Setting up a second emergency-ish tank

[Marcia]

Hello everyone. I've got a 90L planted tank that I've set up using UKAPS advices, added plants and floaters, let the plants grow for weeks, added shrimps, then tetras, then rasboras and a pleco. It's been running for 3 years now. Recently we've added two female betas and after a while one has become aggressive to the other, chasing although not injuring, but causing stress nonetheless. I'm setting up a second tank to separate them permanently so it's not just a quarantine tank. I'm using our old 34L Fluval Flex with new Fluval substrate, anubias, amazon sword, limnophila sessiflora, Vallisneria, mangrove wood, frog bit floaters. I've added ceramic filter media that I left soaking in the big tank for a week. The filter set up is made of lots of sponges and a bag of activated carbon. Yesterday I've filled it up with half big tank's water and half fresh water with Prime. Today I did a quick check on Amonia using API test and it was 0.50ppm, I'm not sure if it's because of the new substrate so haven't added the fish yet. Big tank Amonia is zero. I need to separate the Bettas soon so I'm wondering what could I do to speed up the process to be safe to add the Betta fish? Do I add more big tank water? I've got a bottle of Seachem Stability, would that help? Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[AlecF]

Can you add a divider in the big tank for now?

 

[Marcia]

Can you add a divider in the big tank for now?

Hi they’ve been separated by a mesh cage in the big tank for now but none of them are happy with this arrangement 🙁

 

[sparkyweasel]

Prime can cause a false positive ammonia reading, unless you use Seachem's test kit. There's some info on their website, in the FAQs.

 

[Marcia]

Prime can cause a false positive ammonia reading, unless you use Seachem's test kit. There's some info on their website, in the FAQs.

Hi I didn’t know that, thanks 🙂 I had a look at their FAQs. I have a Seachem Amonia/pH Alert that I haven’t use yet, I’ll add tomorrow.

 

[tam]

You can test the false positive by taking some big tank water, treating it with prime and then testing. Either way you could exchange water between the main tank and the new one. The established tank (established plant growth and filter) will cope with any small amounts of ammonia much better and if you exchange enough before the move that the water is identical you could do as much water changing as you want without worry about added stress from different values (just check they run at the same temp).

 

[Marcia]

You can test the false positive by taking some big tank water, treating it with prime and then testing. Either way you could exchange water between the main tank and the new one. The established tank (established plant growth and filter) will cope with any small amounts of ammonia much better and if you exchange enough before the move that the water is identical you could do as much water changing as you want without worry about added stress from different values (just check they run at the same temp).

Thank you for your advice 🙂 I’ve been doing this exchange you suggested today, the temperature is the same in both tanks, 27°C. I’ve exchanged around 20% of the new tank water should I keep doing or wait for the water to settle? Thanks again.

 

[Hanuman]

Hello everyone. I've got a 90L planted tank that I've set up using UKAPS advices, added plants and floaters, let the plants grow for weeks, added shrimps, then tetras, then rasboras and a pleco. It's been running for 3 years now. Recently we've added two female betas and after a while one has become aggressive to the other, chasing although not injuring, but causing stress nonetheless. I'm setting up a second tank to separate them permanently so it's not just a quarantine tank. I'm using our old 34L Fluval Flex with new Fluval substrate, anubias, amazon sword, limnophila sessiflora, Vallisneria, mangrove wood, frog bit floaters. I've added ceramic filter media that I left soaking in the big tank for a week. The filter set up is made of lots of sponges and a bag of activated carbon. Yesterday I've filled it up with half big tank's water and half fresh water with Prime. Today I did a quick check on Amonia using API test and it was 0.50ppm, I'm not sure if it's because of the new substrate so haven't added the fish yet. Big tank Amonia is zero. I need to separate the Bettas soon so I'm wondering what could I do to speed up the process to be safe to add the Betta fish? Do I add more big tank water? I've got a bottle of Seachem Stability, would that help? Thanks in advance for any input.

The water does not contain much beneficial bacteria so it's not suprising you are seeing some ammonia readings on your new tank water. You could add some of the bio media in your current bigger tank into your 34L Fluval Flex in order to increase bacterial load. Your bigger tank will be ok with less bio media because most of your bacteria is in your soil, plants etc. Oxygenate the new tank as much as possible to promote bacterial development and add as much plants as possible. In a week or two things should stabilize. If you keep seeing ammonia readings in the meantime simply do 10-20% water changes every 2 or 3 days. Don't go nuts with prime. Fluval substrate normally does not leach ammonia but because the tank is new there isn't enough bacterial colonies to handle what is decomposition in the tank.

If you have, put a catappa leaf in your new tank as well. This will slightly reduce PH and darken the water. Bettas do better in waters with tanins, plus it has antibactial properties beneficial for the fish, specially if he is stressed. Keep the ligts to a minimum to further reduce stress.

 

[Marcia]

Thank you everyone for your advices. I did the water exchange between 2 tanks, added more plants, catalpa leaves, new air pump. Also been adding Seachem Stability for a week. The Seachem Amonia + PH Alert have been at normal levels all the while. Plants are showing growth (and diatoms). We finally added the Betta who was feeling stressed in the main tank and hiding all the time. She's a different fish now, exploring the tank, eating, not hiding anymore. I'm yet to do a water change with tap water and Prime for this tank because I've been using the main tank water instead, should I wait longer? Thank you all for your help.

PS: The tank's aesthetics is called "Panic". 😱
PS: I realise now that calling a 90L tank a "big tank" in this forum is bit ridiculous. It's big in my house 😀