Changing tanks for the first time.

[Animag771]

So I am changing from a 20 high to a 20 long. I probably should have started this post before doing what I have already done, but I didn't think things through that far.

What I have done is I took all of the fish out and put them into a bucket with air stone, and put a towel over it so they could be in the dark. While they were in there I drained half of the water into the new tank and kept half in the old tank (was due for a PWC anyway) took all of the substrate (ecocomplete planted), plants, rocks and driftwood out and put them into the new tank. Topped off both tanks with fresh water and treated both. The fish were then put back into the original 20 high, which is now just an empty tank with filter and heater. I have more plants on their way to grow while the new tank is building up BB.

How bad did I make things?
Should I vacuum the mulm in the new tank that has been tossed around everywhere?

 

[ScotJudd]

Hi.
I'm assuming that you have a new filter in the new tank. With all the substrate disturbance it will more than likely need a few clean outs if the flow is reduced. I would vacuum the substrate, maybe just down to 1/4" deep, just to the remove the excess mum and to give a clean cap to the organically loaded Eco below. Hopefully you have put a small piece of your seeded media from the old filter into the new one and that you are cycling the new tank without fish in.
I had to move my tank and rebuild with my old Eco and the mess was awful, but I persevered and with regular maintenance and water changes the tank soon came clear. I have never regretted NOT cleaning the Eco, there was so much beneficial debris in it that my plants took off big time..
I don't know if you have them but I keep Malayan Trumpet Snails, MTS, and they do a great job on turning over the substrate as they burrow themselves during the day and come out to feed at night - not on live plants ,I add. Over feeding the tank can lead to a snail explosion, they are live bearers, but reduced feeding and selective culling is easy enough to keep them in check.


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[Animag771]

I don't have a new filter for the new tank I have an AC 50 on the old tank and since I will be selling the old one and they are both 20g I figured I would just use the same filter for this one. The new tank is only running a bubble wand right now. I was looking into getting a Maxi-Jet 400 power head for some more flow and I could put it in there until I move the fish and AC 50. I'm worried it would would be overkill with both though. Thoughts?

I did put the bio bag from my filter into the new tank. Which I am hoping will help jump start the BB growth.

I am not a snail fan. I will probably never have snails in my tank since it has already been infested with pond snails from petsmart plants.

I will have to look back into the cycling process to remember how to know when it's good to go for fish. Will the plants help it cycle faster since they absorb some of the nutrients? I have some Blyxa Japonica (x2), Blyxa Aubertii (x1), Hygrophila Corymbosa (x1), and Lulaeopsis Mauritiana (x6) on their way... Maybe some Staurogyne Repens too if they ever get back to me

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[Animag771]

Edit: *Deleted Post*

 

[ScotJudd]

Plants help in the day to day stability of a tank by using up some of the nitrogen compounds. When doing a fish less cycle plants do no harm but don't speed up the formation of the bacteria in the filter media. If you are dosing 4ppm ammonia the plants are very unlikely to have a great effect on this level. I have cycled with and without plants and not really noticed a difference, however, running a cycled tank with a good amount of planting does stabilise the tank more so than without plants. This is my experience of planted and not planted tanks.


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[Animag771]

Good to know and yes I'm dosing 4ppm. Is is going to be an issue not having my filter on there? I know the BB is mostly built up in the filter media.

Any thoughts on adding a Maxi-Jet 400 power head? Would that be too much flow combined with my AC 50.

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[PassengerTN]

If you're planning to use the old filter on the new tank, you could literally just move the filter (and pads/media) to the new tank and not worry about having to cycle.

Jesse

 

[Animag771]

Well heck I'll just do that. So you think it will instantly cycle? Wasn't sure if I needed to build BB on the tank itself first or not

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[PassengerTN]

The majority of your BB lives in the filter media. The tank does not really harbor anything. I would do a complete WC to rid of the dosed ammonia before you move the filter

Jesse

 

[Animag771]

If I get rid of the ammonia how will I know if it worked?

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[PassengerTN]

Well if you remove the ammonia via-water change, move the filter and fish over to the new tank and wait ~12-24 hours you should see nitrates on a water test. Seeding media is a common practice. Considering you're just transferring your current fish without adding more, and its the same size tank (20 gallons), your beneficial bacteria will see no changes with the move because it is working the same bioload as before in the same size water column.

Jesse

 

[Animag771]

Well if you remove the ammonia via-water change, move the filter and fish over to the new tank and wait ~12-24 hours you should see nitrates on a water test. Seeding media is a common practice. Considering you're just transferring your current fish without adding more, and its the same size tank (20 gallons), your beneficial bacteria will see no changes with the move because it is working the same bioload as before in the same size water column.

Jesse

Awesome I didn't even think of it like that. Well I'm planning on keeping them in the old tank for a few more days anyway, because I will be adding a bunch of plants when they arrive and it will be easier without having the fish in the tank. So I guess after I get that all settled I will swap the fish and filter over.

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[Animag771]

Last thing without having to start a whole new thread... About using a Maxi-Jet 400 with my AC50 for extra flow, is that too much on a 20 long? It would be just over 15x turnover rate.

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[PassengerTN]

That's subjective. Holler at tiger terror, brookster or some of the other guys with planted 20 longs and ask what they use in theirs

Jesse