Transfer Fish Safely To A New Fish Tank

One of the first things anyone new to the hobby of fish keeping learns are how to cycle the fish tank properly as well as how to introduce their new fish into the fish tank, making sure to avoid sudden increase of ammonia as the beneficial bacteria colonies grow. However, what most people to do not take the time to learn is the right way to transfer fish from an old aquarium to a brand new one. There can be many reasons why you may need to transfer fish to a new aquarium which includes moving house, transferring to a bigger tank or having too many fish in one tank. Regardless of what the reasons may be, the main thing to keep in mind is the risk of sudden increases in the ammonia level.

In a fish tank that has gone through proper cycling, beneficial bacteria colonies thrive well, breaking down ammonia which result from excess fish food or waste, into nitrites and further into nitrates. The levels of ammonia and nitrites in a healthy fish tank is almost zero while nitrates are between twenty to forty ppm. But when beneficial bacteria colonies are at very low concentration, there will not be a proper cleansing of the water resulting in sudden increases of ammonia and nitrite levels that can be harmful to the fish.

The bacteria colonies generally grow on a submerged surface in the tank water. However, you will also find minute concentration of bacterias swimming freely in the water itself. Although transferring the water from the existing fish tank to the new one will also transfer some bacteria to it, the concentration will not be sufficient to maintain the fish. The best way to ensure sufficient beneficial bacteria in the new aquarium is to also reuse the old filter media as well as some of the gravel and decoration. Never wash the old items as it will wash away the beneficial bacteria colonies, do not expose it to the UV rays of sunlight as it will kill the bacteria and ensure that the items are still wet when you move them to the new tank.

As an alternative, you can also use EcoBio-Block which will ensure that there will be sufficient beneficial bacteria in the new aquarium which spread on its volcanic rock. Even though you do not need to leave the EcoBio-Block wet when it is being moved to the new aquarium, it would still be the right thing to do so that the bacteria are still active when it enters into the new aquarium instead of in a dormant state. Another great function of EcoBio-Block is that it provides the aquarium water with crucial minerals. This lowers the need to do too much water changes immediately after you transfer fish to the new tank, which gives the fish a better chance to survive without stressing them too much.

Regardless of which choice you choose, please ensure that you do not place any of these materials in water that has not been de-chlorinated as the chlorine in the water will kill off all the bacteria. You will also be required to do small water changes while constantly monitoring the chemical levels in the water as there are times when the colonies of bacteria might not be sufficient yet to lower ammonia levels. Common symptoms of fish affected by excessive chemical effects include clamp fins and reddish puffy gills. But if you follow the above guide properly, your fish should have no trouble getting use to the new aquarium.

For more information on how to transfer fish properly and other fish tank guides, visit Fish Tank Filters at http://fish-tank-filters.org today.