Upgrading tanks with limited space?

[Buphy]

So with my new larger tanks (125 and 150 gallon) on the way next week it's got me thinking... How the F am I gonna do this?! The 150 is going in the living room, replacing the TV do that's not a problem. The problem I'm having is the 125 is going in the bed room where I currently have my 55 and my 37. I'm planning on moving the stock from the 37 to the 150 and the 55 is just going away.

Problem is I don't have room to have the 150 and the 125 set up cycling and have the 37 set up with fish (I could move the 37 to some random corner but my wife would be pissed). Any recommendations on how to play these switches?

 

[Woefulrelic]

Move everything including equipment from the 37 to the 150 and stock, or hide in the stand of the 150?

 

[Buphy]

Ya, the concern is that the 150 isn't "cycled". Think that's manageable with larger daily water changes?

 

[freak78]

Just take a lot of beneficial bacteria from the filters of the 55 and 37 to seed the 150. Then transfer the fish but watch your water parameters and do water changes as needed.

 

[Woefulrelic]

Ya, the concern is that the 150 isn't "cycled". Think that's manageable with larger daily water changes?

The filters on the 37/55 are cycled, if it handled the needs of your fish in the smaller tanks it will still do so in the bigger one. Unless you are adding more fish it should not cause any problems. The 37/55's filters running on the new tank should also help seed the new filter material, leading to a much shorter cycle of the media.

 

[xraycer]

The filters on the 37/55 are cycled, if it handled the needs of your fish in the smaller tanks it will still do so in the bigger one. Unless you are adding more fish it should not cause any problems. The 37/55's filters running on the new tank should also help seed the new filter material, leading to a much shorter cycle of the media.

^^^^THIS^^^^
Also move all the decor over as well, they contain bb on them as well. You can add an extra layer of protection and add "bb in a bottle" stuff such as Tetras SafeStart.

As Woefulrelic mentioned, don't add new fish...........for about a month.

 

[Buphy]

So... Update! Wife is worried about finances but I told her we're getting these tanks! But it's all about compromise so I wont be setting them up right away... So current plan!

150 goes in living room unset up.
125 goes some where? (storage at a friends garage or something?)
55 Lyonsi juvies! (Jeff Rapps should be getting some end of this month so the 55 will be a temp home)
37 just keeps its current stock (severums and dither)

Step 2: 150 gets set up and cycled. Stock from the 37 and 55 both go into the 150 (possibly divided) and the 125 gets set up and cycled. Finally, the Lyonsi move to the 125 and I add more stock to the 150 (more dither and geophagus).

Thoughts?

 

[Woefulrelic]

Depending on your filtration set up you could put some media designated for the 125 in the 150, making it so once you decide to run the 125 it will be safeish for fish. Otherwise sounds like a good plan.

 

[Buphy]

Oh ya! Was kinda avoiding the filtration subject because I'm not 100% on what I'm doing, but here's my current thoughts.

Currently have the following filters.
-Fluval U2
-Fluval U4
-Fluval 305 cansister
-top fin power 60
-my filter on my 37 which I think was a small emperor but I can't remember...
Plan... After we save some more after we get the tanks I'd like to get a pretty good HOB filter for the 150. Have 3 running and basically do maintenance on one every 2 months. Because of space constrants the 125 will be getting the U filters and the canister.