Wouldn't I be giving my new tank a jump start if I did this?
2006-12-30 07:48:28 · 12 answers · asked by cally 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
This is a great idea as long as the tank has been disease free for at least 3 months and there haven't been any occurrences of fish mysteriously going "belly up." I liked the one suggestion about adding a little of the substrate (gravel, sand or what have you) to the tank as well. Getting the bacterial life going in a new tank is an important part of the process many beginning aquarists aren't aware of. I've found that a totally fresh tank takes about a month to be safe for more than 1 or 2 new fish, unless you want to put in something cheap like feeder guppies to test it out. But using some old water (say 10-25%) to start with will drop your waiting time to about a week. It's still always a good idea to add new fish slowly, say no more than 1 or 2 new species a week.
2006-12-30 08:08:34 · answer #1 · answered by joemaamah 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes I have done this many times! As long as your original tank is healthy you can put as much as 25% of the old tank water into your new tank.
Put a "junk" fish in the new tank to help hurry up the cycling. Add your fish gradually to the new tank, no more than six to eight inches of fish at a time.
Plants will also help the cycling process. If you have not had live plants before, consider making them a part of this new tank. Most fish stores have live plants and a good shop has someone that can advise you on which plants are best for your fish.
Have fun with your new tank! Just take it slow at first!
2006-12-30 07:55:43 · answer #2 · answered by Pixie 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have done that before with no problems. It will still take about a week or so to cycle it. Make sure there are no problems with your 55 gal's water and it should be fine. Don't add more than a few cups of water. And pour it directly into your filter.
2006-12-30 07:51:06 · answer #3 · answered by talarlo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes you can, and yes you would be. But only if the old tank had no disease or unidentified problems.
I usually don't add the water, I add some of the old substrate to the new tank...that way they get the beneficial bacteria too.
Have fun with your new tank.
2006-12-30 07:54:24 · answer #4 · answered by Jupiter 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I was always told by Pet store employees, that you should never clean out your tank completely... I mean, clean it out, but save some of the water... like a quarter of it or so... but for new tanks, you need to let the water sit for at least 24 hours before putting the fish in.. not sure why, that just what they told me... Call a local pet store and ask what they think.
2006-12-30 07:51:46 · answer #5 · answered by C F 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
as long as no fish died recently in the old tank it should b fine.
just use maybe the top half of water so u don't pick up any of the old sediments.
good luck and H N Y to u and urs
2006-12-30 07:51:38 · answer #6 · answered by Nora G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it somewhat is attainable. general media such as you're speaking approximately does velocity up the biking technique critically. i could provide it a week or 2 basically to be secure, yet once you want to attempt it then bypass forward; i could do on a regular basis ammonia tests and be waiting to do partial water differences all alongside the way basically to be sure inspite of the shown fact that. sturdy luck.
2016-10-19 05:54:07 · answer #7 · answered by benner 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are adding the fish too, that way it wouldn't be so much of a shock to them.
2006-12-30 07:53:40 · answer #8 · answered by kygirl40299 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes! Mulum is good too for the gravel and filters to establish bacteria.
2006-12-30 07:56:43 · answer #9 · answered by jazzyjklo 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
yes!
2006-12-30 08:15:24 · answer #10 · answered by JamesL 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