Advice needed on doing the ol' switcharoo

[Aquarium Girl]

I have a 50 gal tall octagonal tank with African cichlids and a 50 gal (36x18x18) currently housing 4 fancy goldfish.

I would like to switch the cichlids to the longer tank and fancies to the tall tank but I'm worried about starting a new cycle as I'll have to switch over substrate as well.

The current cichlid tank has aragonite substrate and had been set up for approx 9 months, and the fancies tank has sand substrate and set up approx 3 months.

I have a 17 gal QT that I can use to house the fancies during the switch over and a large plastic tub for the cichlids (clean and has only ever bern used for PWC's) and will put their heater and air stone in.

Will stirring up the gravel/sand to switch tanks create a new cycle? Both tanks have similar params (Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrates 10 and 5 respectively, PH 7.8 and 8.0 respectively. Test with liquid API kit.
Filtration on both is over 5 times p/hr.

Any advice would be appreciated. I'm hoping to do this today so that I can do PWC's over the long weekend as necessary to keep things in check.

Thanks!!!

 

[Aquarium Girl]

Update: I have set up the long tank with the gravel (washed), rocks which were kept in tank water throughout the process, and am running the two filters that were already on the tank. I have also placed a bag of seeded media under the filter intake.

The water is a bit cloudy but is temp matched and of course, conditioned. Thinking I will wait another hour or so before I start to acclimate and put the cichlids into their new home.

Any input from anyone?

 

[Aquarium Girl]

Update: My cichlids seem pretty happy in their new home. I was pretty nervous about doing it, but there were no fatalities and all seems well.

About to move the goldies into their new tank and check water params. Fingers crossed there are no mini cycles.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Update: I have set up the long tank with the gravel (washed), rocks which were kept in tank water throughout the process, and am running the two filters that were already on the tank. I have also placed a bag of seeded media under the filter intake.

The water is a bit cloudy but is temp matched and of course, conditioned. Thinking I will wait another hour or so before I start to acclimate and put the cichlids into their new home.

Any input from anyone?

If it's cloudy it may just be from the sands and stuff settling but it could also be a bacteria bloom. Keep a close eye on water quality over the next couple days.

 

[Aquarium Girl]

Thanks Andrew. It's settled heaps already, water params in check and looking good. I think they're happy with the bigger footprint

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Thanks Andrew. It's settled heaps already, water params in check and looking good. I think they're happy with the bigger footprint

Yea they should be and aggression should have calmed a little too