A little question on upgrading the tank?

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Sai Sauce

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I am wanting to upgrade a 20 to a 55. My question is, when upgrading do I pour the water from the 20 to the 55 and fill it up all the way? Or fill the 55 up with NEW water and use the filter from the 20 and put it in there. My filter is an aquaclear 70. So which way do I do it?


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Honestly, in my opinion/ what I have done. Fill the tank up with water, let it cycle for a couple days... Do a water change and add the filter media from the old tank. Make sure water parameters match the old tank, add fish to new tank. I have never had a fish die from disease.


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Ive upgraded tanks a few times, I always put the old water in and top it up with clean water(a bit like a water change but as you need more water anyway you don't need to take any out, this will have a lot of bacteria in it), I also add any filters/filter media to the new tank, also, I you have any ornaments in old tank put them in new tank don't clean them for a week or so.

I've never had any problems with the water or had the tank cycle after I have done this, none of my fish have died doing this,

This way you won't need to cycle tank or wait for ages to put fish in new home, I've had fish in there immediately after and no problems


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There is no beneficial bacteria in your water column.
It would be a completely pointless waste of time for you to transfer the water over.

However, any decorations, substrate, rocks or plants that you might have in your 20 will be teeming with BB and they are the things you'll want to transfer over.

Also any extra media you may have in the 20 would help moving over.


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I disagree with the previous post. Your fish are used to the water in your existing tank. I would transfer as much of that as you can to the new tank, then gradually add in some fresh, dechlorinated water once you are ready to top it off. As someone else above said, it will be like a very large water change. Just make sure to match your temps and use all the media you can from your existing filter. I did this when I upgraded my 10 gallon to a 29. I had an instantaneous cycle and all the fish survived, even though they were a bit shocked at first. But I think that was because I rushed adding the water and the new tank ended up quite a bit warmer than the old. Good luck. That's exciting.


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I disagree with the previous post. Your fish are used to the water in your existing tank. I would transfer as much of that as you can to the new tank, then gradually add in some fresh, dechlorinated water once you are ready to top it off. As someone else above said, it will be like a very large water change. Just make sure to match your temps and use all the media you can from your existing filter. I did this when I upgraded my 10 gallon to a 29. I had an instantaneous cycle and all the fish survived, even though they were a bit shocked at first. But I think that was because I rushed adding the water and the new tank ended up quite a bit warmer than the old. Good luck. That's exciting.


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But what you think and what the facts are, are two different things.


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But what you think and what the facts are, are two different things.


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I agree. There is no point to transferring the water. It's the "hard goods" as I call them that house the beneficial bacteria. Make sure your water temps are the same, put in everything from your old tank except the water. Let it run for a day, add the fish.


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Yes but adding the old water means you DONT have to wait a day or two,

Makes more sense,

I've done it so many times now and to me this is the best way

End of the day it's the posters choice, we all do it differently, all depends if you don't mind waiting or if you want to get them in new tank quicker,


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Yes but adding the old water means you DONT have to wait a day or two,

Makes more sense,

I've done it so many times now and to me this is the best way

End of the day it's the posters choice, we all do it differently, all depends if you don't mind waiting or if you want to get them in new tank quicker,


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Nah, no good things happen in this hobby overnight.
There is no reason to rush into things.


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Nah, no good things happen in this hobby overnight.
There is no reason to rush into things.


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Whatever

This is my opinion.
The way I have upgraded many many tanks so say what you want, I do it my way you do it yours,

The poster ask for advice.....this is my advise to them, it has always worked perfectly this way for me

And good things do happen over night

Stop criticising everybody's way of doing things, obviously there is many ways to do things most of them are perfectly good ways, so there are going to be many options


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There is no reason to move the old water. Just match temp and treat with prime.. move everything over just don't let anything dry out. 90% of the bb is in the filter media.

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So many advice don't know which one to use LOL. My tank is a brackish, so when filling up the tank I can add the fish right away and with the filter?


Using My iPad and I Love Fishes! <~8~>
 
I am reading this on my iPhone so I may have missed something but it seems like one group is arguing that there is no need to bring the old water over because there is no bb in the water. The other group is saying that moving some or all of the old water will be less stressful for the fish.

My opinion is that both these things are true.

That being said, I would not move the old water. Not because there is something wrong with doing so but because I am lazy. Also I think generally speaking it is better to have clean water. Just acclimate the fish to the new water. Especially if you were not keeping up with water changes in the existing tank.
 
Whatever

This is my opinion.
The way I have upgraded many many tanks so say what you want, I do it my way you do it yours,

The poster ask for advice.....this is my advise to them, it has always worked perfectly this way for me

And good things do happen over night

Stop criticising everybody's way of doing things, obviously there is many ways to do things most of them are perfectly good ways, so there are going to be many options


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I'm not criticising EVERYBODY's way of doing things, just yours.


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I'm not criticising EVERYBODY's way of doing things, just yours.


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Well you've just proved to anyone who reads this how sad you are, these places are for people to say there bit, you have no right to sit there and criticise me, you don't no me, I've haven't done anything to you, your nice enough in your posts to everyone else......what's wrong, don't like it when a women disagrees with you hey?

Sad b*****d




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Well you've just proved to anyone who reads this how sad you are, these places are for people to say there bit, you have no right to sit there and criticise me, you don't no me, I've haven't done anything to you, your nice enough in your posts to everyone else......what's wrong, don't like it when a women disagrees with you hey?

Sad b*****d




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When you provoke me of course I'll respond with a stupid comment.
The fact that you've just gone straight to insulting me doesn't matter in any way, people will see this thread and find two people who are both too stupid to stop.

Oh and don't bring the feminist crap into this... That was just unnecessary.


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Theres no real need to transfer over the water. Any time ive ever upgraded a tank I fill it with fresh water, dechlorinate, and acclimate the fish as if I had just bought them from the store.

Is moving the water over inherently wrong? Absolutely not, however by moving the water over the only thing you're really doing is adding nitrates to the new tank. Assuming youre using the same water source there should be very very little difference in the water between tanks.
 
Theres no real need to transfer over the water. Any time ive ever upgraded a tank I fill it with fresh water, dechlorinate, and acclimate the fish as if I had just bought them from the store.

Is moving the water over inherently wrong? Absolutely not, however by moving the water over the only thing you're really doing is adding nitrates to the new tank. Assuming youre using the same water source there should be very very little difference in the water between tanks.


I agree with this as well. Explained very well also! No matter what I do, I always let the tank cycle over night, solely incase I want to drastically change any of the hard scaping/ plants before I add the fish. Other than that, treat the water acclimate the fish, add em in. This is especially okay if your water comes from te same source, like the original poster said.

To the poster who stated "don't like when I women argues with you". You made me laugh. Not trying to get involved here, but women, man, animal whatever.... The other poster still has his opinion and you have yours. No need to bring tht up


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I am reading this on my iPhone so I may have missed something but it seems like one group is arguing that there is no need to bring the old water over because there is no bb in the water. The other group is saying that moving some or all of the old water will be less stressful for the fish.

My opinion is that both these things are true.

That being said, I would not move the old water. Not because there is something wrong with doing so but because I am lazy. Also I think generally speaking it is better to have clean water. Just acclimate the fish to the new water. Especially if you were not keeping up with water changes in the existing tank.

I'll go with this one as well. Fresh treated water never killed a fish, just acclimate and you're ready to go. Try maintaining the same temperature.
 
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