The Puffer Forum

Gotcha. What I think I might do is use part of the media out my tanks that are already running and put it in the new filter and such and run it in a cycle!

Don't forget to provide the bacteria with an ammonia source, or it will die off.

Got it! Thank you SYN

The fish are acclimated to the parameters of the "used" water. It would be a shock to place them in fresh tap water. JMO

I understand what you mean. But If I put part of the old media into the new filter for the new tank along with the 50% water change water wouldn't that work? It is just an idea.

If you have your used water, plus some dechlorinated/conditioned tap water, plus all of your old media, plants, substrate, etc., it should work fine. Seeding the new filter with established colonies of bacteria works great. Just like Sevenyearnight said, however, you want to make sure that there is enough of an ammonia source for the bacteria colonies to survive or you will experience an ammonia spike when adding fish.

Thanks for the help!

You don't have to use old water, almost all of the good bacteria is on the substrate and decor.

Absolutely true, but his question seemed to be focused on the 50% water change. It could help in some ways if the new water has different parameters at all, it would be less of a shock to the fish. Really not needed though.

I remember moving a 125g to a new apartment on the 3rd floor & couldn't drag all those buckets of water to save any of the old water for that tank. The fish were so shocked in that new water, that they kept jumping out!

Pufferpunk wrote:I remember moving a 125g to a new apartment on the 3rd floor & couldn't drag all those buckets of water to save any of the old water for that tank. The fish were so shocked in that new water, that they kept jumping out!

Water changes had to me a SOB! I can only imagine! I know mine is right next to my door so I have a 20ft hose I start it and let it drain out the door and I fill it up with the hose Simple and easy!

Pufferpunk wrote:I remember moving a 125g to a new apartment on the 3rd floor & couldn't drag all those buckets of water to save any of the old water for that tank. The fish were so shocked in that new water, that they kept jumping out!

I can imagine, especially if your tapwater differs from where you were previously. They just switched us over to well water where I live (costs less) and the oh is 8.2-8.3 as opposed to the 7.6 it was before. Poor fish.

My hose water is wayyyyyyyyyyyyy better drastically compared to my tap!

That's a good reason to acclimate the fish gradually then. A big change in water quality would be quite shocking, as PP experienced.

Whenever I get a new fish, or have to move a fish, I drip acclimate them, no less than 15 minutes, but up to several hours if I know the water types greatly differ. I will put the fish in a bucket with the water it's accustomed to, and then run an airline hose from the tank it will be entering, to the bucket. You can tie a knot so that it just drips instead of having a steady stream, but I have a airline splitter that allows you to adjust the flow, but a knot works just as well.