Upgrading to bigger tank - 20 to 50 gallon

Hey, currently I've got a fully cicled 20g tank, it's a little overstocked at the moment the biological filtration is fine, but in a couple months, most fish will get bigger, I am upgrading to a 50g once I've saved enough money to buy the stuff needed.

So far so good, the thing is I live in my mother's house and she doesn't like how messy aquarium maintenance can get... So this move has to happen in the quickest possible way so the old tank can go.

Once I get all the stuff, what I plan on doing is remove the rocks and plants from the old tank and put it in the new one as its easier to plant the jungle without water going... Do all the aquascaping and fill with some treated and heated tap water. Then add 50% of old aquarium water... Hopefully this will be enough water to get filtration and heating started.... Then add fish, move filter media to the new filter and fill the rest with as much of tank water as I can, then more tap water. I will be moving every single thing except the gravel. When the fish tank is full, I'll add some seachem stability (bacteria).

I have done this kind of stuff before on smaller aquarium and it did work. From my understanding this could work, I'm more worried about PH fluctuations, I'll have to test aquarium water versus tap water. If its the same, I'm pretty sure it's safe. The media can handle the bioload, so if I don't add fish for some weeks it should be fine, right?
Having 2 tanks going on at the same time is not an option mom would get super mad and I'm lucky enough to be able to upgrade lol. Her house, her rules....
So I think this is the quickest safest way. Am I missing something?

Thanks!

 

It sounds like you have all bases covered. If you are using the same source water you have been using for your water changes the PH should be the same. By moving everything including all the water over to the new tank both bacteria and fish will just feel like they've had a big water changes. Just be sure to keep everything wet during the move and everything should be fine.

One thing I would do differently is add tank water first instead of treated tap water. It is just one of those better safe than sorry things I do.

 

I'm pretty sure you could skip the Seachem Stability if you want. Since you're transferring the filter media from the old tank you shouldn't need it.

 

It sounds like you have all bases covered. If you are using the same source water you have been using for your water changes the PH should be the same. By moving everything including all the water over to the new tank both bacteria and fish will just feel like they've had a big water changes. Just be sure to keep everything wet during the move and everything should be fine.

One thing I would do differently is add tank water first instead of treated tap water. It is just one of those better safe than sorry things I do.

Thanks! Yeah that makes sense, so the bacteria on rocks and stuff can acclimate.

 

I'm pretty sure you could skip the Seachem Stability if you want. Since you're transferring the filter media from the old tank you shouldn't need it.

Ha. That's great. I was wondering but wasn't too sure about that. Thanks!

 

Thanks! Yeah that makes sense, so the bacteria on rocks and stuff can acclimate.

Your bacteria and your fish are used to the perimeters in their original tank so it just stands to reason to me that it is best not to change those perimeters too quickly. Dropping the rocks and other decor into fresh dechlorinated water could upset it. I may be way off in my thinking but as I said better safe than sorry when it is so easy to do the safe thing.

I agree with JettsPapa The bottled bacteria should not be needed since you are just moving a cycle from one tank to another. If you were also adding more fish it might help but since you will have the same fish there will be enough bacteria to handle their bio-load.