Alright i am getting a stand for my 29 gallon tank soon. How do i go about changing it over to a new stand? The 29 gallon tank is full of water and fish and sitting on a temporary tv stand until i get this new one. Is there an easy way to change it around that im not thinking of. Cuz this is going to be really hard... Do i empty out 3/4ths of the water and leave the fish be in there for 15-20 mins while we do the switching then use my python to fill it back up as fast as possible or any ideas on how else to do it? Thanks!
How should i go about this?
- Thread starter ferderer5
- Start date
What I always do when I switch stands, is place as much water from the tank into a 5 gallon bucket (you can get these at a hardware store or where ever), and put the fish in that same bucket. It'd be good if you could save as much water as you can, because what you can't put into buckets, goes. After you empty the tank water out as much as possible, then remove the gravel, it is best if you can take all of it out, but what you can't, it can stay in the tank while you move it. Be sure to support the bottom of the tank if you leave any of the gravel in there, because if you don't, it could give way and break. 
No, don't do what Fish Friend suggests, you'll end up with a broken tank. You really need to take out all the water you can, put the fish in a bucket of tank water, remove the decorations, then move the tank.
Don't worry about trying to keep most of the tank water, it will just be like a large water change if you only keep about 5 gallons of the old water. Just make sure you keep the gravel and filter media wet while doing the change.
A rubbermaid container is really useful for keeping fish temporarily if you have to break down a tank.
Don't worry about trying to keep most of the tank water, it will just be like a large water change if you only keep about 5 gallons of the old water. Just make sure you keep the gravel and filter media wet while doing the change.
A rubbermaid container is really useful for keeping fish temporarily if you have to break down a tank.
I moved my 29g tank across a living room with fish and gravel in it (~1"). I left about 5" level of water in the tank and took out driftwood and large rocks. Driftwood with bunch of java moss on it had to be placed into a big plastic container. Plants are a hassle if you'll have to remove and re-plant them. If your fish are small and can swim comfortably in small amount of water, take your time to fill the tank. When in a hurry you can make lots of mistakes like not to match the temp or forget to put dechlor etc -hundreds possibilities...
Whole thing will not that hard as it seems, that's for sure!
p.S. I have a cat and buy litter in plastic buckets. These buckets are a bliss to have around at all times.
Whole thing will not that hard as it seems, that's for sure!
p.S. I have a cat and buy litter in plastic buckets. These buckets are a bliss to have around at all times.
Because suggesting to someone that removing the ornaments and the fish will be enough weight gone from a full 29 gallon tank is just asking for it to break.
The water is the heaviest part of the whole aquarium.. how much weight would you take off with ornaments? maybe 2 pounds? and even saying that much I think is being incredibly generous.
ferderner I would do exactly what Lotus says. even just a few inches of water in the tank is still suprisingly heavy and you dont want the bottom of your tank to crack.If you can get someone to help you that would be a great idea as well.
good luck
The water is the heaviest part of the whole aquarium.. how much weight would you take off with ornaments? maybe 2 pounds? and even saying that much I think is being incredibly generous.
ferderner I would do exactly what Lotus says. even just a few inches of water in the tank is still suprisingly heavy and you dont want the bottom of your tank to crack.If you can get someone to help you that would be a great idea as well.
good luck
Dude, honestly just stop. I don't post much, but I lurk very often and your useless posts irritate me. You did not even mention water in your initial post.
Anyway, back to the topic itself; I'd drain out around as much of the tank water (50% at least)as I could and put it temporarily in a large bucket(s) that hasn't been contaminated with chemicals. Water weighs slightly over 8 lbs per gallon. If you leave a few inches of water in the tank, along with the gravel, you'll probably have 50-60 lbs to deal with. Make sure you have someone else help you transport the tank, DO NOT attempt to move it on your own, it can result in a broken or warped tank. Don't remove the gravel or anything. Keep the filter media under water so the bacteria doesn't dry out. You can probably completely get rid of up to 25%-50% of the water and replace it with no adverse effects on the biological filtration, you have to do this quick, though, within a few hours. With no oxygen being circulated in the water the bacteria may die off. Luckily a 29g is relatively small-medium, so you probably won't have much trouble.
Sorry if this was kind of long-winded. Hope it helps.
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When you do switch over, make sure you dechlor the water you're adding before adding it to the tank. If you only have the water down to the substrate or lower and a bucket or two of water to put back, you don't have much water to dilute the chlorine until your dechlor works and you may kill off some of your bacteria if you pop the required amount of dechlor into the substrate then pour untreated water essentially right onto the bacteria. As most of the posters have said, you want to take everything out that is practical as well as as much of the water as you can while still keeping the substrate wet.
I recently swapped a 23 flatbacked hex for a 44 corner tank. My fish, plants and decor all went into a couple 5 gallon containers, one of which I hung my filter on and kept running. Since I was working alone and didn't have anyone to help lift the tank evenly (and VERY carefully) with the substrate in it (20 lbs gravel, pretty heavy for its size glass tank & 4? gallons of water which is another 32 lbs), I scooped all the wet gravel into a separate 5 gallon bucket with extra water in it so the gravel was entirely wet. The tank was removed and new tank and stand placed in its spot. Then the gravel went into the tank, I arranged it how I liked and the filter and fish were reintroduced. I had no discernable cycle but tested for ammonia and nitrites just in case for the following 2 weeks. I did not lose any fish, including cardinals, Bolivian rams and an ancistrus.
Good luck!
I recently swapped a 23 flatbacked hex for a 44 corner tank. My fish, plants and decor all went into a couple 5 gallon containers, one of which I hung my filter on and kept running. Since I was working alone and didn't have anyone to help lift the tank evenly (and VERY carefully) with the substrate in it (20 lbs gravel, pretty heavy for its size glass tank & 4? gallons of water which is another 32 lbs), I scooped all the wet gravel into a separate 5 gallon bucket with extra water in it so the gravel was entirely wet. The tank was removed and new tank and stand placed in its spot. Then the gravel went into the tank, I arranged it how I liked and the filter and fish were reintroduced. I had no discernable cycle but tested for ammonia and nitrites just in case for the following 2 weeks. I did not lose any fish, including cardinals, Bolivian rams and an ancistrus.
Good luck!