expert advise /coldwater fish,please?

Question

I have 3 tall slim type tanks,one holds 4/ 3inch fantails,one holds 4 and roughly a little smaller,the last one the smaller of the tanks hold 2 very small fish one being a fantail and the other an ordernary goldfish.Ihave just bought a very large tank the one that comes with a unit ie cupboards the filter is external texratec EX600.my question is i want tohave all my fish in the new tank treated water ph 6.4 and left standing till now 4 days .which fish can i put in first the small ones and work up to the biggest last and how long can i wait between each set of fish as i would like to empty each tank in turn.most of the fish i have had 3 years the 2 on their own 14 months.grateful for your help please. lancs uk

Answer 1

go ahead and put all the fish in there, the water is 4 days old and the filter is running period. I don't know where all this bacteria load and nitrates etc is coming from, this sounds like salt water crap, I've kept and bred goldfish, koi, african cichlids and south american cichlids and some really exotic stuff and NEVER gone to all the trouble as in the advice some of the people give in this forum. it really doesn't have to be complicated at all
just change about 1/3 water once a month and enjoy your fish

Answer 2

Take some of the substrate, rocks, wood, filter medium, plants and water from the old tanks and put them into the new tank/filter. This will help colonise the new tank with good bacteria to start breaking down the ammonia and nitrite when you move the fish across.

I'd only wait a few days after moving the water and other bacteria-loaded stuff before moving the fish, because the bacteria need a source of nitrogen to feed on. Move the fish that you think are the hardiest first (or the smallest or the cheapest!). Introduce them to the new tank gradually, as you would with fish you just bought from the store, by putting them in a bag and leaving the bag in the new tank so that the temperature can equalise. Then gradually mix some of the tank water with the bag water. Unlike fish from the store, it should be safe for you to empty the bag water and fish into the new tank. The whole process should only take about 30 minutes. At the same time, top up the water in the new tank with more water from the old tank - once again to give an injection of good bacteria.

I'd probably wait a week or 2 for the new tank to get used to the waste load before moving the next tank of fish.

The first fish to go in will have the most trauma, and are most at risk. Putting small fish in first will shock the bacteria in the tank less, so that might be the best approach. Either way, your fish are hardy so they have a good chance of surviving with no problems at all.

Just be sure to prime the new tank with some bacteria from your old tanks!

Good luck!

Answer 3

i would introduce them slowly. Have u matured the new tank? if u put all the fish in at once them they will over load the filter and you will get something called "new tank stndrome". i would put the fish from one tank in and then wait a week test the water then if its ok add the fish from the next tank then leave for another week test the water and then add the fish from the last tank. this way you wont stress out the fish which could cause disease and also you will bw able to observe how the get on together.

Answer 4

I can't see a problem with putting them all in at once but I'd put them in little plastic bags in the water (individually) for about an hour before letting them out. I've always had a big tank full of coldwater fish and have never had to transfer them but this is what I do every time I get a new fish.

If you're worried, go ask at your local petshop and they'll advise you.

Answer 5

Hi I would take it easy,

introduce them slowly.

They will add urine etc. to the water, your filter breeds bacteria off the crap. It can take a month for your filter to become active.

I would add one a week, along with a decent water change each week for the first six weeks.

You need a water test kit, to keep an eye on the quality of the water. They sell them quite at all aquarium shops, they don't cost a lot, ask for help when choosing your kit.

Answer 6

serious put them all intogether it wont make a differnce but my advice to you is DONT GET FISH FROM PETS AT HOME i had 17 fish in my tank that i had from tiny i had them for about 5 years i decided to get to little ones and they killed the lot of them by the way did you put chemicals in the water like fresh start and cycle to condition the tap water ???

Answer 7

just put them all in together but make sure u have sum rocks/ plants 4 the little ones to hide behide if they get bullied.

Answer 8

I would just put them all together, they won't have any clue there is more than there was, as fish can't count lol

Answer 9

Did you go to American Public School?

Answer 10

i would put them in all at the same time so that the are all in a new eviroment