Upgrading

[WayBel2004]

Hello All,

A friend of the family is giving us a 55 gallon tank with everything lights, filters, stand etc. I have a 20 gallon set up now and want to know the best way to set up the new tank. Will I have to cycle again? Do I just use the water from the 20 gallon in the new tank. I have no idea what I'm doing. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[jetajockey]

Transfer some of the filter media from the old tank to the new tank, some gravel would help as well. Adding the water isn't going to do much.

 

[jcolon]

Transfer some of the filter media from the old tank to the new tank, some gravel would help as well. Adding the water isn't going to do much.

Does the 55 still have stock or has it gone some time without?
I agree with jetajockey ... transfer as much as possible if the tank is still has livestock ... just make sure the materials DO NOT dry out.

If the tank's gone a while (1week+) without livestock then the BB are probably dead.

 

[WayBel2004]

The tank has been dry for about a month. Could I use my gravel and ornaments in the new tank for the BB? Also, I have 2 filters on the 20 gallon, should I hang one on the new tank to get some bacteria growth?

The main question I have is do I need to cycle the new tank even with the old filter media, gravel and ornaments/plants from my 20 gallon.

 

[jcolon]

The tank has been dry for about a month. Could I use my gravel and ornaments in the new tank for the BB? Also, I have 2 filters on the 20 gallon, should I hang one on the new tank to get some bacteria growth?

The main question I have is do I need to cycle the new tank even with the old filter media, gravel and ornaments/plants from my 20 gallon.

How large is the filter you intend to use? Using one of your filters is a fine idea .. There's a chance .. if your filter is large enough you can almost instant cycle your new tank so sure .. go ahead and use as much material from your 20 to seed the new tank.

I suspect you'll probably go through a mini cycle, but should not be nearly as long. Either way it's a win win ... you get a larger tank and have seeding media on hand!

 

[WayBel2004]

The new tank has a ungravel filter plus another that hangs on the side. I was going to use those plus one of my filters (Aquaclear 20) from my 20 gallon just for the BB. Eventually I would take the Aquaclear off and just use the filters that came with the new tank.

Can I add my fish to the new tank immediately or do I need to give the 55 gallon some time to run? The new tank is going in the exact same spot as the old one so I was planning on moving the 20 out and the 55 in while keeping the fish in some sort of holding container. Does this sound right? I don't want to hurt my fish.

 

[tarpon]

Stick some gravel from your currently running tank in the filter that is unseeded. This should seed the filter pad with BB. but not as well as actual filter media would.

 

[jcolon]

The new tank has a ungravel filter plus another that hangs on the side. I was going to use those plus one of my filters (Aquaclear 20) from my 20 gallon just for the BB. Eventually I would take the Aquaclear off and just use the filters that came with the new tank.

Can I add my fish to the new tank immediately or do I need to give the 55 gallon some time to run? The new tank is going in the exact same spot as the old one so I was planning on moving the 20 out and the 55 in while keeping the fish in some sort of holding container. Does this sound right? I don't want to hurt my fish.

Tarpon has a good idea sticking substrate in the filter media as well.

As for the UG filter ... I'm not sure about those. I don't have one, but I've heard too many minuses as much as pluses. I'd consider going with something else IMO ... you'd probably need some power-heads to provide current for the UG to be most effective ... assuming the 55 doesn't come with them. Lets see if anyone else has an opinion of UG filters and what's needed for them.

You can use stock from your tank to help get the cycle going, but consider a fish-less cycling. With seeding material it shouldn't take as long to get the tank cycled. See the link below.

The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling

 

[tarpon]

Tarpon has a good idea sticking substrate in the filter media as well

I'm going to be doing that today myself