upgrading my aquarium do you have any advice

Hello everyone

I'm new to the forum but have been keeping fish off and on my whole lyfe

In about 1-2weeks I will have the new aquarium I have all the equipment just saving to get the tank itself

Currently I have
10 gallon tank
1 rainbow shark
2 Dalmatian Mollies
And a few plants
Florescent t8 single bulb
Marineland bio wheel rated for 30 gallon
H2o show red valcano

Upgrading to
55 gallon tank
Marineland bio wheel rated for 70 gallon
Marineland double bright led fixture
Terra air pump rated for 40 gallon tank

I'm going to be seeding the tank with the old filter pads and media and all the decor and plants so the nitrogen cycle doesn't take as long and isn't as stressful on the fish

A few questions
Should I run both filters until the cycle is done or just put the old filter pads infront of the new ones in the same filter ?

I have API stress zyme would it be good to use in the water of the new tank before I start adding everythingor just follow the instructions and add every week until the cycle is over ?

has anyone used the marineland double bright led fixture ? If so are the as good as they advertise?

Well that's about all the questions I can think of now but I will post more if I have them
Any advice that could be given about seeding that would help would be great I have done a bunch of research on it but I always say personal experiences are better than written articals on the subject

Kind of unrelated to the 55 freshwater I'm Saving for all the things needed for a reef and I was thinking about getting the marineland reef capable led has anybody ever used them or should I just get some t5 ho fixtures I have special bulbs for corals that I can use in the fixture that I use for horticulture

Thanks for your time
Cody

 

I use Stress Coat plus I just added it the first time. I also did a water change/ vacuum and added some of that water to bring in some bacteria. I liked that option rather then adding the cycling packets to speed up the process.

I have a bluelight in a 48in fixture on mine and another fixture with a day light. No problems with algae, and I would have to say I prefer the bluelight to the LED's I had. So with the 2 fixtures they cover up the top whick I have glass lids under. Only thing its a pain in the butt when need to get in the tank. I just feed from the back side. There is a small space along the back of the tank due to the HOB's.

 

If I use t5 I'm going to use a 2 bulb

But if I don't like the led fixture that is coming for the 55 then I'll use t5 for the reef but that's a wile away so you never know

 

I have 2 separate fixtures on mine just because I had one then found another on clearance for $29

 

Ya I'm just going to make it easy and run a 2 bulb

although if I have to run 2 separate fixtures I have a timer with 2 outlets

 

A few questions
Should I run both filters until the cycle is done or just put the old filter pads infront of the new ones in the same filter ?

I have API stress zyme would it be good to use in the water of the new tank before I start adding everythingor just follow the instructions and add every week until the cycle is over ?

has anyone used the marineland double bright led fixture ? If so are the as good as they advertise?

Well that's about all the questions I can think of now but I will post more if I have them
Any advice that could be given about seeding that would help would be great I have done a bunch of research on it but I always say personal experiences are better than written articals on the subject

Kind of unrelated to the 55 freshwater I'm Saving for all the things needed for a reef and I was thinking about getting the marineland reef capable led has anybody ever used them or should I just get some t5 ho fixtures I have special bulbs for corals that I can use in the fixture that I use for horticulture

Thanks for your time
Cody

I would just run both filters until the tank cycles. If your 10 gallon tank is nicely cycled, the 55 gallon should be almost instantly cycled. If it isn't, it will still greatly reduce the time needed for the cycle.

I wouldn't add stress zyme. It doesn't contain the right type of bacteria needed and will die off, which is why you have to redose it every week. It could also compete with the bacteria you have already which is doing more harm than good.

I haven't personally used the LED lights but from what I've heard is that it isn't the best light for plants. So if you decide to use it, you should try keeping lower-lighted plants.

 

Thank you for the advice

The 10 gal is completely cycled and has been for almost 1 month sence the move to my new house it was up almost a year before I moved and it didn't take but maby a day until it was cycled again

I will see how it effects the plants I have now they are under a t8 and it isn't very bright
But personally I think led still has a way to go in the aquarium industry

If led for horticulture weren't so expencive I would buy one of them for the tank