How do I move a fish to another tank safely. Can I add neons??

Question

in a 29 gallon tank I have 5 diamond tetra, 2 cory cats (going to get 3 more) 1 angel fish, 1 rainbow shark. I would like to bring some color into the tank with neon tetras so I'm assuming I'm going to have to get rid of the angel for the room and so they don't get eaten. I have a 120 gallon tank downstairs I can move him/her to and I'm going to add 5 more angels later.

question 1: Will the neons be ok in the 29 gallon? How many could I get?
question 2: How can I safely move my angel.. I'm so scared to lose him in the moving?
question 3: Can I add 5 small angels later with this one large one in there (3 inches body size)?

Thanks for help!

In the 120 so far I have 6 serpae tetra, 2 red rams, 2 dojo loaches, 1 dwarf frog. My b/f got the frog without consulting me so I don't know anything about the compatability on it with any of the others.

Answer 1

You may also want to move the rainbow shark. They can grow to 5-6" and although a 30 gallon tank is adequate, it is on the small side, and considering that you have more fish, he'd really be better off in the 120 gallon.

Anyway, yeah, neons will be fine in a 29 gallon provided you move the rainbow shark. If all you are going to have in the 29 is the diamodn tetras, the cory cats and the neons, you could get maybe 10 neons. But if you want to add something like a dwarf gourami, then 6-7 neons would be more suitable.

To move the angel, you can use a fish bag or a large ziplock. Fill it 1/2 way with water from the 29 gal and put the angelfish in it. Bring it down to your 120 gallon and let the bag float for about 10 minutes so the temperature is the same. Then open the bag and add water from the 120 gallon tank, until the bag is about 3/4 full, then close the bag. Then release the fish. Or you can fill a fish bucket 1/2 way with water from the 29 gallon, then slowly add water from the 120 gallon till it's about full, then pour him and the water into the 120 gal or net him and release him into the tank.
Frankly, I've always just netted fish and carried them to the other tank and dumped them in, and they were all okay; but if you think there is a temp, pH, nitrate etc difference between the two tanks, it's always better to acclimate.

Yep, you can add more angels. The big guy will just be the boss because the other ones will be young.

The dwarf frog is fairly compatible, but I think he'd be better suited in the 29 gallon. They breathe air, so it's a long swim for them to reach the surface in a 120 gallon tank. Plus the angelfish or rainbow shark could possible eventually eat the ADF.

Answer 2

#1-- The neons will be fine. #2---Carefully net the Angel,or even better, just gently guide it in to a submerged container.Take the 1/2 empty container to the 120,and using a piece of air line or other small diameter hose begin a slow drip of water into the container. When it fills up empty it back down to 1/2 and repeat. Do this several times,the key being a very slow change from the water in the 29 to the water in the 120. this should take a couple of hours, at least. When the water is matched,and nearly all from the 120,net the fish out of the container and plop him in the tank. #3------I'd add medium size angels to the 120,and I'd add them first,before moving the large one, this might avoid a territorial stand-off. ------Just a couple of other items,are you sure that your angelfish would eat the neons? And,you might be able to streamline the transfer process since (I assume) the water chemistry in the two tanks should be very close to the same,and you would be matching the temperature only.----------I use this method to avoid introducing foreign water into my system when adding new fish.-----Good luck,PeeTee

Answer 3

You can safely move you angel by placing it in a bag and doing it just like you would when you first bring home a new fish. If you don;t have a bag, put the fish in a clean bucket and with some tank water and slowly add water from the new tank to the bucket . Add a little more and a little more until the temperature is the same in the bucket as it is in the new tank and gently pour him in.

The neons would be fine for your tank once you move the angel. I would get a group of 6-8 to look really nice.

MM