Transferring tanks

[millincolin]

My new tank (90 gal tall, 86*F, 6.8 ph, 30mg/L Kh, 60mg/L GH, 0 no2 ,0 NH3 and NH4, 10-20 NO3) has finaly stabablized and is ready for me to transfer my discus from there old tank (55 gallon 86*f, 6.2 PH, 40 mg/L KH, 60mg/L GH, 0 NO2, 0 NH3 NH4, 20 NO3)to the new one. What i need to know are the proper steps to make the switch a success?

[White Worm]

I grab them by hand out of the tank and into small container filled with tank water, then over to the new tank, grab by hand and lay them in. One at a time till finished. If they are too small to catch from old tank then net them into small container then by hand into new tank.

[lkleung007]

Hi,

If the water parameters are similar, I would just net them one at a time out of the old tank place them in the new tank. I have done it like this many times and never had a problem.

Lester

[millincolin]

There is a difernce in ph. The new tank is 6.8 and the old one around 6. I cants seem to get the ph to drop in the new one anymore then 6.8, well it does but then it bounces back up to around 6.6 6.8. Is this comon for new tanks?

I m using flourite for gravel peat in the filter and i have a large peice of driftwood and acouple of rocks. I have a low KH could this be the problem?

I also used geosystems subtrate that i later lernd had a large efect on the ph and i switched it out and got rid of all that water but never changed or cleaned the filter. Should i restart agian but this time save the gravel and toss the filter media?

,or should i leav it at 6.8 and try to use a differnt method of transferring the fish?

[chago09]

mikscus you said by hand lol??????????? how in the hell do you do that lol????????? any ninja training lol??????

[lkleung007]

HI,

I would not worry if the new tank pH is slightly higher than the old tank...once you get fish into the new tank, you will notice that the pH will slowly drift down...depending on the buffering capacity of the water. If the new tank pH is much lower than the old tank then it would be more of a problem. Also, I would not personally mess with the pH of the tank water...discus can tolerate pH as high as 8 for growout purposes.

HTH, Lester

[Alight]

As said above, don't mess with the pH of the new tank. It's great where it is at. If you want to match pH, bring the pH of the old tank up by adding some sodium bicarbonate (house hold baking soda). About 1/4 teaspoon at a time, dissolved in a cup of tank water. It will probably take about a total of 1/2 teaspoon to bring up to 6.8 to 7.

The other thing I very highly recommend is that you take the filter off your old tank and run it on the new tank for a few weeks until your new filter is cycled. This will prevent any cycling.

[White Worm]

Yes, by hand(well, you need both hands). You would be surprised at how calm they get. I can reach in and grab mine because they are mostly 4-6in subs and adults. Sometimes when I am vacuuming the tank, I have to move them out of the way because they dont feel like moving so I can vacuum their crap. I could easily pick them up. The little guys are much quicker and I have to use a net. I just moved 10 discus (5 adults and 5 babies) I grabbed the adults by hand out of their tank and placed them in a plastic pitcher filled with tank water(1 at a time). Then I walked down stairs to their new tank, grab them by hand out of the pitcher and layed them in new tank, no problems. The little guys got netted into pitcher and then by hand from pitcher to new tank. I think nets are more stressful because they can sometimes get caught in them and get hurt. I only use them when I have to. I just put my hands under them, then around them (so they dont jump out) and then scoop em up out of tank and into container.

[millincolin]

Yesterday I did the switch and im glad to say there were no casualties.
I put the old filter on the new tank. Lots of curent now .
Today I went out and got a light. I managed to pick up 135 watt compact floresnt so that i can grow plants sucsessfully. but im worried about it scaring my discus its realy bright will they ever get used to it?