Moving 20G to 45G Issue... Advice Please Anyone... Ferris...Beuller??

[2_Basic]

Hello all. .. Newbie to discus.

I'm moving 4 Juvie discus, a ram, and some panda cory cats from a 20G to a 45G.

I'm trying to make this transition without having to cycle my new 45G and this is what I've been doing.

For the past few days each day I do a WC I've been scooping one bucket of tank water into a storage container. I'm going to be doing this til I get about 25Gs in the storage container. Then on the last day I will be taking all the water out of the 20G and using the saved tank water to fill the new 45G.

Fish will all be making the move on the same day.

Does anyone see any issues with this scenario?

thank you for your responses in advance.

[Chad Hughes]

Why not just move the filter from the old tank to the new tank? :D

[Wes]

You can move the filters/ sponges and fish into new water in the 45 gal that is aged and same temp.

[2_Basic]

Yes I will be using the same HOB filter for awhile too. .

But you guys don't see any problems with this plan do you?

[2_Basic]

Oh.. also the 45G is going in the exact same spot on the floor where the 20G is stationed. Which is why I don't have the 45g setup yet.

[Chad Hughes]

Your question was in regard to cycling the new tank. Unless you are replacing the filter with a brand new one, the new tank is already cycled (old filter).

Save yourself a bunch of extra steps using the old water and treat your fish with a 100% water change (brand new water!)

[2_Basic]

How long would I have to let the old filter cycle the new water before it is safe? I'm using a Aquaclear 30 atm.

[strawberryblonde]

Your question was in regard to cycling the new tank. Unless you are replacing the filter with a brand new one, the new tank is already cycled (old filter).

Save yourself a bunch of extra steps using the old water and treat your fish with a 100% water change (brand new water!)

+1

There's no reason to move tank water to the new tank. That's just moving dirty water into a clean tank and then you're starting out behind the 8 ball. The filter you have will be fine to keep the tank cycled while a second filter catches up.

The other option is to remove all the filter media from the current filter on the 20 and then place it into the new filter. Once that's done, fill with fresh water, turn everything on and move the fish right in.

[2_Basic]

OK.. i'm just nervous with new water and new tanks. I killed alot of fishes when I started a few months ago.

I just feel more comfortable using the old water. I was going to let it run for few days then do a WC in the new tank.

[Chad Hughes]

It's your call but discus love clean water! Many of us do 100% water changes. I prefer to use water that has been aged for 24 hours.

By the way, water doesn't cycle, filters do.

[2_Basic]

Ok.. thanks .. I always thought water cycled. lol

[Chad Hughes]

No problem! Yes, your filters form a bacteria bed that transforms ammonia into nitrite then nitrate. Without the filter you'd be forced to change most if not all of the water daily.

When you change water in a tank that's filtered, you're resetting the amount of nitrate and other pathogens from the water column.

[strawberryblonde]

Old water doesn't have the beneficial bacteria in it that controls ammonia and nitrites. Old water has nitrates in it from the conversion process..and nitrates are bad for discus, that's why we all change so much water.

The beneficial bacteria is in your filter media and, if you have gravel, it's in there too, but the greatest concentration of it is in the filter media. No need to use gravel, the filter bacteria is all you need.

Just to be very clear, so no one jumps all over me, yes, there is "some" beneficial bacteria on every surface of the tank, including some in the water, but as I said, that bacteria isn't enough to help your discus, and the bad bacteria and slime that collect on the sides, gravel and in the water are harmful to the discus.

If you lost a lot of fish a few months ago, it was because the media in the filter hadn't cycled and didn't have any beneficial bacteria to eat the ammonia released by the fish and by decaying food and poop.

The cycle goes like this, fish create ammonia, bacteria in the filters then consumes the ammonia and converts it to nitrites. The bacteria will continue to multiply until there is enough of it to consume all the ammonia produced in the tank on any given day. Once that cycle start and there nitrites in the tank the next type of bacteria multiplies in the media in order to consume all the nitrites, which it then converts to nitrates. The nitrates just stay in the water till they are removed with a water change...there is no bacteria to consume/convert them.

So you can see that adding old water to your new tank and letting run for a few days isn't going to do anything to help your filter or your fish. It's the filter that matters. Move that over and you are taking your little colony of ammonia and nitrite eating bacteria with you right into the new tank.

[Kal-El]

Put new water in the new tank and use prime or safe to declor the water. Aerate the new tank 24 hours after that move the filter and fish and your all done. No need to over complicate it.

BTW Make to heat the tank to the same temp as your 20g.

[strawberryblonde]

Now see? This is what happens when I start a reply and then run out to the kitchen to grab coffee, but don't check for new answers on a thread before continuing with my reply...I end up posting the same thing as someone else. LOL

Sorry Chad, you're answering all these questions really well so I'm gonna shush for a few and drink my coffee while it's hot. =)

[2_Basic]

Wow.. ok.. thanks.. really informative everyone :) .. So I guess i'll just start the new tank fresh and take down the 20G.

So it wont kill the fish then right... i'm scared. lol .. from the tragic memories of few months past.

[strawberryblonde]

*sipping coffee while I answer this* :D

It won't kill the fish. I move mine all the time from tank to tank and never move the water. I totally LOVE using 100% fresh water in a new tank. They get to swim around in perfect condtions...till the first time they pee of course. LOL

[2_Basic]

What.. fish pee? lol

[2_Basic]

but they don't drink.. they only eat ..

[Wes]

but they don't drink.. they only eat ..


would you drink the water if you just peed in it.