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Posted by Gail Futoran on April 8, 2008, 3:52 pm
Please log in for more thread options I'm going to be moving 2 YoYo loaches, 3
Cory cats, 2-3 Glowlight Tetras & several
otocinclus from a 20G long to a 55G. Both
are moderately planted. Plants are easy care
such as crypts, Java Fern, maybe a sword or
two, & some floating plants.
The 55G has been set up for about a month.
Since I moved plants, driftwood, and decor
from the 20G, the 55G is already cycled.
I.e., ammonia is zero, nitrites are zero, nitrates
are present but low. Filtration is a power filter
and a powerhead. At the moment, both are
running without filter material.
Question is when to move the fish. Right
now the pH, GH & KH levels in both tanks
are close in value. Nitrates, though, are
high in the 20G (where fish currently live),
around 30-40 PPM. Nitrates in the 55G
are </=5 PPM.
I just did a partial water change (4 gal.
extracted) on the 20G and will retest
nitrates. I suspect I will continue doing
small water changes for a few days to
get nitrates lower.
From my readings it's suggested fish
shouldn't experience sudden changes in
water parameters, even from "dirty" to
"clean". The gravel in the 20G is three
years old and I doubt I can get it *very*
clean without yanking out some large
plants with extensive root systems. BTW
I don't do CO2 injection. My plants do
fine without it.
Can anyone suggest a target nitrate value
for the 20G that will make it safe for me
to move the fish to a much cleaner
(in nitrate terms) environment in the 55G?
I.e., is a value around 20 PPM nitrates in
the 20G reasonable, or should I try to get
nitrates lower? In the 5-10 range?
Thanks -
Gail
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Posted by Reel McKoi on April 8, 2008, 10:40 pm
Please log in for more thread options
> I'm going to be moving 2 YoYo loaches, 3
> Cory cats, 2-3 Glowlight Tetras & several
> otocinclus from a 20G long to a 55G. Both
> are moderately planted. Plants are easy care
> such as crypts, Java Fern, maybe a sword or
> two, & some floating plants.
>
> The 55G has been set up for about a month.
> Since I moved plants, driftwood, and decor
> from the 20G, the 55G is already cycled.
> I.e., ammonia is zero, nitrites are zero, nitrates
> are present but low. Filtration is a power filter
> and a powerhead. At the moment, both are
> running without filter material.
>
> Question is when to move the fish. Right
> now the pH, GH & KH levels in both tanks
> are close in value. Nitrates, though, are
> high in the 20G (where fish currently live),
> around 30-40 PPM. Nitrates in the 55G
> are </=5 PPM.
>
> I just did a partial water change (4 gal.
> extracted) on the 20G and will retest
> nitrates. I suspect I will continue doing
> small water changes for a few days to
> get nitrates lower.
>
> From my readings it's suggested fish
> shouldn't experience sudden changes in
> water parameters, even from "dirty" to
> "clean". The gravel in the 20G is three
> years old and I doubt I can get it *very*
> clean without yanking out some large
> plants with extensive root systems. BTW
> I don't do CO2 injection. My plants do
> fine without it.
>
> Can anyone suggest a target nitrate value
> for the 20G that will make it safe for me
> to move the fish to a much cleaner
> (in nitrate terms) environment in the 55G?
>
> I.e., is a value around 20 PPM nitrates in
> the 20G reasonable, or should I try to get
> nitrates lower? In the 5-10 range?
>
> Thanks -
>
> Gail
==============================
PH and hardness was the only thing I ever concerned myself about when moving
fish. I never bothered to check the nitrate levels.... no problems so far.
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Posted by Larry Blanchard on April 8, 2008, 11:35 pm
Please log in for more thread options On Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:52:19 +0000, Gail Futoran wrote:
> The 55G has been set up for about a month.
> Since I moved plants, driftwood, and decor
> from the 20G, the 55G is already cycled.
> I.e., ammonia is zero, nitrites are zero, nitrates
> are present but low.
