Moving my cichlids to a new tank. Need advice.

[ccross]

I have my 20 gallon long tank all set up and up to temperature. I want to transfer my 4 juvenile cichlids and bristlenose pleco to it but I want to do it the best way possible for the well being of my fish. I have to do a fish in cycle on the new tank because I really need to get them out of the old 15 gallon, which has a slow leak. That said, I will be moving the filter from the old tank to help with the cycling process. All the decor will be moved as well. The substrate is the only thing that I will not be moving because I found some rocky gravel that I like better. Can anyone please help me do this in the safest way possible? I do not want to lose any fish in the process.

I know the 20 gallon is NOT large enough for these 4 cichlids as they grow but only 2 of them will inevitably remain there. My 2 kenyi's will be going to a friend that can better care for them in a few months when he returns home from college. This will just leave my 2 electric yellow labs and pleco.

 

[Cichlid-dude]

Hate to say it and im sure youve already heard it, that tank is way way way too small for yellow labs and a pleco.

 

[ccross]

Hate to say it and im sure youve already heard it, that tank is way way way too small for yellow labs and a pleco.

The question asked was how do I move them with out harming them thanks...

They are only 1.5 inches at the moment. Once they start getting too large they will be re-homed. If noone wants to do anything other than tell me my tank is too small, I will just go about it on my own and hope for the best.

 

[Megacichlid]

If you can just transfer the water as well,match the temp and add the fish,i have swapped tanks a few times,you should be fine

 

[ccross]

If you can just transfer the water as well,match the temp and add the fish,i have swapped tanks a few times,you should be fine

Problem is, I already filled the tank with fresh water and have treated it with Seachem Prime. I wanted to start as clean as possible.

 

[joel618]

That's fine.

 

[ccross]

Should I acclimate them to the new water? And if so, all as a group or add them individually?

 

[jetajockey]

You can acclimate them if the parameters differ between the two tanks. If you have a pH buffer in one and not the other, or a different temp in one, then acclimation is a good idea. Otherwise you can just put them all in as you see fit.

 

[OBEYtheFISH]

Well its from the same tap? I think it should be fine?
Maybe drop the new water to like 70% & add some of the old water
& the water that you took out of the 20 put it in the 15 so like swapping the water in a way should be fine

 

[ccross]

Well its from the same tap? I think it should be fine?
Maybe drop the new water to like 70% & add some of the old water
& the water that you took out of the 20 put it in the 15 so like swapping the water in a way should be fine

Yep, from the same tap. Perimeters are the same as far as I can see. Both are exactly the same temperature, 78*.

So are you saying to remove 30% from each tank and basically swap it? If so, I assume I'd be leaving the cichlids in the original tank when i do this to help the acclimate to the new water?

I'm asking so many questions because I had trouble with fish loss when i swapped my other tropical tank. I lost 3 white skirt tetras and 1 tiger barb. I still cant figure 0ut what happened there and I do not want it to happen again

 

[severum mama]

Let's keep this thread on topic, please. Jeta and OBEY have given good advice about swapping fish between tanks.

 

[joel618]

I personally would acclimate them. Put a couple inches of old tank water in a bucket, add your fish. Then add the new water. A cup at a time every 5-10 minutes for about an hour. I learned alot from this site about acclimating to shipping. Check it out. Www.freewebs.com/pbaquatics

 

[ccross]

I personally would acclimate them. Put a couple inches of old tank water in a bucket, add your fish. Then add the new water. A cup at a time every 5-10 minutes for about an hour. I learned alot from this site about acclimating to shipping. Check it out. Www.freewebs.com/pbaquatics

I usually do the bucket method when I acclimate my new fish. Usually take one cup out of the bucket and add a cup of tank water, wait 10 minutes, take another cup out of the bucket and add another from the tank. I do this for about an hour before adding them. I should follow the same routine for my tank swap?

 

[joel618]

I usually do the bucket method when I acclimate my new fish. Usually take one cup out of the bucket and add a cup of tank water, wait 10 minutes, take another cup out of the bucket and add another from the tank. I do this for about an hour before adding them. I should follow the same routine for my tank swap?

As for my previous post. I just get tired of being told something I am completely aware of All my fish are well cared for. I wish I could run to the pet store and grab a 100 gallon tomorrow but my money is tied up in other things like my children This tank is simply a lay-over until i can move them to something better. I'd rather have it this way than to get rid of the fish that I am rather attached to.

I would bucket acclimate them then net them over to the new tank. I understand, this stuff can get expensive.
Still check that site out. Good cichlid info along with good general fish keeping info. I learned alot.

 

[ccross]

I would bucket acclimate them then net them over to the new tank. I understand, this stuff can get expensive.
Still check that site out. Good cichlid info along with good general fish keeping info. I learned alot.

I'll give it a look. Thanks for the info!

 

[OBEYtheFISH]

I personally would acclimate them. Put a couple inches of old tank water in a bucket, add your fish. Then add the new water. A cup at a time every 5-10 minutes for about an hour. I learned alot from this site about acclimating to shipping. Check it out. Www.freewebs.com/pbaquatics

That's true but he's using water that his fish have been used to already same parameters

 

[ccross]

Fish are all all moved and seem extremely happy with their new home. There are now a total of 6 in the tank, all very small. I took 2 out of my brother in laws goldfish tank because they would have been dead in a weeks time. Before anyone comments that the tank is too small, please see my other thread:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f100/getting-a-75-gallon-tank-191747.html

Here is a vid of the new tank set up and stocked. Can anyone help identify the type of cichlids that the white (has pale blue fins and red eyes) and the golden brown (has very pale stripes) are?

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f100/getting-a-75-gallon-tank-191747.html

One last question. The person taking the Kenyi's from me will be adding them to a 100g tank that has johanni's in it. They are right around the same size as the kenyi's. He says they will be fine together but I would like to hear it from others as well before he adds them. I am very attached to them and would hate to have them killed.

 

[garfy]

The tank looks great good job.
The white fish looks like an Albino pseudotropheus zebra.

 

[ccross]

The tank looks great good job.
The white fish looks like an Albino pseudotropheus zebra.

I thought it was an Albino Zebra Can anyone confirm? And what about the little brownish guy? He likes to hang out with the white one

EDIT: After getting a good look at the brownish guy, I'm thinking he might be a male Kenyi. But I'm not very good at identification yet. He's very skittish tho. The Albino seems to be the aggressive fish in the tank.

 

[Malawi Freak]

What I see in that tank is
1 yellow lab
2 Kenyi
1 snow white socolofi
And the dark one I couldn't get a good look of.