Moving to a larger tank, need advice

[Esra]

Hi Guys,

First post here so Hi to everyone, very nice forum and site. Easily the best I've come across which is why i joined.

I've kept a VERY small (around 5G) tank going for the last 4 months as a test of wether I could maintain a larger one as I know the smaller tanks can be a pain.

I have 5 Neons, 2 Sword Tails, 1 Red Tail Shark, 5 bristle noses (babies), 2 khuli loches, 1 Betta, 3 mollies and a silver dollar.

I know it's a bit much for a tank this size but I bought them all young and now they're growing so I'm moving to a 55G tank as was the intention all along.

I was wondering what the best way of moving the fish across would be. Do i have to perform a full cycle with the new tank like I did with the original?
Can I just move the water, filter media and substrate from the old tank to the new one to get everything going?

The new tank has twin 1500L per hour canister filters (fluvals) so filtration should be fine. It is an established tank that is being emptied for the move. So the filter and substrate should have a bacteria colony already.
I've attached some pics. A bit sad to admit but I'm very excited!!

I'm buying the tank second hand but it is in very good condition and very well maintained.

I made it through the cycle with the smaller tank and am just unsure of the best way to move all my fish across.

Any advice would be great.

by the way the fish in the tank aren't mine, they're from an old pic of the tank. but shows the tank is pretty well maintained.

 

[blazeyreef]

that list is almost a full stock for a 55 (sorry but HEHE) wow...I dont know how you fit them all in the 5....cause my 5 has 1 molly and 2 tetra and I think its fully stocked....wow..im glad your getting the bigger tank!

 

[Esra]

that list is almost a full stock for a 55 (sorry but HEHE)

Your joking right???

Better be, i have plans!

Anyway would the process of just moving everything from the old 5G to the new tank, along with any bacteria already present in the new filters be enough?

I don't mind waiting for a full cycle if i have to but I'm anxious to get the fish into their new home!

 

[blazeyreef]

unfourtunitly...I would cycle the tank (unless some of the fish are getting really big! but I would wait for someone else....as I am not a expert on cycling

and well...lets look
no not really... I guess if yiou took out the bristle nose and silver dollar you would have a LOT more room!
5 Neons-1 1/2 inch, 2 Sword Tails-about 2-3 inch , 1 Red Tail Shark 5-6 inch, 5 bristle noses (babies)to big, 2 khuli loches 3 inch, 1 Betta, 3 mollies 2 inch and a silver dollar. 8 inch

 

[Esra]

So your saying take out the bristle noses and the silver dollar?

The tank is 4 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot.

Surely it can support more than that.
I have a friend with a tank that size running a lot more fish for over 2 years with no problem.

I know the bristle noses get big but i just exchange them with smaller ones at the LFS when they get too big.

Stocking wise i was thinking of keeping what i have, fleshing out the neon school a bit and then adding a few more fish to the tank.

Are you sure what you just listed is as much as the tank can support, it's a huge tank.

 

[jbarr]

My god...
That is a TON, ton of fish for a measly 5g. 5 BNs, shark and a silver dollar??
Deeeamn. Haha, how many casualties have you had in that? In that there glass death-bucket.
Oh boy, my apologies, but that truly is so many fish. That's almost more then I have in my 30 gal.

On a lighter note
Is that tank pictured only a 55? It looks pretty big

 

[Lonewolfblue]

One thing you can do that will almost instantly cycle the tank is to take all your media on the small tank and place it into one cannister. Then take all the substrate and place it in a few small nylon socks, and place into the other filter. This will give you near full capacity for your current stocking. But don't place all the substrate in a single sock, as you want water flow through your cannister. Do like 2 or 3 small socks so water can flow properly through the cannister, and the bacteria in the media in the socks will spread to the rest of the filter.

And if the fluvals are already cycled, then you can just move the fish over.

Edit:
If that tank is a 4x2x2, it's not a 55G. It's much bigger. A 55G is 48x12x18. A 75G is 48x18x18.

 

[Esra]

Yeah i know there are too many in the 5G.
That's why I'm upgrading. They do seem to be fine though, like i said 4 months and no problems and they have all been in together the whole time.

I made it over stocked while the fish were young to get practice managing changing water levels and also i knew i was getting a much bigget tank.

not sure about the Gallons in the new tank.
I'm in Australia.

All i know is that it's 4 foot long and 2 foot deep and 2 foot high.

