10g to 30g help please

[gtoeballerz15]

Hello,

So i am transfering my pleco/crab/and frog from a 10g to a 30g (keep in mind i intend to get more fishies). Do I need to cycle the 30 gal tank first? or can i just move everything in there? The gravel in the 30 gal hasnt been used for a while and i dont really know how to go about this. I want my fish to be nice and healthy. thanks

[SoCalBoo]

need to cycle. you can transfer part of the bio-media to speed things along. some gravel from the 10g will help. But don't put everything in the 30g - the 10g needs some to protect the fish in there. I'd say no more than 1/3 of the bio media and/or gravel the 30g. monitor ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. after ammonia and nitrate spike and return to zero, you are good to go.

don't transfer fish to 30g. need to cycle the bigger tank first. using bio media and gravel from 10g, will probably take less than 2 weeks, but mileage will vary.

good luck.

[j1gregor]

I've sized up freshwater tanks several (10 -> 30 -> 55g) times and never bothered to cycle, but I transferred everything (filter, gravel, rocks, etc.) to the bigger tank all at the same time along with the new stuff. If you're not planning on using the gravel from the old tank I would recommend doing as SoCalBoo suggests. Definitely rinse the old gravel (that was previously not being used) a few times before using it though. The cycle will be sped up by seeding the tank with a bit of your old gravel.

[gtoeballerz15]

do some of the biomedia reside in the filter? I was planning not to transfer the filter because i might need a bigger one.

[Fink Ployd]

A lot of beneficial organisms reside in the filter (which is actually what makes it work). Your best bet is to continue use of the old filter on the new setup for a few weeks while also running the new bigger filter. Using the old filter will help speed up your cycling as well as prep the new filter to be run by itself.

[sandiegoreefish]

you do need to cycle the tank sense its a new tank. if your using all the same filters then you probably don't have to cycle it for has long.

[acbaldwin]

I usually squeeze the old filter's nastiness straight into the water of the new tank so that bacteria get into every nook and cranny, and then continue to run the new filter on the new tank.