Switching fish from small tank to larger tank

[Fish Newbie]

As the title suggests I am switching my old fish from their 10 gallon which is much to small to their new 30 gallon home.

Any suggestions on setting up a new aquarium are welcome but I have the basics down, is it true you should put a few fish flakes in to start the bacterial culture?

Now I read that you should only add a few fish at a time, but my tank has 6 fish now and a pleco, can I not move them all into the new tank at once in a week?

Thanks
Jenna

[Chrona]

As the title suggests I am switching my old fish from their 10 gallon which is much to small to their new 30 gallon home.

Any suggestions on setting up a new aquarium are welcome but I have the basics down, is it true you should put a few fish flakes in to start the bacterial culture?

Now I read that you should only add a few fish at a time, but my tank has 6 fish now and a pleco, can I not move them all into the new tank at once in a week?

Thanks
Jenna

Run the new filter (for the 30g) in your 10g for about a week or two. Then, move everything (including both filters) over to the new tank, making sure to keep the gravel and the filters wet. Then monitor water parameters as needed and feed VERY little for the first week.

Or you could do with fishless cycling using ammonia, but the above method should work without a hitch. See the sticky about fishless cycling.

Welcome to AC btw.

[Lady Hobbs]

I certainly agree with transferring everything over to the new tank. You will probably need more gravel in the 30 gallon and if so, put the new gravel on the bottom and the old gravel on top.

If you are planning on all new gravel, put the old gravel in a nylon stocking and just lay it in the new tank for a couple weeks. You can then use it again in the 10 gallon when the new tank has cycled.

[Fish Newbie]

Few Problems,

One I already put the new gravel all into the new tank and started the filter.

I figured all of that should run atleast a week before switching them?

Would it be o.k. just to put some of their water in with them?

[Lady Hobbs]

You can transfer all the water if you want but bacteria is on the hard surfaces, not in the water much. If you can put that used gravel in a stocking, it would help a bunch. I lay my bags of it right on the bubbler.

Cycling will not even start until you have a source of ammonia.......either from fish or buying it in a bottle and doing a fishless cycle. Your tank will not cycle without one or the other so your tank sitting there with no fish in it for a week will do nothing.

Do not add your catfish for awhile. They starve to death in new tanks.

[Fish Newbie]

Is a pleco a form of catfish? Really not familiar with family names and such :)

[Fish Newbie]

Do I just leave the stocking in the new aquarium without the fish or with the fish and how long does it have to stay in there?
PS I don't have a bubbler

[Chrona]

Do I just leave the stocking in the new aquarium without the fish or with the fish and how long does it have to stay in there?
PS I don't have a bubbler

Put the new filter in the old tank and run it for a week. Then set up the new tank with the heater, new gravel, etc and put the old gravel in stockings and lay it on top of the new gravel. Immediately switch everything over to the new tank. After about a week, take the old gravel out, and 2 weeks after that, take the old filter out (or leave it in)

No bubbler is fine. They are not required.

[Fish Newbie]

So I already have the water and gravel in the new aquarium and it is a little cloudy, leave it like that for a week without the filter?

[Lady Hobbs]

Yes, your pleco is a catfish. I would transfer him over later. And yes, move your fish and your used gravel and used filter media that was in the 10 gallon. Do not clean the gravel, the filter media or nothing now until the tank has cycled. The nastier that filter media is, the more bacteria it holds.

Good luck.

[Chrona]

So I already have the water and gravel in the new aquarium and it is a little cloudy, leave it like that for a week without the filter?

Yes, it will be fine. Do a water change or two to get rid of the cloudiness. Also get your tap water tested for ammonia (your LFS can do this)

[Fish Newbie]

Oh gosh I had no idea what I was getting myself into :(

[Chrona]

Oh gosh I had no idea what I was getting myself into :(

lol

It's not that hard, the idea is to basically just let the good bacteria settle on your new equipment before switching tanks.

[Fish Newbie]

I just put the water in the aquarium today and treated it with aqua plus. It is really necessary to change the water already?

If there is no filter in the new tank the water will get stangent just sitting there for a week...?

[Chrona]

I just put the water in the aquarium today and treated it with aqua plus. It is really necessary to change the water already?

If there is no filter in the new tank the water will get stangent just sitting there for a week...?

You don't have to change the water. I was just saying if the cloudiness bothers you or something. The water will be fine for a week. Stir it once in a while if you must, lol.

[Fish Newbie]

So after a week it is o.k. to transfer all the fish and filters over to the new tank??

[Fish Newbie]

Can someone explain how keeping the new filter in the old tank for a week then switching it to the new tank is going to help?

Shouldn't the new tank be filtered a few days before tranferring fish?

[cocoa_pleco]

you first have to cycle the tank. Using old gravel or an old filter gets the bacteria colony boosted up and gives it a head start

[Rue]

Your old tank has established 'good' bacteria.

By putting the new filter in it, you are 'seeding' it with the good bacteria from an established source. That's a lot faster than waiting 6 weeks for the good bacteria to naturally establish themselves in the new tank.

The other thing you can do is put the filter media from the old filter into the new one...and put new media in the old filter.

That way you can use your new tank a lot quicker, since you have an established colony of good bacteria in place. And the filter media in the old tank will establish quicker, because you have the good bacteria in the rest of the tank...

There's debate whether Cycle or any of the the other common bacterial sources are of use or not. I use them...it won't hurt anything...but it may not help. Bio-Spira has a better track record, but it's not available in Canada...as far as I know.

Regardless of how you set up your tank...make sure you test water parametres before adding new fish.

[Fish Newbie]

So just to confirm.

In one week after having my new and old filter in the new tank, I can switch them to the new tank and transfer over my fish at the same time?
Also I am going to put the old gravel in a panty hose and place at the bottomof the tank for a week

[Rue]

...switch them over...let the new tank settle...I'd say about 24 hours...and test your water...if it's good to go...start moving your fish over...but only a few at a time...to give the tank time to adjust to the ammonia levels, instead of overwhelming the new tank with ammonia...


...without testing the water, you have NO idea of what's happening...I keep a little log with dates and whatnot (an old calendar) so I can keep tabs...otherwise it's too easy to forget...

[Fish Newbie]

So after a week of running the new filter in the old tank, put it in the new tank run it for 24 hours then test water and once water levels are good, start slowly moving fish over?

[Rue]

Yes. That should give you an excellent start to a healthy tank.