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 aquarium, ensuring proper beneficial bacteria growth to avoid sudden spikes in ammonia levels. However, what most people to do not take the time to learn is how to transfer fish from one fish tank to another the right way. There are a number of reasons why you may need to transfer fish to a new aquarium which includes moving house, transferring to a bigger tank or moving the fish out from an over populated aquarium. Regardless of what your excuse may be, what you need to always focus on is the risk of sudden increases in the level of ammonia in the water.
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 then once again into nitrates. Ammonia and nitrite levels in a healthy fish tank is almost zero while nitrates are between twenty to forty ppm. But when colonies of beneficial bacteria are at very low levels, there will not be a proper cleansing of the water resulting in sudden increases of ammonia and nitrite levels that can be deadly to the fish.
The bacteria colonies generally grow on a submerged surface in the tank water. However, you will also find small samples of bacterias swimming freely in the water itself. Although transferring the water from the old aquarium to the new one will also transfer some bacteria to it, the amount will not be sufficient to support the fish. The best way to have enough colonies of beneficial bacteria in the new tank is to also reuse the filter media from your existing aquarium as well as some of the gravel and decoration. Do not wash the old items because you will be washing the bacteria colonies away, do not expose it to the UV rays of sunlight as it will kill the bacteria and make sure that the items are still wet when you move them to the new tank.
Another suggestion is to use EcoBio-Block which will ensure that there will be enough colonies of bacteria in the new fish tank which spread on its volcanic rock. While you do not have to leave the EcoBio-Block damp 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 is placed into the new aquarium instead of in a dormant state. Another great feature of EcoBio-Block is that it provides the tank water with important minerals. This reduces the need to do too much water changes immediately after you transfer fish to the new tank, giving the fish a higher chance to live without being stressed too much.
Regardless of which choice you choose, please ensure that you do not place any of these items in water that has not been de-chlorinated because the chlorine in the water will destroy all the bacteria. You will also be required to do small water changes while constantly monitoring the chemical concentration of the water as there are times when the bacteria colonies might not be sufficient yet to lower ammonia levels. Common signs of fish suffering from excessive chemical effects include clamp fins and reddish puffy gills. But if you follow the above guide properly, your fish should not have any problems 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.
