Hi, I could use expert help to decide how to upgrade my 10g tank with 4 fancy goldfish to a 38g tank. I'm a relative novice, have an established tank for over 1 year. Use an Aquamini power filter with ammo and carbon media. The fish seem healthy, but the tank is too small.
The pet store said I could transfer fish, and 10g existing water to a new tank, new Aqua power filter and remainder new water, but wait 24 hours for new tank to set up before the transfer. (However, they also never warned me about cycling when I first started and I lost a few fish that first 6 weeks. )
1. Can I safely do the above? I can't do the intensive process I read about to cycle a new tank with fish. Or,
2. Should I get some new small goldfish, or other hardy fish, and start the tank from scratch and let it cycle for a month or so, then slowly add my fish to the new tank?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi John,
you can do as the LFS people advised you, transfer the filter, substrate, and 10 gallon tank water to the new 38 gallon tank. I'm not sure why they advised you to wait 24 hours before transfering the fish though. Just make sure the new water is the same temp and close to the same pH as the aged water and is dechlorinated if need be (Our water here isn't chlorinated so I don't know much about dechlorinating it).

Keep a close watch on the water parameters, ammonia/ nitrites/ pH/etc., for the first month or so and do water changes as needed. Small daily water changes work well.

You should probably invest in a larger filter for the new tank as well. Run it in conjunction with the Aquamini.

Best of luck.

From what i gather from your post your buying a NEW aqua power filter and tossing the old mini one? Keep the old one for a few weeks and attach both to your new tank, get those bio-bugs swingin

Also you said about buying another fish to start the cycling, well then you'd be a little overstocked with 5 fish in a 38g... Just keep a close eye on the parameters and it should be ok

Your first option will still result in a mini cycle.

If you can't cycle with fish then do the fishless cycle which is the option 2. I don't think you should slowly add as you will result in mini cycles again. Add them all at the same time when it is cycled.

Hello!

I too have the same question. I am going from a 30 gallon established (and overstocked) tank to a new (to me) 60 gallon tank. my plans are to...

-set up the new one first but only about a bit more than 3/4 full
-put new filter (for 60 gallon tank) on old 30 gallon tank to establish the bio bugs
-do very small water changes daily on the 30 gallon adding the water from the 30 gallon to the 60 gallon tank.
-transfer all rocks and stuff from the 30 gallon to the new tank without rinsing them
-move new filter to the 60 gallon tank.
-after a week i was planning to add the fish from the 30 gallon to the 60 gallon.
-oh, and checking the water params daily.

I dont know too much about this stuff but i think this might work. Good luck! I am nervous about losing any fish to the newly cycled tank. I too lost many a fish cycling my first tank since they dont tell you about it at the pet store. of course, they just want to sell you as many fish as you can afford. they dont care about any thing else. well not all stores, just the one i used to go to... you dont want to get more fish. overstocking is what i lost my two favorite fish to a week ago.

Anyways, good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, keep us posted on your progress!

It is relatively easy to do this.

Obviously you will need a more powerful filter. One that does at least 380 gal an hour, more is better since you will still be overstocked some.

Take whatever filter media you have and either put it in a new filter or put it in a nylon stocking and hang it in the corner of the new tank until it is established.
Also using the water and the gravel. If switching to a new gravel you can use the gravel in the same method I stated above with the nylon and that will help keep some of the bio bugs.

Going from a small tank to a larger one you will have a slight bump in the cycle even if you do all the above. This is normal, keep an eye everyday on the levels and you should be fine.
It is not nessasary to do a fishless cycle in the new tank, the fish are better off in the "bigger" cycling tank then they are in the little one.

Penguin filters have an extra "media" (filter) basket that the old filter media will fit in. They are good filters.

I just upgraded a few days ago too. I set up my big tank and put in the new gravel (same as the old just needed more and of course rinsed the new really well) and decorated how I wanted it. I filled it prob like you said about 3/4 full or a little more as I was going from a 20 gal to a 75 gal. I hung the new filter on and took the filter bag from my established tank and put it in the new and just added a new filter bag to the old filter. I let the new tank run for a couple of days to let the water get to the right temp and then I took my fish out and put them and some of their water into a bucket and moved my rock, filter and tank water over to the new tank. Then I put the fish in and they have been happy. I have changed out just a little water about 10 gals or so at a time a few times to keep ammonia down. I was at 0 then I noticed it up in the new tank, but not alot. So I agree that you would be better off going ahead and putting your fish in and just watch your #s. Cycling this one isn't going to be nearly as rough as starting a new tank cause you are taking your beneficial bacteria with you instead of waiting for it to develop on its own.
Good luck and enjoy your new tank! Let us know how it goes