30 -> 55 upgrade/cycling question

[skept]

hi i am moving my 30g fw community into a 55g fw tank with new filter heater etc. i have moved all of the water from the 30g, the substrate and all decorations.
an employee at the lfs suggested that if i move all the water and substrate over and run the filter that was running on the 30 in the 55 i should not have to worry about the tank needing to cycle. how do you (aquarium advice community) feel about this?

if what the lfs employee says is true how long do you think i should run the old filter. the old and new filters both have bio wheels. should i run them simultaneously and if so for how long.

i will be doing the exact same process for a 10g sw to a 30g sw. are there any special circumstances i should be aware of when attempting the same process with sw?

thanks,
jason

 

[Jchillin]

That is the perfect method of establishing a new tank. What is achieved here is all of your beneficial bacteria in your 30g filter will just be transferred over to the new 55. Having both filters running simultaneously allows the new filter to become established without producing a "mini-cycle".

I'm not sure about the SW process...you will probably be using a similar method.

 

[dr_girlfriend]

if what the lfs employee says is true how long do you think i should run the old filter. the old and new filters both have bio wheels. should i run them simultaneously and if so for how long.

Yes I would run them together. I'd say at least a week or two. If thats not possible, move the established bio wheel into the tank and let the new filter run. Or put a used filter pad in your new filter box and let it run. You may have a mini cycle, but probably not.

an employee at the lfs suggested that if i move all the water and substrate over and run the filter that was running on the 30 in the 55 i should not have to worry about the tank needing to cycle. how do you (aquarium advice community) feel about this?

I don't think the substrate was really necessary to move. Especially if you wanted a different set up. The water, maybe just 25-50% just so your fish wouldn't completely be in different water conditions on top of a stressful move.

I'm not sure about the SW, are you using a bio-filter or live rock? I think the same principles would apply. Might want to post in the salt forum and ask those guys just to be sure.
HTH

 

[Fluff]

i will be doing the exact same process for a 10g sw to a 30g sw. are there any special circumstances i should be aware of when attempting the same process with sw?

Yes, sw works the same way. Move everything over from the 10g.

 

[skept]

thanks alot for all of your help and information!

Fluff - 13 tanks! wow!
(tanks:
Saltwater-55g, 30gX2, 10gX2
Freshwater-110g, 30gX2, 20g, 10gx3, 6g.)