Used tank advice

[richardh]

In a moment of weakness I appear to have won an eBay auction for a used 3ft freshwater tank. Not knowing a reliable history, would it be better to clean everything out and start again from scratch. The tanks comes with heater, lights, filter....and two 7" plecs if I want them! The plecs will be rehomed elsewhere. I am currently fish in cycling a much smaller tank. Would it be ok to squeeze out the filter media from the 3ft tank directly into the the smaller tank to help it along? Would it damage the fish I have in there?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

In a moment of weakness I appear to have won an eBay auction for a used 3ft freshwater tank. Not knowing a reliable history, would it be better to clean everything out and start again from scratch. The tanks comes with heater, lights, filter....and two 7" plecs if I want them! The plecs will be rehomed elsewhere. I am currently fish in cycling a much smaller tank. Would it be ok to squeeze out the filter media from the 3ft tank directly into the the smaller tank to help it along? Would it damage the fish I have in there?

It's really up to you. But if were me, I wouldn't. You don't know whats been introduced into the other tanks. There could be all sorts of nasties in there.

 

[richardh]

Yeah, that's the danger. Why risk it for the sake of a few weeks of cycling.

It will also give me a chance to give it a good scrub down and aquascape it to my liking.