Tank upgrade - a couple of questions

[kazinvan]

My current setup is a 33G tank with an old (~17yr) red belly piranha and feeder goldfish. I have had 'Chuck' the fossil for about 4 years, 3rd owner and want to give him a bigger 'retirement home'. I recently purchased a 55G tank and want to set that up in place of the 33.

When I set up the new tank, I'm planning to switch to sand instead of the gravel in the old tank. Also, I have a new filter (AC70 HOB) that I plan to use in the tank. Given that I'm not re-using the gravel or filter, what is the best way to seed my new tank and prevent a full re-cycle? Or is that even possible?

Should I suck up some of the 'gunk' from the gravel and put that into the new tank? Is that where the bacteria are? Should I use the old filter on the new tank for a while in addition to the AC70? The old filter is an AC30, so the media isn't the same but I can try and re-use it if that is another way to go.

Also, should I get rid of most of the feeders at first so as not to have a large amount of them in the tank? I currently have about 15.

I also have 5 apple snails, 2 zebra snails, about 5 rams horn snails. I have resorted to adding snails to the tank since I can't have any other fish.

Thanks for any tips you can provide.

[invadertoast]

The bacteria lives on your filter media. Do you have enough space on your tank to run the new filter with the old one on the 33 until you get the new tank set up? You could run both filters on the old tank, then switch them both to the new one once it's set up. Do you plan on keeping the 33g running for something else or are you tearing it down?

[Sharkman]

you could take some gravel from the 33g and put it in the end of a stocking and tie it up and that will help speed up the process of cycling. OR you can take the filter cartridge from the 33g and rub it all over the filter cartridge for the 55g and that will also kick start things.

[Northernguy]

I would set up the new tank with well rinsed sand .Fill it and use both your filters on the new tank.Take the gravel and make a couple or a few nylon bags full and place it in your new tank near the intake of the new filter.
That should instantly cycle your new tank.
I'm not sure if you will have a mini cycle though!Probably not.

[kazinvan]

Thanks for the comments. I can't run the tanks at the same time as the new one is going in the same spot as the old one. Old one is getting torn down and likely sold. There is a possibility that we will set it up elsewhere but that is unlikely.

I'll try running both filters on the new tank, who knows I may just leave both running forever and that will give me more filtration and I'll only clean one or the other at any one time and only parts of each so should have good bio filtration.

Never thought about putting the old gravel in nylon and placing it in the new tank. Will try that as well.