilusFishFamily]

Originally posted under setup I need help with upgrading the tank for my 15” pleco and his goldfish pal.
tank is cycled (I think) but I’m thinking a tank to tank move- please read the thread here and give me suggestions:

Can I add fish today?

Can I add my fish today? 120g Freshwater tank Test numbers (about 2pm) PH 7.4 Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0 Nitrates < 5 ppm Some brown algae & slight odor :-( ???Fully cycled(ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrates)??? Can I let my babies go to their new home? we have 2 very much loved fish, Pleco 15” &...

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

(I added on as a reply re:tank to tank)

 

[sikoko]

As a personal rule when setting up a new tank and waiting for it to cycle I test three separate times. Once when the levels are habitable and twice more to be sure. What odor?

 

[NilusFishFamily]

it’s had a slight.. pond odor. I’m so bad with smells- I don’t know how to describe it. Maybe it’s the algae. The smell seems gone now.

My helper insists The algae is normal (or can be) for the cycle process and
won’t hurt the fish,
b) our pleco & maybe even our goldfish will eat it.

But our big guy is at least 6 years old- everything I’ve read said they usually don’t eat algae after the first few yearsNever algae in our current tank that’s too small but we keep it very clean anyway...

thoughts?
algae is brown and looks like dirt/sand (you can see it better in this pic-b4 I added the rest of the river rock and plants)

Plants first time

Ok so some river rock on a mostly bare bottom tank, the plants came. 3 different anubias and a java fern. Also a coconut husk moss ‘bridge’ that I can attach at least one plant to. I have the glue from aquarium co-op- do I just glue the root to a rock or coconut husk and drop it in? Can I did...

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

We tested twice then, 1x before the water change and again 12 hrs later, I’ll test twice more.
How close in your opinion to the parameters need to be to the old tank to avoid stress and do a “tank to tank” transfer (vs putting them in a bucket on slow drip???

As a personal rule when setting up a new tank and waiting for it to cycle I test three separate times. Once when the levels are habitable and twice more to be sure. What odor?

 

[sikoko]

You'll want them as close as possible so ammo should be zero nitrite zero and nitrate >5 to >10. I would do a slow drip to further increase the low to no stress transfer

 

[NilusFishFamily]

How to do a slow drip transfer with someone too big to tolerate the bucket? Water exchange between tanks directly?

 

[rigby]

How to do a slow drip transfer with someone too big to tolerate the bucket? Water exchange between tanks directly?

If the bucket is too small for him then use a large container... and then drip acclimate

 

[dr exum]

i’ve not read all your different posts,

but have a little comfort in your dealing with probably 2 of the most hardy fish... and they are large too...

follow what the folks are recommending...

 

[dr exum]

How to do a slow drip transfer with someone too big to tolerate the bucket? Water exchange between tanks directly?

rubbermaid bin

 

[NilusFishFamily]

Pleco hasn’t moved since the transfer.
Is he ok?

Sick? Stressed? Normal?

Pleco finally transferred to his 120 tank. The transfer was stressful but we brought water parameters in line temp in line and ultimately only did one transfer tank to tank directly. He hasn’t moved though since we put him in I’m starting to get nervous… What should I watch for?

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

 

[parrthed]

Is he breathing? Unless something is crazy wrong with the tank, I can’t imagine he wouldn’t be ok. I take regular plecos regularly out of customers ponds, throw them in buckets and coolers then get back the the house and just throw them in the tubs and tanks. Plecos don’t move much especially when put in an new environment. Just make sure he’s breathing, water well oxygenated, and temp is good. Let him settle in.