Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fish Tanks and Equipment => Topic started by: Pitbull on October 14, 2014, 05:36:24 PM
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Well after discussion with SWMBO we have decided to retire our Juwel Rio 125 and have just ordered a Juwel Trigon 190.
Saw it in the shop and decided it was just what we want, the existing tank sits across a corner and we have been looking for a bigger tank, this gives us the extra capacity and neatly fits the corner so ideal really.
Now the plan to move the old tank, cycle the new tank and transfer the stock begins. any tips welcome.
Anyone near the Midlands want a Rio 125 make me an offer.
Kirk
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Sounds like a good plan.
Lots of piccies to show your progress, please.
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Good point I will start a thread on m y transition process.
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Morning Pitbull :wave:
How exciting! A new, BIGGER tank :) Definitely a thread on the changeover please, as I hope to be doing this myself shortly, going from a 60L to a Rio 180.
Good luck :cheers:
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Hi Resa,
Yes I have read the thread of your trials and tribulations. at least your research is thorough ;)
I am dropping on the side of using all the water from my old tank and transfer the filter media as it is the same filter in the new tank and then leaving overnight to settle in before transferring the fish. The second option of using water and filter medium and slowly adding fish means I will have my old tank set up temporary while I do this and I don't have the room.
Tank is delivered next Tuesday (21st October) so it will be the following weekend before I can set up properly. Will keep you all posted.
Kirk
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The simplest way is to transfer filter media and all the fish at the same time. You can't transfer the media only and leave the fish overnight without media. You do have some bacteria on all the surfaces of the current tank but not nearly enough to deal with the ammonia the fish will make overnight. You need to transfer the fish and media together.
If you can find space to let the new tank sit overnight while leaving the current one still set up and running, that's the better option. If you don't have space for that, transfer everything over straight away.
Keep an eye on your ammonia & nitrite for several days. You will lose the bacteria on the glass, the old filter casing and anything else you choose not to move. But there should be more than enough bacteria transfered to make up this loss without you noticing.
I upgraded from a Rio 125 to a 180 litre custom built tank in January. I had the advantage that the two tanks were in different rooms so I could have both set up at the same time, and since I had to wait a few days for the new tank silicone to finish curing I needed that space! When I was allowed to put water in, I topped it up over a couple of days to check for leaks.
On transfer day I emptied 125 litres out of the new tank; filled a dustbin with water from the old tank; caught the fish and put them in the dustbin; put the filter in the dustbin (I wasn't using the built-in one); removed the rest of the old water into buckets and poured it into the new tank; moved the decor over to the new tank; managed to 'walk' the dustbin into the dining room and transfered the old water, filter and fish into the new tank.
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Ah yes good point Sue, leaving the fish overnight without their life support is not a very good idea.
I am looking to move the old tank to one side so can set the new one up and leave overnight.
I will then follow your advice and take out some water so I can transfer the water from my old tank, all the filter media and the fish
wish me luck
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Hey Pitbull,
Exiting getting a new aquarium! One thing to think of which I overlooked is the substrate for the new aquarium. Will you be using your old substrate or new? I wish I had put a layer of plant substrate down before my sand so I'm now having to use root tabs.
Anyway best of luck and remember we like to see photos of the progress :)
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Yes new substrate, I will be washing it tomorrow.
I wanted sand but SWMBO didn't like the choices so I have compromised by going for a very fine gravel which hopefully will keep the plants rooted but give the Corys something to nose about in.
Kirk
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SWMBO didn't like the choices
I feel your pain..... ;D
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OK folks, picked the new tank up on Tuesday and started to get ready for the changeover. My current setup is a Rio 125 there are pictures below (sorry about the quality but I messed up the camera settings and half failed to come out).
(http://www.telfordwolves.webspace.virginmedia.com/fish/rio125%281%29.jpg) (http://www.telfordwolves.webspace.virginmedia.com/fish/rio125%282%29.jpg)
Set up the tank and put the background on first, still struggle too make the edges stick, but it seems to be holding. Had an issue with the cabinet as one panel had a crack in it but the shop was great and swapped it for me, so cabinet and tank ready.
(http://www.telfordwolves.webspace.virginmedia.com/fish/trigon190.jpg)
Began by emptying half the water from the old aquarium and moving it to one side as the new tank was going in the same corner. Placed substrate in I went for a coarse sand this time, I had washed it last weekend so it was ready to put in the tank. Then I transferred the water from the old aquarium.
(http://www.telfordwolves.webspace.virginmedia.com/fish/trigonsetup.jpg)
now with water in the new tank I transferred the plants followed by the fish, oh what fun chasing Zebras round the tank!! :vcross:
Fish transferred its now a race to get the rest of the water in and fill up with fresh treated water so I can get the filter and heater on. Filter was the same as the old tank so a direct transfer of all filter media.
Tank filled and support on lights installed and the CO2 tucked away in the cabinet the finished product looks very nice indeed
(http://www.telfordwolves.webspace.virginmedia.com/fish/trigonrunning.jpg)
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The tank looks great ;D
Little tip if you need to fiddle with the background. If you cut it a bit taller than the glass, it will slot under the trim at the top and bottom. Maybe not quite in the corners where the trim fits tighter, but those small bits can be cut shorter. I found the background stayed put just by doing that, although when I moved the rio next to the door, I had to selotape that side down as the draught from the door pulled it away.
It only works with tanks that have a trim top and bottom though.
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Yeah thanks Sue, I did cut it a little larger and tuck it in, I think that helps keep it all in place
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if you are putting plant substrate in the new tank be careful as if the new substrate contains nutrients for plant grow it will most likely leech out ammonia into the water column for a couple of weeks or more.
while this will help cycle a new filter/keep existing bacteria alive it wont do your fish any good.
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Thanks Evan, I didn't use any plant substrate just the coarse sand.
Hopefully they will take root as they did in the gravel before, I do inject CO2 which helps to keep the PH steady
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That looks really good, Pitbull...exciting times ;D
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Thought you may like to see it with the blue moonlight.
Sorry quality aint the best, my tablet camera isnt brill and yes that's the tv reflection.
Looks pretty smart I think