Unless you've been adding ammonia, or there are fish already in the tank,
I don't see how it could be considered cycled. More likely the bacteria
that were present on the plants/driftwood/decor have died off from lack of
nourishment.
If you did have fish in the tank, ignore my concerns. If not, swap in
some filter material from the 20G and feed a teaspoon or so a day of
ammonia for a week. Then move one or two fish over and see how the tank
chemistry goes.
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Posted by Tynk on April 9, 2008, 10:45 am
Please log in for more thread options
> On Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:52:19 +0000, Gail Futoran wrote:
> > The 55G has been set up for about a month.
> > Since I moved plants, driftwood, and decor
> > from the 20G, the 55G is already cycled.
> > I.e., ammonia is zero, nitrites are zero, nitrates
> > are present but low.
>
> Unless you've been adding ammonia, or there are fish already in the tank,
> I don't see how it could be considered cycled. =EF=BF=BDMore likely the ba=
cteria
> that were present on the plants/driftwood/decor have died off from lack of=
> nourishment.
>
> If you did have fish in the tank, ignore my concerns. =EF=BF=BDIf not, swa=
p in
> some filter material from the 20G and feed a teaspoon or so a day of
> ammonia for a week. =EF=BF=BDThen move one or two fish over and see how th=
e tank
> chemistry goes.
I too was wondering about the tank running with live bacteria that was
moved into the tank, but nothing to feed it for a month.
How long exactly does the bacteria live without a food source?
Does anyone know the exact timeline?
Gayle, I would move a couple fish over with filter media from the
20...
However, those couple of fish being moved need to be acclimated to
those low nitrates slowly.
This is why when you have a tank dealing with "old tank syndrome", and
put the fish into a much cleaner tank....they die.
If they were acclimated slowly to it, they do fine.
I would use a large bag and add some new tank water to the bag every
10-15 minutes...depending on the difference.
If I'm dealing with a pH and hardness extreme...I use a much slower
method (drip method).
I would also bump up the water changes on the 20 while those remaing
fish wait for the 55 to cycle (if no ammonia source was available for
the month wait).
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Posted by Stephen Wolstenholme on April 9, 2008, 11:16 am
Please log in for more thread options
>I too was wondering about the tank running with live bacteria that was
>moved into the tank, but nothing to feed it for a month.
>How long exactly does the bacteria live without a food source?
>Does anyone know the exact timeline?
It's not exact. Some can live in a dormant state for many years.
Steve
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> Cory cats, 2-3 Glowlight Tetras & several
> otocinclus from a 20G long to a 55G. Both
> are moderately planted. Plants are easy care
> such as crypts, Java Fern, maybe a sword or
> two, & some floating plants.
>
> The 55G has been set up for about a month.
> Since I moved plants, driftwood, and decor
> from the 20G, the 55G is already cycled.
> I.e., ammonia is zero, nitrites are zero, nitrates
> are present but low. Filtration is a power filter
> and a powerhead. At the moment, both are
> running without filter material.
>
> Question is when to move the fish. Right
> now the pH, GH & KH levels in both tanks
> are close in value. Nitrates, though, are
> high in the 20G (where fish currently live),
> around 30-40 PPM. Nitrates in the 55G
> are </=5 PPM.
>
> I just did a partial water change (4 gal.
> extracted) on the 20G and will retest
> nitrates. I suspect I will continue doing
> small water changes for a few days to
> get nitrates lower.
>
> From my readings it's suggested fish
> shouldn't experience sudden changes in
> water parameters, even from "dirty" to
> "clean". The gravel in the 20G is three
> years old and I doubt I can get it *very*
> clean without yanking out some large
> plants with extensive root systems. BTW
> I don't do CO2 injection. My plants do
> fine without it.
>
> Can anyone suggest a target nitrate value
> for the 20G that will make it safe for me
> to move the fish to a much cleaner
> (in nitrate terms) environment in the 55G?
>
> I.e., is a value around 20 PPM nitrates in
> the 20G reasonable, or should I try to get
> nitrates lower? In the 5-10 range?
>
> Thanks -
>
> Gail