Changing Tanks??

[Teresa]

My Daughter has a 10 gal planted tank with guppies, neons, 2 corys and about 40 guppy fry (yiks!) I would like to change everything to a 20 gal (gravel,plants, fish, rocks,water etc...) will moving everything move the good bacteria or do I have to cycle from the beginning??

 

[AmazonTankz]

If you use the same gravel (+more that you will need) and the same filter pad the bacteria will travel with it. I would also use the same water. I would not add anymore fish for a little bit though just to be safe. When you move the gravel, do not rinse it. It might be dirty but thats were all the good stuff is.

 

[tetra girl]

AmazonTanks is right on the money.

 

[Luca]

A filter is a good idea, then you can just dump in the new tank and start it going, the tank will be cycled instantly. This way you can replace/clean the gravel.

 

[FroggyFox]

I disagree. If you're doubling the size of the tank your bacteria colonies will also have to double in size. Granted it might not take that long...but it will still have to do some cycling.

Also...moving the water that they're in won't do anything because bacteria doesn't live in the water...it colonizes on porus surfaces (your filter cartridge, your gravel/decorations)

 

[Luca]

Amazontankz did say to quote "use the same gravel (+more that you will need) and the same filter pad the bacteria will travel with it."

also the bacteria does not have to increase if the bioload is the same. the filter is the point of convergence of ammonia/nitrite to nitrate, not the rest of the tank (especially in barebottom aquariums).

so: if you are increasing the amount of fish, just do it, the filter would still have to do it if you were adding them into the existing tank. giving it an extra day or two running the filter in the new tank still wouldn't hurt.

 

[Teresa]

Well, my six year old and I were up till almost midnight last night making the big switch, we lost 1 guppy fry but gained some more due to our female having babies after we moved them, very tiny and cute.

I've started cycling the 10 gal so that I may put the fry in it.

Thank you all for your imput....

 

[Scrumpy]

Originally posted by froggyfox21
I disagree. If you're doubling the size of the tank your bacteria colonies will also have to double in size. Granted it might not take that long...but it will still have to do some cycling.

That's not true. If the bioload isn't changing there is no need for the bacterial colony to increase however big the tank gets. In fact the fish waste will be diluted by 50% in this set up.

Teresa if you moved over all those bacteria laden bits and pieces like the gravel, filter sponge, plants etc everything will be fine. Glad the move went well....it always takes longer than you'd think

 

[Luca]

Thanks for backing up my point Scrumpy,

congrats on the new fry Teresa, shifting a pregnant guppy is always a good way to induce the dropping.