Nervous to move Mr. Sunshine to a new tank... Cycling nerves, and substrate change...

[Lollipops]

Mr. Sunshine (common goldfish, 6 inches) is about to move from a cramped 10 gallon, to a more appropriate 55 gallon!

But I'm nervous... I've cared for him for 6 weeks, after inheriting him from a teenager who's had him since she was 7... She won him at the fair... And I love him!! It's not worth risking his life D:

How can I keep from shocking him?
And I'm worried about the cycling...

His new 55 gallon, with sand and AquaClear 110 is waiting. The AquaClear is running with the AquaClear sponge filter, carbon package, and for biofilter I got Biohome Ultimate that just came in the mail, along with bacteria starter gels... The new tank has SAND too, and Mr. Sunshine is used to gravel.

From what I hear, I can move Mr. Sunshine, his old gravel tied off in an unused stocking, and his old filter, all together for instant cycling! Thoughts?


It IS going from a 10 gallon to a 55... is that enough bacteria in his old filter and thin amount of gravel...?

I figure the two filters can run together for a good long time while bacteria grows on the new Biohome in the AquaClear filter...

But I'm nervous nervous nervous about it...

Maybe I should tie off Mr. Sunshine's gravel in a stocking in his old tank first, and switch him to sand in that tank... Maybe it would ease his transition to get used to sand as substrate first...

I'm using rinsed pool filter sand, 30 mesh.

I've also considered just fishless cycling the tank on its own, before moving Mr. Sunshine... I could supplement the tank with ammonia, and use the gels, and stocking-gravel from his old tank. Mr. Sunshine could get used to sand in his old tank, and bacteria from the filter could keep his tank going. (Or will that start a mini-cycle?)

Help D:

 

[Lollipops]

Algae issue

Also, Mr. Sunshine's old tank has a good bit of algae that I'm always combatting...

If I fishless cycle his NEW tank with ammonia and the bacteria gels that came with my Biohome Ultimate...
Instead of seeding the NEW tank with his OLD gravel and filter, help keep the algae of the OLD tank from transferring over too?

 

[Delapool]

On the algae I've always found any sunlight hitting tank an issue. I think you are adding plants but if one side is growing a lot of algae, you could try putting backing of some sort on the tank to block a bit of the sunlight off.

 

[Reygan2]

Mr. Sunshine (common goldfish, 6 inches) is about to move from a cramped 10 gallon, to a more appropriate 55 gallon!

But I'm nervous... I've cared for him for 6 weeks, after inheriting him from a teenager who's had him since she was 7... She won him at the fair... And I love him!! It's not worth risking his life D:

How can I keep from shocking him?
And I'm worried about the cycling...

His new 55 gallon, with sand and AquaClear 110 is waiting. The AquaClear is running with the AquaClear sponge filter, carbon package, and for biofilter I got Biohome Ultimate that just came in the mail, along with bacteria starter gels... The new tank has SAND too, and Mr. Sunshine is used to gravel.

From what I hear, I can move Mr. Sunshine, his old gravel tied off in an unused stocking, and his old filter, all together for instant cycling! Thoughts?


It IS going from a 10 gallon to a 55... is that enough bacteria in his old filter and thin amount of gravel...?

I figure the two filters can run together for a good long time while bacteria grows on the new Biohome in the AquaClear filter...

But I'm nervous nervous nervous about it...

Maybe I should tie off Mr. Sunshine's gravel in a stocking in his old tank first, and switch him to sand in that tank... Maybe it would ease his transition to get used to sand as substrate first...

I'm using rinsed pool filter sand, 30 mesh.

I've also considered just fishless cycling the tank on its own, before moving Mr. Sunshine... I could supplement the tank with ammonia, and use the gels, and stocking-gravel from his old tank. Mr. Sunshine could get used to sand in his old tank, and bacteria from the filter could keep his tank going. (Or will that start a mini-cycle?)

Help D:

I responded to your earlier thread before seeing this.

If it were me I'd move everything over to the new tank. Keep running the new AC110 along with the old filter. It's a good idea to use the old substrate in stockings as well. Keep a close eye on the parameters with a liquid test kit. Sand substrate is ideal for goldfish. Mr. Sunshine is going to love all the new space! Sounds like you'll be good to go for a while. Keep us posted

 

[2Djinn]

I just did this with a cichlid tank upgrade and I have the two (old and new) canister filters running together. I moved over rocks, etc and used Fluval Cycle biological Booster Water Conditioner .