Seems like a pretty large tank for the number of fish people are saying (ie. what i already have in the 5G)

 

[Lonewolfblue]

If it is a 48x24x24 (4ftx2ftx2ft), then it's a 120G.

 

[Esra]

Edit:
If that tank is a 4x2x2, it's not a 55G. It's much bigger. A 55G is 48x12x18. A 75G is 48x18x18.

Yeah it's definitely 48x24x24

Like i said i don't know Gallons being in Oz.

How many would be in this tank?

SO your saying I can put more fish in there than what i have already?

 

[rich311k]

That is a 120 gallons if your measurements are right. I think you current stock will fit quite well, along with new members. You may want two or three more silver dollars to fill out the school. BN plecos only get 5-6 inches.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I wish I could get a tank like that, lol. My biggest is a 75G. I want a 265G desparately, lol.

Yes, you have a lot more room than you thought, and can add more fish. But do so slowly to let the biofilter keep up with your adding of fish. A few fish each week or 2. I would agree on adding to your current schools(like mentioned above), as those fish do better in larger schools

 

[Esra]

That is a 120 gallons if your measurements are right. I think you current stock will fit quite well, along with new members. You may want two or three more silver dollars to fill out the school. BN plecos only get 5-6 inches.

That's great. 120G, sweet.

So I basically try and keep as much of my bacteria colony as I can and also the one from the filters I'm getting.

If i do that can i basically fill it and move the fish across?

Like i said i mainly want to keep what i have, get a few new neons and silver dollars (spotted, to match the one i have) and a couple more mollies.

Then all the schooling fish i have will have enough friends to keep them happy.

After that I'll just keep my eye out for fish i like. I've decided nothing bigger than six inches though.

Does that sound ok?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Yes, if the fluvals are already cycled before the move, then you can move the fish straight across. As long as the media stays moist, the bacteria won't die very fast, and most will survive. If all the media in the fluvals was kept moist, or in a bucket of tank water, then no cycling is necessary.

 

[Esra]

That's great.

Saves me a whole lot of messing around.

Thanks for the advice Lonewolfblue, very appreciated.

Is what i said about stocking ok?

Once i have the schooling fish up the levels i said how many 6 inch (apprx) fish could i look at adding?

Also looking at putting some yabbies in the bottom, anyone have any thoughts on that?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I don't really want to comment on how many 6 inch fish, as different fish have different bioloads. Your stocking plans are great, and I'd add more silver dollars, maybe a total of 6, and up your neons to maybe 10-12. Would look great. Then you will still have more room for additions, if you decide on a 2nd school of tetras later.

Just be aware, your red tail will do fine for a while, but once he reaches 4-5 inches, he's going to get pretty aggressive. My 5 inch red tail in my 75G was pretty tame when he was small, but he no longer takes anything from other fish, he dishes it out, lol. He's the only one I'd have any worries about. But since you only have 1, you should be fine. Definitely wouldn't want more than 1 red tail.

 

[Esra]

Yeah i've heard that about the Red-Tails.

I bought two on the stupid advice of the local store and one disappeared.

No idea where the body is, and if i can't find it in my small tank i have to assume it's been eaten.

The one remaining is generally ok, but i have see him chase a couple of the neons a bit.
I'm thinking of bringing him back to the LFS (new one with people who incredibly have brains) and getting something else.

My goal is a nice quiet community tank with the brightest coloured fish i can find.

 

[blazeyreef]

well for a 120 gall...forget what I said LOL im embarrased!

 

[majolo]

About the yabbies you asked about: I don't know anything about them, but I wanted to verify that it's these freshwater crayfish, right:
http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/pages/fisheries/rec_fishing/mrf_yabbie.htm

If so, I personally probably wouldn't put them with fish I wanted to see again in the morning, judging from the claws they have, and the following quote:

Yabbies are also opportunistic feeders, catching and eating small fish and crustaceans, as well as grazing on any aquatic vegetation that might be present.

 

[Esra]

Ah ok.

Yeah they're the ones I'm talking about.
We call them Yabbies in Australia, you can just get them from local streams, great colours.

I have heard they can catch fish but others have told me they are way too slow, plus that oscars and things eat them.
Not that I'm thinking of getting an oscar, like i said i want a peaceful tank!

I might give them a miss then, i'd get annoyed if it ate one of my fish and would probably cook it!!

I was really only using them as an alternative to Takashi Amano Shrimp as we can't get them here.

I like the idea of a crustacean in the tank to give the bottom some life as my Khuli's hide when the light is on.

Anyone know anything in OZ i could get?