[ash01]

Hi

I have a 55g Malawi Cichlid Tank set up but i have had a Fluval 66ltr tank sitting unused for a while and was trying to decide what to do with it.

I have decided that i am going to set it up for Africans but not to stock it full of them i was going to just put in one of my little female Saulosi's in it who seems to get the **** kicked out of her all the time from all the fish for some strange reason in my bigger tank. I thought it would be a good idea to set it up for her but if any baby's etc appear in the bigger tank i could put them in there too.

I have a Tetratec EX600 external filter for it.

I have Coral Sand which is also in my bigger tank but i also have a few bags of new black sand which is finer. First thought was should i just use coral sand or put in the balck sand instead? If it was the black sand where could i put some of the coral sand to help buffer the water? External filter? In a pair of tights behind the rocks?

If i filled the tank with water from my mature tank and squeezed the filter pads into the external how long would it take before i could safely add the fish?

I have been meaning to set up the little tank for a while but always couldn't decide what to do so hopefully i will be able to set it up tonight if you kind people can give me some hints/tips.

Thanks,

Ashley.

 

[iceblue]

I took a sponge out of the canister filter from my main tank to set up a 29g aquarium for a mated pair of German blue Rams I bought on impulse. The sponge fit nicely inside the hob filter and provided both mechanical and bio filtration right from the start. Using squeezings alone is usually done to cycle a tank useing amonnia or disposable fish. It takes a while for the bacterias to build up in your filters before adding the fish you want to keep. With a sponge from an established tank the cycle is already complete. Add it along with the fish and your ready to go.

So far as your sand , if you like the looks of the black substrate go for it. Unless your water is very much on the acidic side you may not need the buffer. If you do, your idea of using "tights" (nylons?) is a nice option and would be most useful in the filter where circulation would increase its benifet.

Hth.

 

[a_c_arnold]

If your just adding 1 fish to a 66 gallon tank, you can add him like that day since you've squeezed your filter media in and dechlorinated the water. Just don't put any more fish load on it for a couple weeks or so and keep feedings to a minimum. I would recomend water changes pretty often until your filter gets established. I have set up my ten gallon as a quarantine tank and put fish in it on the same day on several occasions. Just be sure to dechlorinate the water and 1 small fish will be fine in a tank that size.