I have a well established 100 gallon tank thats been cycled for about a year now. I'm looking to start a new 75 gallon tank to move some of the inhabitants of the 100 gallon. My question is, if I run the sponge and media in my well established tank and move it to the new tank will that help cycle the tank faster? Should I put water from the established tank into the new tank? Thanks for any suggestions
Tank cycling
- Thread starter EliW
- Start date
Right now the 100 gallon has 2 blood parrots, 3 dwarf gouramis, 5 male dalmatian sailfin mollys, and 8 tiger barbs. I want to move the gouramis and mollys into the 75 with the 3 bristlenose plecos I have in a 30 gallon tank and use the 30 gallon to grow another blood parrot to add to the 100 gallon. The blood parrots I have now are about 4 and 5 inches and they're pretty wild. Sometimes they are really chill and other time, like now, they chase everybody around.
E
EliW
, is your plan to just use sponge filters on the 75G tank or will you be using a power filter or what is commonly called a Hang On Back (HOB) filter?
The usual suggestion is to place new filters on the mature tank (your 100G) for 3 or 4 weeks to allow the bacteria to colonize the filter media.
Moving aquarium water from the old tank to the new tank is not helpful as little bacteria is present in the water.
What filters are you currently using on your 100G tank and how many?
The usual suggestion is to place new filters on the mature tank (your 100G) for 3 or 4 weeks to allow the bacteria to colonize the filter media.
Moving aquarium water from the old tank to the new tank is not helpful as little bacteria is present in the water.
What filters are you currently using on your 100G tank and how many?
On the 100 gallon I have a tidal 75 hang on back filter as well as two freesea 9 watt internal filters and a uv sterilizer that cycles the tank just under four times per hour. I'm running two sponges in the tidal 75 with bioballs and clearmax media. I plan on using one of the sponges in a tidal 75 on the new tank and half the bioballs and moving one of the internal filters over
That should work just fine moving half the Tidal 75 media and one of Freesea 9W internal filters to the 75G tank. Just monitor both tanks by testing to be sure you don't get any ammonia or nitrite spikes.
Just set the new 75G tank up as normal, add substrate and decorations, fill with water, add dechlorinator, add heater if needed and let tank come up to temperature before transferring the filters and fish over to the tank.
I am assuming the water parameters should be the same between the 2 tanks, more specifically that the nitrate level in the 100G tank is lower than 40 ppm.
Just set the new 75G tank up as normal, add substrate and decorations, fill with water, add dechlorinator, add heater if needed and let tank come up to temperature before transferring the filters and fish over to the tank.
I am assuming the water parameters should be the same between the 2 tanks, more specifically that the nitrate level in the 100G tank is lower than 40 ppm.
The past few months nitrates have been less than 25 before water change. I test twice a week and do a water change within 24 hours if nitrates hit 25. One of my blood parrots is kind of sensitive, so I use her to gage the health of the tank too
Thanks for the advice, I wish I knew about this forum a long time ago
Thanks for the advice, I wish I knew about this forum a long time ago
Sounds good and glad you are testing and keeping good conditions for your fish.
I do like to keep nitrate levels as low as possible and just threw that 40 ppm out there in case they had gotten away from you.
I do like to keep nitrate levels as low as possible and just threw that 40 ppm out there in case they had gotten away from you.
Before I got a good vacuum they would hit 40 sometimes. I was also heavy feeding the tank because I had Molly fry by surprise. I noticed one blood parrot would get black spots on its face and become very timid. I've stayed on top of it for at least six months now and everybody is doing great. I know blood parrots are considered freaks but I really like mine. I could really sit and watch the tank all day with them
I was thinking of getting some clown loaches to put in with the parrots and tiger barbs
I was thinking of getting some clown loaches to put in with the parrots and tiger barbs
