Advice needed to transfer live plant ecosystem to new tank

[Jonatheber]

I have a 46 gallon bowfront and the center support snapped. I am getting a new tank and am going to try to transfer as much of the livestock (inexpensive freshwater fish like guppies) and plants as I can to the new tank. I have black diamond sand as substrate, well developed live plants (probably TOO many of them), and a fluval 407 canister filter. I have a bunch of questions about how to do it.

1) How much of the water should make the switch? 50%? Less? More?
2) Do I need to do anything to prepare the new tank's water that is any different than what I do every time I do a water cleaning?
3) Should I just transfer the black diamond sand as is (with whatever surrounds it in the substrate)? Is there some other step I should do?
4) Any tricks to transferring the plants? New plant tabs all over? Or just plant them in the substrate in the new tank?
5) Is now a good time to clean out the filter, or should I leave it intact because I want to keep all the bacteria inside for the moment?

Anything else I should do?

 

[Andy Sager]

I have a 46 gallon bowfront and the center support snapped. I am getting a new tank and am going to try to transfer as much of the livestock (inexpensive freshwater fish like guppies) and plants as I can to the new tank. I have black diamond sand as substrate, well developed live plants (probably TOO many of them), and a fluval 407 canister filter. I have a bunch of questions about how to do it.

1) How much of the water should make the switch? 50%? Less? More?
2) Do I need to do anything to prepare the new tank's water that is any different than what I do every time I do a water cleaning?
3) Should I just transfer the black diamond sand as is (with whatever surrounds it in the substrate)? Is there some other step I should do?
4) Any tricks to transferring the plants? New plant tabs all over? Or just plant them in the substrate in the new tank?
5) Is now a good time to clean out the filter, or should I leave it intact because I want to keep all the bacteria inside for the moment?

Anything else I should do?

Moving everything you can will help keep everything going as usual. Consider it a partial water change. Drain a percentage of the water into the new tank then move as much of the innerds of the old tank into the new tank then fill up the tank with the new water. I would suggest you get a container that can hold your fish for a few days and place the fish in there while moving the sand and such into the new tank as the water will probably become cloudy from the move. Once that clears, you can place the fish back in the new tank. Do not clean the filter just yet. The more of the material you move to the new tank the better.

 

[af2018]

I have a 46 gallon bowfront and the center support snapped. I am getting a new tank and am going to try to transfer as much of the livestock (inexpensive freshwater fish like guppies) and plants as I can to the new tank. I have black diamond sand as substrate, well developed live plants (probably TOO many of them), and a fluval 407 canister filter. I have a bunch of questions about how to do it.

1) How much of the water should make the switch? 50%? Less? More?
2) Do I need to do anything to prepare the new tank's water that is any different than what I do every time I do a water cleaning?
3) Should I just transfer the black diamond sand as is (with whatever surrounds it in the substrate)? Is there some other step I should do?
4) Any tricks to transferring the plants? New plant tabs all over? Or just plant them in the substrate in the new tank?
5) Is now a good time to clean out the filter, or should I leave it intact because I want to keep all the bacteria inside for the moment?

Anything else I should do?

If you’re going to a larger tank then salvage as much of your water as possible. Always reuse your decor without washing it off it has good bacteria. You can definitely use the same filter for a bit unless it’s really bad then start a new one and add some safe start to it you should be just fine! This is precisely what I just did went from 29 to a 55. I salvaged all my plants replanted them in my 55 and they’ve all been thriving! Best start you can give a new tank is using as much as you can from the old tank! But seriously safe start is so expensive but it’s worth it if you don’t have time to cycle or access to another established tank.