sunstrip

OK...here's the situation...have a 16 gallon tank and over the last few months have managed to overstock it (stupid me...but I just couldn't help myself !!! LOL)...so naturally the toxic levels have risen to the point of large daily water changes...soooooo of to the fishy store I went to purchase a larger tank...lucky me...right as I walk in the door there is a SUPER deal on a 55 gallon tank...sooooo...pay the cute chick behind the register....strap it to the back of my Harley...LOL...I'm kidding...LOL...anyways...I digress....got it all washed and set up and ready to put water into it tomorrow...now...a little background so y'all know what I have:

55 Gallon tank with a more than adequate filter, heater, 2 aerators, a house to hide in and various plastic and silk plants.

Fish I have:
3 Guppies (1 inch)
2 Glow Fish (1 inch)
3 Neons (1 inch)
2 Silver Hatchet Fish (1.5 inch)
3 Platies (1.5 inch)
2 Albino Cory Cat (1.5 inch)
1 Polka Dot Cat (3 inch)

Ya...I know..overstocked is an understatement...LOL

Am going to be filling the new tank with reverse osmosis water (tests great !!!)...and that's the same water that I have used in my 16 gallon tank.

Now this is what I have in mind....after filling the tank...let the new filter, heater, and air stones run all day...in the evening before I go to bed...move my old filter over from the 16 gallon to the 55 gallon tank without disturbing the filter media...and have both the filters running at the same time...and then move all my fish over...will leave both filters running for 1 week...after that...I will move the old filter back to the 16 gallon tank (which I am going to wash out and add new water) and then add a couple of the smaller breed Cichlid.

Does this sound like a good plan...and will it work

Thanks for any help.

angelfish220

that sounds like a plan. If you could get bio spheria it would go faster. once you get the 55 going for a while be sure to get buddies for the tetras, glofish, hatchets, and cories they are all schooling fish and need more of their kind. once you get enough to have schools for them your 55 will be about full, you could always sell the fish you dont want a school of though.

MissMTS

Sounds Great! I agree with angelfish220 about completing your schools of fish. Very important! Good luck with it. By the way, Bio-Spira is a lifesaver! Use it if you can!

sunstrip

Thanks guys !!!! I'm glad to hear that I'm doing the right thing...will go out and grab some
Bio-Spira tomorrow also...will keep ya posted.

sunstrip

Just out of curiousity...how many more of each would you recommend ??

Narcicius

dude get biospira or another bacterial supplement, this will speed up the process (about one week with biospira) and will probably save your fish in the transfer.

sunstrip

Well...tanks is filled...decorated...2 aerators running...and both the old and new filters running...heated to 78 degrees...Bio-Spira added...and the fish are in.....and they are having a ball !!!!! ...(so am I for that matter...LOL)...transfer went smoooooooth as silk...so far...so good guys.

angelfish220

all of those need at least 6 other fish of the same kind to be happy. that would mean 4 more glowfish 3 more neons 4 more hatchets, 3 more cories (perferably 2 more polkadot and 1 more albino ( some people would reccommend staying with 1 kind of cory but I think that the 2 will school together))

COBettaCouple

To get the tank bioload, use the adult sizes of the fish.

I'd recommend at least getting 4 more glo-fish, 1 more silver hatchet, 1 more albino cory and 2 more polka dot corys. 6 of each is better, but at least 3 is doable.

Narcicius

Sounds like you have quite a few fish to add. So do it slowly if you are going to. I hope everything works out. and thank god for biospira!!!

Blub

Narcicius

Hatchet I never knew.

sunstrip

Well...4 days and all is good in the new 55 gallon...have only made one revision to the plan...right now in the old 16 gallon I have put 2 Red Wag Swords...I am going to let the filter that I have in there cycle on it's own (with Bio-Spira added) for about 6 weeks before switching back to the original filter that I put in the 55 gallon.

Narcicius

sounds good.

sunstrip

Well...week 2 and all is good in both tanks...did water change yesterday...tested today...Am 0, NTrite 0.1 NTrate 20...all fish in tanks are having a party and I wasn't invited..only allowed to look through the window....LOL...only 1 prob to report...one of my original Platties (George) is looking tired ...I've put the poor little fella through living heck thru my learning curve ....hope he pulls thru.

sunstrip

Oh...and I have added 2 live plants to the tank....a real nice Moneywort and a Borneo Fern (which I just recently learned was a mistake...here goes the learning curve again !) I love the Moneywort...it's my fav water plant !

AND...My female Mickey-Mouse Platty (Mickey)...is pregnant !.!.!

Pass out the underwater cigars !.!.! LOL

She's such a tart ! LOL

lyndatu

Congratulations on the new great tank and the pregnant platy!

Oh and it is wise to follow HatchetHeaven's advice! Having only 1 Hatchet will make him sad and might exhibit some aggressive behavior. Try to have a school of 4-6 or more to make him happy.

Good luck and Happy Fishkeeping!

sunstrip

Actually...I have 2 Hatchets...and the funny thing is...they seem to be very happy...each one has VERY different personalities too..one is very shy...and the other loves to play with all the other fish...as my large tank becomes more stable...I'll prob look into grabbing a couple more of them though.