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Upgrading to New Tank - Advice Please


ACTcichlidlover

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Ok People,

My plan is to upgrade my 2 x 210 litre tanks into 1 x 540 litre tank. Both tanks have medium sized South American Cichlids (Severums, Thread Fin Acara's, Chocolate Cichlids, Geophagus Brasiliensis) as well as some medium to large size loaches and catfish. One tank has a higher PH and water hardness due to the type of substrate I use in that tank. I plan to even the PH and water hardness difference before I merge the 2 tanks together. I plan to put the 540 litre tank where an existing 210 litre tank is so I cannot 'cycle' the new tank. I will use new substrate

My plan is as follows:

Use the existing water of the 210 litre tank.

Add the new 2800 ltr per hour filter as well as the existing cannisters (2x 2000ltr per hour) and the internal filters to the tank. After 4 weeks remove one of the cannisters (therefore total number of 2) and internal filters.

Add existing decorations

House the fish in existing 2 x 50 litre buckets whilst adding substrate and decorations in tthe new tank and siphoning the remaining water.

Fill up the remaining volume of the tank with new water of same PH and hardness

Add the new fish of the tank being replaced.

Add Purigen to the new canister filter to help keep ammonia and nitrite down

Leave the other 210 litre tank for a week or so until the new tank setlles down then add fish and decorations.

Appreciate any comments or ideas you have to help the process go smoothly. I am not planning this change for a month but just like to ensure I have all bases covered and I am not surprised on the day.

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The bioload will be the same so theoretically the existing filters will handle it.
The problem is, with those filters 'eating up' all the waste product, there is nothing to prompt the new filter to develop it's own bacteria colonies. And when you take off the old cannister you will be taking away by far the biggest portion of the working bacteria.

If it were me, I would work out exactly which filters you want to run long term. And set those up with the bulk of the media from the existing filters (big sponges, ceramic rings,anything like that, not old wool or carbon though), and not bother running the old filters on the new tank at all.
If you can save all the useful media from the old tanks, then moving them to the new tank will be just like a water change.

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The bioload will be the same so theoretically the existing filters will handle it.

The problem is, with those filters 'eating up' all the waste product, there is nothing to prompt the new filter to develop it's own bacteria colonies. And when you take off the old cannister you will be taking away by far the biggest portion of the working bacteria.

If it were me, I would work out exactly which filters you want to run long term. And set those up with the bulk of the media from the existing filters (big sponges, ceramic rings,anything like that, not old wool or carbon though), and not bother running the old filters on the new tank at all.

If you can save all the useful media from the old tanks, then moving them to the new tank will be just like a water change.

Do you mean put all the existing filter material and its existing bacteria from one of the existing canisters into the new bigger filter? Remember I plan to double the bio load once the second tank of fish get added to the tank. I do not plan to run 4 existing canisters (as I have now in the 2 existing tanks) in the new tank with the addition of the new canister as well.

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Yep. Exactly.

I would use as much of the existing media as possible in your new filter/s.

That way you wont suddenly turn your 'bio' filter off when you turn the old cannisters off.

Ok will do. How long would you wait until you put in the second 210 litres tanks inhabitants into the 540 litre tank? Note I will need to mix the Severums, Chocolates and the Thread Fin Acara's. Although not particularly agressive I do expect some territorial issues.

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Again, this is just what I would do, but I would add all the fish together.
Shouldn't be a problem if you can preserve most of the good media. (Maybe light feedings for a week settling in, too)

If you add some, and then more, the territorial battles will be heavier.

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Will the filters handle the doubling of the bio load though? I know that I am 'overfiltering' at present but I believe that you can never over-filter.

I only feed the fish every 2 days so I will just make the feeds not as plentiful as I do now.

I agree on the concept though, just concerned about the effect on the filters.

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So what is the plan for the media in the second 210?

The impression I got from what you have written is that you are moving to just having the single larger tank, so I was saying move everything over in one big day.
If one of the 210s is staying switched on, then obviously it would be bad to take all of the media - but you can still take some/most of it, assuming you aren't planning to immediately restock it to the same stocking levels as you're removing.

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Correct the end result is one 540 litre tank. No plan for the remaining canisters from the second 210 litre tank in the short term so I could use all this media as well in the new 2800 litre canister filter.

Both existing 210 litre tanks will be moved to the garage and kept there in case of emergency for a short period of time then probably sold once everything has settled down.

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