please help transfering tanks question, need answeres ASAP

[sushi*roll]

this morning my tank broke on me, i was able to save all fish in a bucket and i went out and bought a new tank, its been 5 maybe 6 hours in the bucket (no heat filtration etc) I had a 39 gallon (with all fish listed in sig) that broke and i could only afford the 30 gallon, i have about 10 gallons original water in new tank with new treated water im wondering if i shoulld just net all my fish into the tank now?? or woould it be better to put them all in baggies etc?? and anything else to help protect my fishes lives.

 

[lauraf]

At this late hour of my response, I'm assuming you made a decision? What did you do?

My gut would have been to put them all in the new tank, and monitor the water conditions closely while you figured out who needs a new home. Being overcrowded but freeswimming seems a better bet than stuck in a bag

 

[bassbonediva]

As long as you used the decorations, substrate, and, most importantly, the filter from the 38gal, your fish should be fine going into the new tank pretty much right away. I did this when I set up my 20gH (used the gravel, decorations and filter with original media from the 46gal) and put my fish in right away. I had one, maybe two, days where my numbers were a little high, but the good bacteria that was on the original filter media kicked in and went to work and within a few days everything was beautiful.