Upgrading tanks. is this a good idea?

[FastFly67]

So I'll be moving everything from my 29g to the new 55g. I'll also be upgrading the filter. I'm thinking slap both the current and new filter onto the 55g when I move the fishies. Will I see any type of cycle? I figure this will also keep the good bacteria in the current filter for when I'll (re)stock the 29g. If I do it this way, will I see a cycle in either tank?

 

[Zagz]

When will you be doing the move? If you can run the new filter on the old tank for a couple of weeks. If not run both on the new tank, being that the old tank is much smaller, you might see a bit of a cycle but should not see much. You can add some of the substrate to the new tank as well. If you don't want it to be in there permanently, put the substrate in a clean unused pair of pantyhose and sit it on the new substrate.

 

[FastFly67]

I still have to reseal the 55g so it'll be a bit. The current (and new tank) is/will be bare, so there is no substrate.

 

[MichaelsLilGray]

what she was saying... is when you go to put the new stuff in the 55... take some of the sand/gravel.. whatever you use for substrate... and move some over to the 55, with that, a little water, and the filters.. it will push your cycle to finish a LOT faster.

 

[Zagz]

If you have a bare bottom tank in both just run the new filter on the 29 for a couple of weeks.

 

[missileman]

With the same bio-load (same fish as in the 29) and no new additions right away, I wouldn't expect much of a cycle at all if you run the old and new filters on the new tank even if you can't run the new filter on the old tank for a couple of weeks, which would be even better.