Moving from 20g to 55g, any advice?

Currently have a very well established 20g planted tank. Kulhi loaches, and some small/med cichlids. Upgrading to a 55g tank this weekend, moving old filter media to new tank as well as adding nutrifin bio cycle to the new setup. Once I get the temp & other levels good, can I move them since I'll have a head start on the bio cycle? Wondering how you others switching to a larger tank do this.

 

Currently have a very well established 20g planted tank. Kulhi loaches, and some small/med cichlids. Upgrading to a 55g tank this weekend, moving old filter media to new tank as well as adding nutrifin bio cycle to the new setup. Once I get the temp & other levels good, can I move them since I'll have a head start on the bio cycle? Wondering how you others switching to a larger tank do this.

I would. Just monitor ammonia and nitrites and perform water changes as necessary.

 

Would these species be good to add to my tank, I've got a sunshine peacock cichlid, a hybrid between a parrot and a convict cichlid & a jewel cichlid.

 

Would these species be good to add to my tank, I've got a sunshine peacock cichlid, a hybrid between a parrot and a convict cichlid & a jewel cichlid.

I can't answer that question (others here can) but I would advise not adding any other fish until the new tank has a chance to become established for a month or three.

 

Would these species be good to add to my tank, I've got a sunshine peacock cichlid, a hybrid between a parrot and a convict cichlid & a jewel cichlid.

I've heard Convict cichlids are pretty aggressive. Hopefully your hybrid doesn't pick up on those genes. So be ready.

 

Currently have a very well established 20g planted tank. Kulhi loaches, and some small/med cichlids. Upgrading to a 55g tank this weekend, moving old filter media to new tank as well as adding nutrifin bio cycle to the new setup. Once I get the temp & other levels good, can I move them since I'll have a head start on the bio cycle? Wondering how you others switching to a larger tank do this.

If you move over all biomedia and the plants, it will be instantly cycled for the same bioload (more or less) so it's less of a 'head start' and more of a 'maybe there could be a mini-cycle, maybe not'. Only issue is the substrate you used given it is a planted tank - some of these substrate can release a lot of nutrients when disturbed, in which case despite the cycle being likely largely intact there may still be issues - but that's something to deal with post-move.

But yes, get the temperature and stuff 'good' and then add the fish. Personally whenever I did this I just chuck the fish in, I have never kept 'sensitive' fish so never had to really deal with that issue. Cichlids in general are hardy enough that they'll barely care about the changes in temperature and all that.