re-acquired 55g tank

[Ginevive]

I just got our old 55 gallon tank back, after it has been at my sister's place while we moved around to various apartments. I am happy to have it back. I filled it yesterday and dechlorinated the water.. I was aghast at the bio-load die-off that had to've occured, because of our chlorine-y water and the cold temperature of the hose water that I had to use to fill it. So I am pretty-much starting anew. I had to explain to my husband why I was putting food into a fishless tank last night (starting to cycle it; lol!) Here she is' the background is actually way more green/planty than the pic shows. I plan to keep fancy goldfish again. The tank off to the right is my 29g comet goldfish tank that I have had running for about 3 years. Do you think that I could put in some gravel from this tank to help speed the cycling process along? Oh; I am also removing all of the goofy stickers that my little niece put all over the stand; lol.

[Montypython696]

I wouldn't recommend putting gravel from the other tank in there. However if you are running the same type of filter media in both tanks, you can put some from the old tank into the new one to help speed up bacteria growth.

[Ginevive]

Thanks. The filter in the smaller tank is a one-cartridge deal, but I could just make like I do when I change its cartridges; keep the old frame for cartridge, take-off old one.. replace with new.. put old one on new frame into new tank. It will help, at least. The ridges in the bigger tank's filter are larger of course; I can wedge it in with the one that is in there now. Maybe a total die-off did not occur in the big tank? It was only sitting overnight without fish in it at my sister's place, and the gravel was damp. Ah well

[Montypython696]

If you didn't change out the gravel, and are still using it in the 55, that should be full of bacteria. If the gravel stayed damp and still wet, bacteria shouldn't have died off.

[Ginevive]

Awesome. I have it going with one goldfish for now. Things seem good so far. I was just worried that our overly chlorinated water would have shocked the bacteria, but then again maybe not.

[Ginevive]

Here is a finished pic. The three GFs are out of the other tank, which I tore down to make a terrarium. I did end up putting the old gravel into this tank rather than waste it, and things have settled/cleared up.



Here's the terrarium that I made out of the old tank. I plan to maybe add some sort of frog.

[SnakeKittyFishy]

Looking good, I'd just keep an eye on your parameters. If you don't have a liquid test kit I'd go out and get one, they're worth the money I really miss my 55g and my goldfish lol and I love the way your terrarium looks!

[Ginevive]

Thanks I did add some of the water from the old tank; forgot to mention that. Water has a nice organic smell to it. I am definitely holding off on adding anymore fish for now. I do need a test kit, though.

[BOWSER11788]

get you a master test kit, it doesnt matter were you get cycled media, as long as you dont get it from a sick tanks, see if you have an LFS that would help. also are those fancy goldfish, most other kinds will outgrow the tank. even common feeders get 18in. gravel does some bacteria, not really much to help. get you some seachem prime, best dechloranater out there period. even helps reduce amonia and nitrates. also no way around it, if you didnt dechlor the water and put it in, it will kill the cycle of the tank. what filtration are you running.