Hdoubleu Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 We will be getting a new tank on the weekend and was wondering: Can i just set up the filter in our existing tank for the bacteria to grow? If i do this will it mean that i dont need to wait for the new tank to cycle? or would i be better off just cycling the tank on its own? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 A filter holds all the bacteria so you can just start off the tank with fish and everything. If there is no source of Ammonia (poo) the bacteria in the filter will die off and the tank will have to re-cycle when you do add fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hdoubleu Posted July 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 we do have fish that we will be transfering at the same time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterlogged Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 should be fine if you transfere the water from their tank too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 If you ran a filter for up to 4 weeks on the old tank then it could be moved to the new and the same stocking level added with no ill effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hdoubleu Posted July 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 how about 1-2 weeks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 Half the number. Are they similar filters? Can you swap half the media from the old filter with the new? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 If you cant swap media over then two weeks is better than none, but you will still need to add the fish slowly. You will have kicked started the cycle but not completed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hdoubleu Posted July 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 cool, the new tank will only be about 50L, a new tank for out Betta and some more tank mates. The filter will be completely different and since the tanks mates will be out of our current tank i thought it would be easier to run the filter for a few weeks before we set it up so the cycle didnt take so long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 A filter holds all the bacteria so you can just start off the tank with fish and everything. all of it? i think the substrate holds more than the filter. before there were canisters the filters were generally U/G filters so the substrate had to be the media & hold the bacteria. I regularly start "new" tanks & add fish the same day & it always works well as long as I take some existing substrate as well as the filter. On the flip side replacing an existing filter with a new filter has never caused a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 Shouldn't have said all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hdoubleu Posted July 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2011 We bought a 40l today. We are thinking of just doing a straight swap of all the gear from the 16l to the new one. Can we just straight swap everything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted July 16, 2011 Report Share Posted July 16, 2011 I think it will be fine, it will be like giving the fish a big water change. If you transfer as much of the existing water, all the substrate and filter and top up with new water it should be good. I am about to do the same to enlarge my loach tank in a couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hdoubleu Posted July 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2011 Zues (our betta) is having a great swim around his new tank. Mr Bris is still on his log (nothing really excites him though... just algee) and Platy is just being platy. Will give them a couple of days to adjust and then add in some more platys and then some tetras. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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