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Change fish while re-scaping help

Sirkavu

Member
Joined
15 Apr 2018
Messages
174
Location
London
Hi everyone,

I am planing to re-scape my 180L Juwel tank as it looks bad after moving house.

I have got my plants yet, I would like to know what can I do with my fishes while I am re-scaping.

I have just turned on my 34L Fluval Flex 2 days ago with the Tropica soil I had previously and put the old part of the filter back (this was in my 180L tank so it could help with good bacteria and will now help this tank with it :) )

I think it will take me whole day yet, I am worried about moving my fishes to the 34L. Should I leave some in the 25L bucket I have?

This is my fish selection:
17 Neon Tetras
1 Golden Molly
1 Otto
11 Amano Shrimps

Thank you for any help :)
 
Can't you find something bigger? A rain but or plastic pond?
Hi Edvet, I don’t have but I can always go get one at B&Q next to me. They should have plastic ponds.

Should I get one? If so, what’s the minimum L I can have?
 
For just a day you'd be fine in my opinion, your 34l has old substrate and primed filter media, just keep the lights off to not stress the fish and dose the whole tank volume with prime

stick in any plants or ornaments you can to give them hiding places and off you go
 
I like to use those really strong storage boxes that you can park a Land Rover on top of. You can easily get them up to 100 litres or above.
If I was you I would fill completely the Fluval Flex 2 with water from your Juwel 180. Then I would put the fish in there so that you can enjoy watching them. I would then put the shrimp, wood and rocks into one of those strong storage boxes. I don't like adding amano shrimp to any planted tank unless there is plenty for them to eat excluding the plants. I have had no problem keeping these shrimp at room temperature. I have found that Amanos can be very territorial in smaller aquaria, so you will need to watch them to see whether they behave in this way, possibly needing to split them.
 
I like to use those really strong storage boxes that you can park a Land Rover on top of. You can easily get them up to 100 litres or above.
If I was you I would fill completely the Fluval Flex 2 with water from your Juwel 180. Then I would put the fish in there so that you can enjoy watching them. I would then put the shrimp, wood and rocks into one of those strong storage boxes. I don't like adding amano shrimp to any planted tank unless there is plenty for them to eat excluding the plants. I have had no problem keeping these shrimp at room temperature. I have found that Amanos can be very territorial in smaller aquaria, so you will need to watch them to see whether they behave in this way, possibly needing to split them.
So I would put Amano separate from the fishes? A bucket for example is enough?

I am changing tomorrow and will pass by B&Q and work today was chaotic.

It is just for one day, so I think it should be no problem.

Will I be on on adding the fish back to the tank same/next day? I will be adding new Aquarium soil to the one I have. Just 9L though, to create some "mountains" at the back with the dragon stone. Filter and old soil will still be there.

Thank you again
 
I have changed my opinion slightly. If the Tropica Soil that you put into your Fluval flex was new, then it will need a bit of time to cycle before you should add the fish. The same would also apply to your 180. You are only adding 9 litres of substrate to this tank, but you probably need to let it cycle a bit too. So my opinion has changed a bit. You basically need to buy yourself some more time.

To me there are two options. You could wait before moving the fish temporarily into the Flex, giving you time to prepare the 180, or you could get a large enough tub so that your fish and shrimp can be kept together until your 180 is ready. I would suggest that cycling with new Tropical Soil will take about two weeks in your flex, and far less time in the 180. But you will certainly need to do a few decent water changes.

The thing with the shrimp is that I was worried that they may eat the plants in your flex, or possibly begin to disappear due to population pressure. They can certainly be kept with the fish, but I was thinking you would enjoy them more meanwhile in the Flex. When you do move the shrimp, give them as much time as possible to acclimatise to temperature changes. Also, move the livestock gradually over a few days, so that if there is a problem you do not lose all of them.
What do you think?
 
Hi @Simon Cole
So even though I have 20L of tropica aquasoil already in my 180L tank, I still to cycle adding the 9L? I might even put less, like 6L

Regarding the flex, the soil and filter have been cycled before yet, they were stopped for 2/3 months, with low water and the filter was also off. Will this still take that long?

So basically, even though I am keeping the fishes in the small tank for a day, I still need to make sure the tank is cycled?

I have no problem with shrimps eating the fluval plants because at the moment i have none and was thinking on putting the 180L plants in this.

@Edvet what is your advice here, if I may?
 
My idea would be: why cut corners.
Put the fish in used tank water with a working filter and you have all the time you need to rearange your tank, let the tank settle and put the fish back in at your leisure . But i can''t see into your wallet;)
 
Haha like the last part @Edvet :D

So I will fill my 34L with the water from 180L which has used filter.

I’ll go to B&Q and if I find the pond I will put them there instead with the 180L tank water and the filter with pump from 34L and the Juwel 180L pump is half glued.

Edvet, with the new Tropica soil, do I still have to wait 1/2 weeks for the tank to cycle?
 
do I still have to wait 1/2 weeks for the tank to cycle
Sorry realy can''t help you there. I never use soils, i only use riversand and column dosing, more of a biotope guy than a scaper:oops:
 
I have used Tropica Soil twice in Juwel vision 180 aquariums. It just took quite a while before I felt ready to add the fish because there were a lot of signs that the tank was not ready. These included surface bio-films, slime moulds, detritus worms and diatom blooms. I didn't measure the water chemistry. I used a greater volume of soil than you are planning and I was starting for scratch, so I cannot give any clear comparison. The risk you run is that ammonia could be present when you come to add the livestock to your 180. You have to expect that at least some ammonia will be released by the new soil, but we do not know the extent or likely impact. Most people say that ammonia spikes happen in the first two weeks, before these chemicals can be converted, and to be honest, you don't want much of this stuff in the water with your livestock. I'm sure that I have an ammonia and nitrate testing kit somewhere at home. If you want I can probably test your 180 tank water and let you know the results?

If the soil, water and filter is cycled in your Fluval Flex then it is good to go I hope ;)
 
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