Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and the Yahoo Answers website is now in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Trending News
What should I do with my fish tank?
Ok this is my situation. I have 5 WHite cloud and 1 CAE in my 2.5 gallon tank. They've been there for 3 years. I have decided to switch over to a 5 gallon. But the question is should I do it now or doing it in April.
And no the CAE( Chinese Algae eater) is my heart and soul i will not get rid of him.
I move back to school in about a week. ( Out of State). So while i'm gone my grandparents look after the fish for me.... ( They basically just feed and occasionally change water)....
If I switch to the larger tank now, i would need to do the whole nitrogen cycle for the new 5 gallon tank. So if i need to switch. I would need to have everything settled in 1 week max. I do not want to have any fish die with the amonia spike and stuff because i will not be there to clean it up so then all my otherfish will die too. Is there a way to power through the nitrogen cycle. So that I can get everything established in a week.?
If i take all my water, plants, and gravel. from my old tank and add it all to my new tank. Then would the bacteria coloney instantly arrive at my new tank. My old tank used an undergravel filter and my new tank uses a biological filter. its a Waterhome 5.
My old 2.5 gallon tank used an undergravel filter. and my new tank uses a biowheel. I'd have to do the whole cycle thing all over again.right? and how do i do this in a week's time
The best answer goes to the one with the most indepth answer. your help is much appreciated.
a website really isn't really an answer something more specific might help
5 Answers
- gremlinLv 51 decade agoFavorite Answer
I would say go ahead and switch now. By moving the gravel over to your new tank, you will be able to jump start the cycle. Most of the bacteria will be living in your gravel. It will migrate to the biowheel filter once you have your new tank up and running. By also moving as much of the old tank water over as you can, basically it wouldn't be any more stressful to the fish than doing a partial water change like you would do when you clean the tank. Your fish will appreciate the larger tank, and the tank should be able to stay cleaner longer since it now has more water volume. You shouldn't have to worry about starting the nitrogen cycle over again. And as long as you do not add any fish, you shouldn't have an ammonia spike. There is a product called Ammo Rocks that I get online at Drs Foster and Smith. It is an ammonia absorbing rock that can be placed around the tank and in the filter to absorb the ammonia in the tank. I have goldfish and plecos and cae's in an outdoor pond. I use the ammo rocks in the waterfall to help absorb the extra ammonia from all my high ammonia producing fish. It is also helpful when you are adding fish or setting up a new tank because it helps to take the ammonia out of the water. Here is a link to it for you: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display...
Does your cae have a couple of good hidey holes? I've found that if they have sufficient food, room, and caves to hide in, they are not aggressive at all. As they get older, they like a bit more meat in their diet. Mine like the shrimp pellets that I put in. They also like bottom feeder tablets that are made for cories and other meat eating scavengers. I usually put in one for each every 2-4 days. They still like their moss too. They can be such characters! My yellow cae (started out normal colored and still changes once in a while) will push the pleco (which is 4 times bigger) out of the log that the cae wants to hide in. Now they share it, the pleco upside down inside the top of the log and the cae right side up in the bottom of the log. Another good website for fish tank related questions is: http://www.fishlore.com/
There is a lot of information on that website, and a lot of knowledgeable people. Oh, and when you are moving your cae, be careful! Mine shot straight up out of the water a good 16 inches when I was trying to catch them all to move them to a temporary winter tank (the pond outside is too cold in the winter).
- daprasiLv 41 decade ago
Even a 5-gallon tank is to small for those fish. You should get a 12-gallon and add another white cloud tetra because they are supposed to be in a school of at least 6.
- 1 decade ago
I would switch now. Your chinese algae eater will grow big. I say you switch to at least a 10 gallon. Plus you have 5 white cloud minnows and they grow up to 2 inches so do it fast.
Source(s): I own a 10 gallon with an algae eater, one platy and 2 zebra danios. - 1 decade ago
Ciao jim
... hehe this is something I have thought about too :)
This might help you investigate a little further into your question about fish tanks.
http://www.fish-tank.smart-internet-solutions.com/
I think that leads you the the answer.
ttyl
