How to move old aquarium to larger one?

[pollyandpear]

Want some advice RE transfering my aquarium into a new, larger tank.

Current tank is 70 litres, new one will be 160 litres.

Current tank has aqua soil, and then gravel, some gravel has mixed with the aqua soil but I have some new aqua soil left over.

New aquarium, I have bought mesh bags to put aqua soil (will try not to get much gravel in there but may be a bit) then cover with sand.

Couple of questions - Should I transfer fish straight away, or would like to get the new aquarium set up and running for a while? (have bought new filter and heater for it) however if I want to set it up, I will need to take at least some of the current substrate from the old tank. That will also mean transfering some of the plants?

Also, should I use the water from the old tank, and top it up with fresh (treated) water or just use completely fresh water?

Third question - should I transfer the media from old filter to the new one? I guess this would only work if I was to do this on the day I transfered the fish?

Basically, how do I make it least stressful. I only have 4 corys at the moment 🙂

EDIT read someone thing say siphon current tank water into a bucket, gentle scoop fish out with a net and add to bucket. Then set up new tank, and transfer fish immediately (providing water temp is the same).

 

[LFNfan]

is the plan to start up the new aquarium and immediately shut down the current one? It seems to be, but it sounds like you might have the option to keep both running (for a period of time at least).

I also have a 70L and am on the lookout for a larger tank - a 3ft or 100cm tank ideally. Unfortunately I have no space or bandwidth to run two at the moment.

With the caveat that I have a total of 12 whole months' practical experience (!) if I was changing over I'd probably run my new filter in my established tank (run two filters) for a month or so, then put it in the new tank along with half of my plants [edit] plus any new additions [\edit]. I'd let the whole thing settle for a month or so, and then transfer the corys. The first tank could then be kept going or fully decommissioned.

But I've never done it before so welcome others' advice too, for when I am finally in a position to 'go large' (or, larger).

 

[Wookii]

Want some advice RE transfering my aquarium into a new, larger tank.

Current tank is 70 litres, new one will be 160 litres.

Current tank has aqua soil, and then gravel, some gravel has mixed with the aqua soil but I have some new aqua soil left over.

New aquarium, I have bought mesh bags to put aqua soil (will try not to get much gravel in there but may be a bit) then cover with sand.

Is it your intention to use the aquasoil from the old tank, and put it in the mesh bags for the new tank? If not, that's what I would suggest you do. If there is more space in the bags than you have aquasoil in the old tank, then mix old and new soil together in a bucket and add to the bags. This will ensure you transfer over the beneficial substrate bacteria from the old tank. If you're sorting the old to new filter at the same time, I'd also empty the dirty contents of the old filter over the top of the bags/base of the tank, before you layer the new sand over the top, to help seed the new sand.

Couple of questions - Should I transfer fish straight away, or would like to get the new aquarium set up and running for a while? (have bought new filter and heater for it) however if I want to set it up, I will need to take at least some of the current substrate from the old tank. That will also mean transfering some of the plants?

As you are capping with sand, have a mature filter, are using the matured substrate, and you only have a few fish relative to the 160 litres, you should be alright to add them straight away.

Also, should I use the water from the old tank, and top it up with fresh (treated) water or just use completely fresh water?

Yes, I would do that to aid stability, particularly if you are adding the fish straight away.

Third question - should I transfer the media from old filter to the new one? I guess this would only work if I was to do this on the day I transfered the fish?

Yes, definitely use the old media.

Basically, how do I make it least stressful. I only have 4 corys at the moment 🙂

EDIT read someone thing say siphon current tank water into a bucket, gentle scoop fish out with a net and add to bucket. Then set up new tank, and transfer fish immediately (providing water temp is the same).

Yes, that would work. I'd run an airstone in the bucket too, and keep it somewhere warm with a towel over it. If you start the transfer in the morning you can then wait until lights out in the evening before adding the fish to the new tank - to give the tank a few hours to settle and get up to temperature etc - adding the fish during lights out will reduce their stress also.