Changing one tank over to another

[dragon14]

We have a 10g tank currently. It resides on a sturdy TV stand made for big, heavy, old tube-style TV's, so it can support a good deal of weight.

We are debating getting a 20g tank maybe soon or in the somewhat near future. Or maybe be a little crazy and get a 29g. Probably just a 20 though.

It would basically be instantly or almost instantly cycled wouldn't it?

I feel the biggest challenge might be moving stuff out of one tank while getting the new tank onto the stand. We'd move the sand, and ideally we'd like to transfer at least SOME of the old tank water into the new tank. We don't want to damage the integrity of the 10g tank. We'd still keep it for the time being, just not as an actively-used fish tank.

What is the best way to change one tank over to another?

 

[fish wrangler]

Use buckets or medium sized bins with aerators to hold compatible fish(ie-small tetras together and more aggressive fish by themselves); drain all of 10 gallon water into buckets, place decor, and filter media into the buckets; use a bin or similar container to hold sand.

Once the 10 gallon is empty and everyone/everything is in buckets or bins place the new tank on the stand. Add sand, old and new water, and decor to the new tank.

If the water is cloudy I would let everything it settle before turning the filter on so the impeller isnt damaged. If the water isnt cloudy add and turn on the filter, dose Prime, and add fish.

The whole process is the same as doing a 50% water change (more if you get a 29 gallon tank)

Hope that made sense.

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[dragon14]

THANK YOU


Like a couple of crazy people, we are doing this today. Driving over to the petstore at 4:30 pm EST. Probably need to get another bucket at WalMart first and hope they have one.... At least that is what we want to do... gotta get out the door...

20g we decided.

 

[fish wrangler]

Glad I could help and you where able to make sensr of all that!

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[dragon14]

me too, thanks again!
got a 20g kit and are going to move everything in the morning.

 

[dragon14]

20g tank is set up. Just have to put in the critters now.

 

[dragon14]

Critters are in.

 

[RadMax8]

That was quick!

How did it go?


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[dragon14]

It went fine! Everyone was pretty stressed out and annoyed with us, but now they've settled in and are loving it. Our pygmy cories are having a ball and more more active than we've seen them in a long time


Sometime in the last 3-4 days though we lost a shrimp ugh. must've crawled out. I love the shrimp.... and we tried to treat a pygmy cory with a shredded dorsal fin that had a tiny cottonball like thing between the shredded pieces with pimafix & melafix & he died a few hours after being put into quarantine, so I am afraid I killed him by trying to help him :'(. Ugh. He was fine other than the weird fin. so I am a sad fish girl.


But other than that, it went well. We are happy with the 20g tank.


Currently residing inside:
3 Amano shrimp
7 pygmy cories
1 male guppy


We are going to get (most likely, and staggered out of course):
6-8 panda cories
3 amano shrimp
at least 3 more pygmy cories. probably not more than that, but maybe up to 5 or something.

 

[dragon14]

Added 4 pandas and a baby bn pleco to our 20g tank

They're settling in. We plan to get two more pandas in a week or so.

So cute. The pleco is going to town on the decorations w algae.