restarting my tank

[kazah85]

ive had a 4foot tank now for almost two years now, but after my filter busted on me, im having 2 restart from scratch, so whats the best way to do this, as ive still got afew living fish???? and no where 2 re home theses fish!

 

[joannde]

Hi, and welcome back to the hobby !

I'd suggest the following:
1. set the tank up with substrate, decor and plants
2. do a fishless cycle, which will allow you to almost fully stock your tank when it is completed, and doesn't require you to buy those typical "hardy fish" (danios, etc) that are usually purchased for a new tank (and then later left unwanted). It will also save you from having to do numerous water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrites low.
3. while doing the fishless cycle (approx 4 wks) research the types of fish you would want to keep and ask questions here on your potential stocking lists to see if anyone can find any potential issues you may have
4. get the fish you want, acclimate them to the tank and then enjoy your time together

Here are two articles you can read on the Nitrogen Cycle and on Fishless Cycling.
The Nitrogen Cycle
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=21
Fishless Cycling *(note: article talks about saltwater but its exactly the same process for freshwater)
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=15

Come back to the forum with any questions you have. There are lots of helpful people here.

 

[JustOneMore20]

as ive still got afew living fish???? and no where 2 re home theses fish!

Well, that leaves fishless cycling out then.

What fish do you have left? If you don't know what types they are, can you post pictures of them so we could try to ID them? Are the fish in the 4ft tank? Did you get a new filter?

Sorry...I'm just a little confused.

 

[kazah85]

i have some platys and mollies left in the 4 foot tank, yeah i had to replace the filter but using the pads outta the old one, to keep good bacteria lol

 

[7Enigma]

Then you really have not lost anything, and don't need to start over. In an established tank (especially one as large as yours), the substrate and decorations will have a LOT of beneficial bacteria on them. You probably won't even seen an ammonia spike, let alone have to restart a cycle. I would feed sparingly for a while (max once a day), keep an eye on your ammonia/nitrIte levels, and everything should be fine.