starting up a second tank. questions

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chasgood

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jun 7, 2004
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412
Location
Moore Oklahoma
I am getting ready to do the equipment switches and put fish in the 20gal.

Is 2 weeks long enough for the filstar xP1 media to get a colony of bacteria to take over the whole load when I move the eclipse hood with bio-wheel from the 37 to the 20? A small spike for a few days is my guess.

How long will bacteria live without food? To say another way, how long will the bacteria live in a new tank without fish? It will only be a day or 2 till fish are in it at most. If all goes well the same day.

The new tank is 3/4 full of water and the quickfilter running for several days. Plan on topping off the tank with water from the 37gal.
 
I would give it another week before moving it over.

The shock of going to a unfilled tank will start killing the bacteria immediatly. Therefor it is best to move the filter at the same time the fish are placed in the tank.
 
Only water chemistry tests can tell you for sure whether the bacteria are keeping up with the bio-load. I've had tanks cycle in a week when properly seeded.
 
tropical and doc, would he be able to move water to the new tank, and use both filter sys for a week or 2?
 
I am more worried about the 37gal with a full load of fish than the 20. Dont care to have it cycle with that load. As far as the 20 goes I just hope not to kill off the bacteria on the bio-wheel. Would like to see a short cycle on it but not as worried.
 
would he be able to move water to the new tank
the benefical bacteria lives on things like glass, ornaments, rocks, filters not in the water itself so moving water does not benefit alot of the cycling efforts. So keeping that in mind I can answer the next question.
I am more worried about the 37gal with a full load of fish than the 20. Dont care to have it cycle with that load
Since the bacteria lives on other things besides the filter you will most likely be OK. Your tank will act just as it does when you clean the filter.
 
Well this afternoon I got 3 Platty's. It was 6 hours later before I was able to move the eclipse hood to it.
The 37 only has the xP1 for filtering and the 20 only the eclipse filter.
The 37 looks so much better with the pc 55 watt light.
The Eclipse light seems brighter on the 20. Must be because it is half the height. I think everthing is going to work out just fine.
 
well after 2 weeks there has been no ammonia or nitrites on the water tests. The 2 cups of gravel and fake driftwwod moved from the 37gal plus the bio-wheel meant no cycle was needed. yahoo...............................
 
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