tank switching question

[pokiey21]

I currently have 3brack morays and am wanting to move them to a bigger tank....only problem is that i want the new tank to be in the same spot as the old tank, and i'm not sure how to go about it cause i wouldn't be able to cycle the new tank. Had the idea of draining old tank water into clean plastic tub so i could put it back in the new tank when its set up(would fill new tank about a little more than halfway and then just adding new water(distilled from store like when i do water changes....don't trust city water) Keeping the eels in covered 2 gal buckets or bigger if recommended(they're about 16 in each) till new tank is ready in about 3-4 hrs after draining old tank. Also moving filter with same cartridges to new tank to keep the ben. bacteria built up in it to not shock them too bad. Also i want to change substrate from gravel to crushed coral or shells Does it sound like this would work or does anyone have a better suggestion that i might try.

Thanks for any and all help.
Mindy

 

[BIGgourami]

this whould probably be in setup and such forum but hey who cares?
if you could put a little of your old gravel in with the new crushed sunbstrate that would be best, there is a lot of bacteria in the gravel. just a thin layer underneath the new layer of crushed coral shell so that it's there but out of sight.
what kind of eels do you have? i would try to get them in larger bins, like a 5gal rubbermaid or something. make sure you have a good TIGHT fitting lid for them, as you know they are escape artists. just put an airstone and heater in with them and change the water frequently, they should be OK for a few weeks, while your tank i cycling. if you want you could even put them in a week or so early and just do alot of WC's.
hope this helps

 

[johnptc]

I currently have 3brack morays and am wanting to move them to a bigger tank....only problem is that i want the new tank to be in the same spot as the old tank, and i'm not sure how to go about it cause i wouldn't be able to cycle the new tank. Had the idea of draining old tank water into clean plastic tub so i could put it back in the new tank when its set up(would fill new tank about a little more than halfway and then just adding new water(distilled from store like when i do water changes....don't trust city water) Keeping the eels in covered 2 gal buckets or bigger if recommended(they're about 16 in each) till new tank is ready in about 3-4 hrs after draining old tank. Also moving filter with same cartridges to new tank to keep the ben. bacteria built up in it to not shock them too bad. Also i want to change substrate from gravel to crushed coral or shells Does it sound like this would work or does anyone have a better suggestion that i might try.

Thanks for any and all help.
Mindy

here is what i would do if i was really careful....

set up a couple of plastic trash cans as needed with water, heaters and filters.....
once setup and stable i would exchange some water with the tank that is up and running. i would keep this up over two weeks or so....so that:
1) new filters are cycled
2) all the water is the same

then you can hold the fish in the trash cans, drain the old tank......fill new tank with the existing water......move the cycled filters old and new and fish to the new tank,,,,,,

more work but but pretty fool proof...ime

 

[pokiey21]

first off thanks for replying so quick and with the ideas.

second...they are g. tile thou two look exactly the same and one has a couple small differences. thinking might be difference between male and female but who knows never been able to find any info on that subject, if their is any....lol

thought about it a little more and thinking i can just drain tank low enough to move it (with help of course)...maybe couple inches of water in bottom. move it into another room on temp stand(still with heater and filter), putting old water back in and just leave them in there the couple week's that the new tank needs to cycle...

only problem is the filter thats on their current tank i want to move to the new tank along with a new one. Would the new one be sufficient to cycle and then just add the old one with all the good bac. when i move the eels to new tank.

also does anybody know how much or little current they like. with 2 filters running i don't know if that would be too much for them.

thanks again,
Mindy

 

[pokiey21]

my avatar(?) pic is one of my babies when it was about 12-13 inches

 

[johnptc]

first off thanks for replying so quick and with the ideas.

second...they are g. tile thou two look exactly the same and one has a couple small differences. thinking might be difference between male and female but who knows never been able to find any info on that subject, if their is any....lol

thought about it a little more and thinking i can just drain tank low enough to move it (with help of course)...maybe couple inches of water in bottom. move it into another room on temp stand(still with heater and filter), putting old water back in and just leave them in there the couple week's that the new tank needs to cycle...

only problem is the filter thats on their current tank i want to move to the new tank along with a new one. Would the new one be sufficient to cycle and then just add the old one with all the good bac. when i move the eels to new tank.

also does anybody know how much or little current they like. with 2 filters running i don't know if that would be too much for them.

thanks again,
Mindy

put the new filter on the old tank asap.....you can even put used filter media in it.........this will cycle the filter in a couple of weeks and when you put it on the new tank it will be ready to go.....

just a thought...........john

 

[BIGgourami]

i wouldn't move a tank w/ water in it maybe like an inch or so, but, too many horror stories of exploding tanks. but hey you do what you gotta do.