converting a reptile tank to fish tank

[rookie]

i currently have a 10 gallon that has been running for about 6 month however a freind said that he would give me a 55gallon that he had a reptile in it. i only know a little about cycling and i dont want to loose any fish in the process of transfering from the 10 gallon to the 55 gallon

[snipesxxx]

What filter you running? Best bet would probably add all your use stuff(gravel,filter,ect) to the 55gal. If you don't have a powerful enough filter get another one and have them both running at the same time. Even add your current 10gal's water, refill and add stuff to get rid of the chlorine also match water temps when refilling the 55gal. Add no more fish than you got now for a couple weeks.

I'd rinse the 55gal good aswell with just water before adding everything.

[Ellen4God]

Definitely clean the reptile tank out really well. You also may want to fill it up outside or in a garage (if you have one) to make sure it's able to hold water without leaking still.

Like mentioned before, use your old filter on the new one. Going from a 10g to a 55g, you'll most likely need more filtration, but it would be fine to use the new filtration in conjunction with your old filtration. This will also help seed the tank and hopefully make the cycling period almost nonexistent.

You'll have fun stocking that 55g compared to the 10g!! Many many more doors are open now!

[rookie]

thank you snipes. I would be getting a new filter. should i clean with bleach would that be harmful or should regular water do the trick. im just worried about other bacteria from the reptile contaminating the tank. also i will need more gravel should i put the old gravel on the top, bottom, mix it, or does it not matter.

[rookie]

thanks ellen yea i cant wait to get more fish :hmm3grin2orange: but i dont want to overstock it. i want to keep the angel fish and add more tiger barb and would love to get bala sharks but do i have enough room to do the bala sharks

[Ellen4God]

You can use bleach, just make sure you water it down some, and then rinse the heck out of it!! lol

About the gravel - I'm not sure what is the best place for it, but I would put it on top - but that's just me! :) Also, I would take a scoop of it and put it in some panty hose (like, just cut the bottom portion of panty hose off, stick the gravel in there, and tie a note). You can put this in your new filter to help seed it for the cycle.

I think you'd need a bigger tank for the bala shark, but I'm not positive. You also need to make sure the bala shark would be compatible with the other fish you plan on keeping in the aquarium. You can read this - [Only Registered Users Can See Links.] - for more information about bala sharks. It says they need aquariums that are at least 48 inches, so you can measure your tank to see if that fits that requirement. Maybe somebody can help with whether the bala shark would be compatible with your other fish. Good luck! :)

P.S. I can't imagine your excitement! I'm going from a 10g to a 20g long, and I'm just tickled to death!! lol

[cocoa_pleco]

is it a actual aquarium built for fish with a reptile in it, or is it a actual reptile tank? reptile tanks have really thin glass and they would most likely burst with water in them

a proper school of bala sharks needs 300g+

[rookie]

it was my cousins origanal fish tank and then he converted it into a reptile tank but wow 300+ gallons that makes it almost impossible for the average working joe to have them

[Jeffbdd]

I dont see a couple bala sharks having a problem in a 55. Im not sure how fast they grow and might need traded once grown but your good for at least a year min

[rookie]

ok but the funny thing is that i was in a fish store today and on one of the tags said they only grow to 8in is that because they dont know what they are talking about? or are there diffrent breeds?

[bushwhacker]

rookie rather than using bleach scrub the tank with salt and hot water then rinse it good you wont have the problems with left over chlorine and using your filter off the 10 it will carry your fish for now till you get a new filter seeded to get more fish

[Jeffbdd]

They grow to like 18inch or so but never reach it, which is why a 55g depending on how many others u plan would be no problem.

[rookie]

jeff as of right now i have 6 tiger barbs and as long as they stop fighting i hope i keep all six, and one angel fish do you think putting a few bala sharks in would be overstocking a 55g. if not how many do you think i can get.

[Halelorf]

Being without water for those 6 months I would test fill it in an area where it won't be a pain to get soaked. You need to make sure the silicon didn't dry out. I would fill it up and leave it to sit for maybe two weeks to be really sure. You can wash it with bleach easy. Just get regular strength UNSCENTED kind. Do not buy any that have perfumes etc. as they could make it over. Any decent conditioner can remove the bleach from the cleaning water or you can let it out gas from the water by adding an airstone and letting it sit for another week or two. Now onto the fish. No on the bala sharks. You can't keep even a single one in a 55g. They grow enormous and are a schooling fish so it is best to keep them in a shoal of atleast 6. As Cocoa said they are a 300g+ minimum. Shame that they are sold to unaware hobbyists.

[rookie]

i agree with the fact that fish store do not convey the nessassary information that a pet owner needs. when i was a kid i had 2 bala sharks in a 10 gallon and didnt know why they died after like six months i figured if i had them that long why would they die but what did i know i was a kid but now when i first started a new 10g about 6 months ago i asked the guy at the pet store what i could get and he said bala sharks would be no problem and besides them he also told me i could get a bunch of other fish and my tank was way overstocked. not to mention my tank was just starting the cycle process. if i only knew what i know now

[Jeffbdd]

I would say a pair but thats my opinion. People here look for what they will end up many years for judging size of aquarium. If you buy a pair 2 inches, and it takes 2 years to over grow the tank. Trade em.