NEW TANK SETUP

[JIM G]

HI,I HAVE A 46 BOW TANK WITH A A/C110 AND A MARINELAND 400 BIO FILTER.ALSO IN THE TANK I HAVE 3 SPONGE FILTERS(ONE FOR 80 GAL. AND 2 FOR 65 GAL. EACH).WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS I WILL BE SETTING UP MY NEW 110 GALLON TANK.THIS TANK WILL BE FLUSH WITH THE WALL SO I CAN'T USE ANY HANG ON BACK FILTERS.HOW CAN I KEEP MY CYCLED WATER FROM MY 46 TO MY 110.DO I TAKE ALL THE WATER FROM ONE TANK AND PUT IT IN THE NEW TANK THEN USE MY SPONGE FILTERS ONLY.I HAVE TO ADD 65 MORE GALLONS OF WATER SO ABOUT HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE ALL NEW WATER TO BE CYCLED AND SAFE ENOUGH FOR NEW DISCUS?WHAT TYPE OF CANNISTER FILTER WOULD BE THE BEST FOR MY NEW TANK(I HAVE A OLD FLUVAL405)OR WHAT OTHER FILTER CAN BE USED WITH A TANK UP AGAINST THE WALL?THANKS.

[Ardan]

If you move the sponge filters that are cycled you are good to add fish.
If you wait too long to add fish the good bacteria in the sponge filters will die as they will have no waste to digest.

You can even add all clean dechlorinated water and just the sponge filters plus fish. You don't have to transfer the old water.


hth
Ardan

[Graham]

Just to re-affirm what Ardan stated...the water has nothing to do with anything...it's not cycled, the bio-media/sponges are. The nitrifying bacteria live on the media and not in the water column

Move the fish and the sponges, matching water parameters as much as possible.......... you're ready to go

Graham

[JIM G]

THANKS ARDAN.I WOULD RATHER USE ALL FRESH WATER.SHOULD I GIVE THE NEW FRESH WATER A FEW DAYS(AND NO MORE) WITH THE SPONGE FILTERS BEFORE ADDING FISH?I GUESS AS LONG AS MY PH AND TEMP ARE GOOD ITS OK TOO.MAYBE I SHOULD USE A FEW CULLS BEFORE ADDING ANY EXPENSIVE FISH. ANY IDEAS ON FILTRATION FOR THAT SIZE TANK,AS IT WILL BE UP AGAINST A WALL.

[Ardan]

HI Jim,


SHOULD I GIVE THE NEW FRESH WATER A FEW DAYS(AND NO MORE) WITH THE SPONGE FILTERS BEFORE ADDING FISH?
No
If you have the sponge filters and no fish, then the filters will lose the good bacteria.
Move the fish at the same time as the sponge filters.



MAYBE I SHOULD USE A FEW CULLS BEFORE ADDING ANY EXPENSIVE FISH

I would move the fish that are with the sponges now.

If you use other fish, you might introduce disease from those fish. (culls?)

As far as filtration, you can never have too much IME.
It looks as though you may have enough with the 3 sponges if the rating is correct (sometimes they are overrated?? depending on where you get them and what type) I would say the 3 sponges may be a minimum, but more would not hurt and may be better. I do not know how many fish you will have or how much food they get or the amount of wc that will be done. So the sponge question is a guess. More is best:)

hth
Ardan

[JIM G]

THANKS FOR THE INFO.THATS WHAT I'LL DO,NEW WATER,SPONGES AND FISH AT THE SAME TIME.