stepped up tank from 12 gal. to 55 gal?

Question

ok listen to everyones advice got a new tank ,got a 55 gal two powerheads,filters and $60 worth of plants,if i use filtered water and some start right,how long should i wait till i add my betta's ,pleco,neons,also purchased 2 mystery snails that the girl said would be great for helping my pleco clean the tank,pleco is about 2.5" long,but was thinking if i used the 12 gal of water in tank already set up with start right and filtered water would this take care of any ammonia and nitrate/nitrite problems i may have

Answer 1

Ok you've got a few issues here.

First, the snail and pleco will make quick work of eating your plants.

Now for "seasoning" the 55 some good advice has already been given but I'll take it a step further.

I assume with powerheads you are using undergravel filtration rather than sticking them into a sponge.

Drain about 5 gallons from the big tank into a bucket and pour 5 gallons from the 12 into the 55. Then the bucket of clean water from the 55 into the 12.

You can add the betta immediately - they can survive nearly anything and he will immediately help season your tank by urinating/defecating which put bacteria into the system. Get him in there.

Now this hasn't been suggested yet but one of the most extensive bacteria colonies you have in your 12 gallon tank is in your gravel. They hold an extreme amount of bacteria particularly if that tank is also undergravel filtered.

So remove half of the gravel in that tank and put it into the 55 [assuming the color matches, otherwise you are out of luck on this one] and replace with 'fresh' gravel from the 55 and mix the gravel in both tanks thorougly. This INCREDIBLY speeds up the seasoning process.

Meanwhile, continue daily to swap 5 gals of water to/from each tank for about a week.

Keep that 12 running to keep providing "seasoned" water/gravel to the 55 until its running perfectly.

Again get that betta into the 55 now. They are nearly bulletproof.

You could actually throw a few more [very few] small fish into the tank [your choice]. This goes against the 'book rules' but allow me to explain.

Throwing a pile of fish in a new unseasoned tank, yes it'll explode with ammonia, nitrates/nitrite etc. However, with NO fish it will NEVER season! The trick is to have just a few in there that accelerate the seasoning process.

I'd put about 1" of fish to about every 5 gallons of water for the first couple weeks. Thus you can get away with about 11" of fish in your 55. Why? Because if you are doing what I said above and moving cultured water and gravel into the tank, the filter activity will build faster than the ammonia/nitrates/nitrite can.

I wouldn't put in 11" worth of fish tonight. I'd go with the betta (2") for 24 hours, then another inch or two of fish and so on (while still swapping cultured water every day and maintaining enough fish in the 12 gal to keep the cultured water coming).

You shouldn't have any problems doing it this way.

Answer 2

To start a tank even if you add filtered water and start right it would take at least three days. After that add one fish into the tank (the right way). Leave him in there for two or three days. Than add two or three fish. Then wait a few days and add the rest. What you are trying to is stabilize your fish tank. Adding the fish too soon will take longer for your tank to stabilize and most or all of your fish will die. You can add anything from the old tank into the new tank adding the rocks will move things along a little quicker. Dont add anything from old tank if your fish were sick and if they were wash everything with hot water. Wash any thing new you put in your tank too. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Is there any way to use your filter from your 12 gallon? Also put the substrate from your 12 gallon tank into stockings or media bags into your tank and filter. You can also reuse all your decorations from the 12 gallon as well. Every surface has bacteria on it and there is enough in the 12 to handle the bio load for those fish. Wait about a week before you add any other fish. And check your levels. In a couple weeks you can start removing the bag of substrate and old filter.

Answer 4

Have you already done the switch? If not, use as much water from your 12g tank to fill the 55. This will help speed up the process. Technically you are supposed to wait a couple weeks, but I've never been able to due to lack of time - a day or so at the VERY least is what you should wait.

Answer 5

let your new (anticloro treated) water set at least 24 hours ,.. then add about half of the water from your old tank to it (in the new tank) and start up your filters/power heads, and wait another 24 hours before transplanting your old fish,

also identify those snails first (they might be the bad kind) and watch their population growth, they can quickly overrun a small (55G) tank.

Answer 6

best to cycle tank - this is how I would do it
Add water, water treatment and plants run filters
make sure the two powerheads are not to much
after one week place about ten throwaways - feeder fish guppies goldfish etc,
week two - give away throwaways - buy real fish
cycling is good to allow bacteria to process waste builup.

Answer 7

I would suggest adding the gravel from your smaller tank and waiting about three days. I would also suggest adding some CO2 for your plants to survive. If they start dying, it will poisen your water and your fish will suffer.
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Answer 8

you do not have to add fish to season your tank. Just put in a raw shrimp. Why make the fish suffer.

Answer 9

id wait about 30 days or at least three weeks