getting the 55 gallon going!

[dieanna]

I've been working on setting up my new 55 gallon. I'll be ready in a day or two to transfer a few fish. I was wondering, out of the fish I already have, what fish I should transfer first. I'm not sure which would be the most adaptable fish out of my stock to start cycling the tank. I would do a fishless cycle, but my little tank is so overcrowded and I want to give them room. Here's what I have:

2 blue gouramis
2 mollies
2 red-eye tetras
2 cories
1 pleco

What do you think?
Thanks.

 

[rubysoho]

Hello! No worries, I was in this predicament when I started my 55 gallon last winter. Because of some delays in equipment I had two rescue fish who were rapidly outgrowing my tank as well as getting closer to eating my fish! Anyway, I would start with the 2 gouramis because the rest are too small to really cycle a 55 gallon, but are still more sensative and might not get through a peak in ammonia. Just do lots of water changes and you'll be fine. I was changing about 20% every other day.

 

[dieanna]

I was thinking it should be the gouramis, but I wanted to get other's opinions first. I noticed within the last couple weeks one of them has been getting very territorial and stressing the other one out. I just moved a lilly down to the larger tank, so I'm hoping that will help with the cycling. Thank you for the advice.

 

[severum mama]

Are you planning to move all your fish over to your 55 gallon? If you are, I think the easiest thing to do would be to move all the fish over at the same time along with the old filter, then just run the old filter along with the new filter for a couple weeks. That will cycle the tank pretty quickly, but you should still test the water every day and be prepared to do some pwcs as needed. Still, I think it could cycle in a week or less.

 

[dieanna]

That's seems like a good idea. I do plan on moving them all to the 55. Do you think I should put any of the water from the small tank in the new one, too?

 

[rich311k]

Don't move water it serves no purpose. You will just be moving dirty water. Move the filter and any decorations and gravel you are planning to keep.

 

[severum mama]

Well, I don't know if it would do that much good. :? I've heard a lot of people recommend it, but others say the bacteria is not really free floating so it doesn't matter. I probably wouldn't mess with it. I have started a 20 gallon, a 30 gallon, and a 55 gallon this way with no problems. Just keep testing the water- I had a small and short-lived nitrite spike in the 55 gallon that required a PWC, but then the tank cycled in 3 days. I don't think yours will cycle this quickly, but it will be much quicker than starting from scratch.