How to Temporarily Consolidate Tanks?

[CalmedByFish]

Just thinking ahead. Maybe some of you have experience with this.

I have a 55 and a 20. The 55 needs emptied and re-siliconed. (The silicone has growing algae pockets between it and the glass.) My only fish are 1 grown angel, and some endlers. They'll fit okay in the 20 for a while. I'm okay with the endler fry being angel candy.

I'm hoping I can wait until the weather is warm enough to put the 55's plants in a makeshift pond outside. If not, I'll do the pond inside. 

So that takes care of fish and plants well enough. But how about the 55's bacteria? The main media it grows on are gravel, and sponges in the HOB. 

How do you suppose I could keep the bacteria alive on the gravel and filter sponges? 

I'm open to other ideas too. Although I've successfully re-siliconed a 20, it was very hard for my unremarkable biceps, and I assume a 55 is going to take a lot more muscle and speed. 

[Dwayne Brown]

You could ad some of the gravel to the 20 then put the gravel from the 20 back into the 55. You could also just set the sponges in the 20 gallon maybe. That would preserve bacteria then you could put them back in the hob when done.

[Fish Folk]

4 minutes ago, CalmedByFish said:

Just thinking ahead. Maybe some of you have experience with this.

I have a 55 and a 20. The 55 needs emptied and re-siliconed. (The silicone has growing algae pockets between it and the glass.) My only fish are 1 grown angel, and some endlers. They'll fit okay in the 20 for a while. I'm okay with the endler fry being angel candy.

I'm hoping I can wait until the weather is warm enough to put the 55's plants in a makeshift pond outside. If not, I'll do the pond inside. 

So that takes care of fish and plants well enough. But how about the 55's bacteria? The main media it grows on are gravel, and sponges in the HOB. 

How do you suppose I could keep the bacteria alive on the gravel and filter sponges? 

I'm open to other ideas too. Although I've successfully re-siliconed a 20, it was very hard for my unremarkable biceps, and I assume a 55 is going to take a lot more muscle and speed. 

I'd just buy a new 55 gal, save myself the concern about making a mistake re-siliconing it. I'd probably set up the new 55 gal tank, and just move everything over from the old one. Drain water out, move filters over, scoop substrate out and transfer over. Just did this with a 29 gal that was bowing. Got a new one, and it all worked great. In fact, I just scooped out all of the Eco Complete into buckets, kept it wet, and transferred it.

[Lifeisgood]

2 hours ago, Fish Folk said:

I'd just buy a new 55 gal, save myself the concern about making a mistake re-siliconing it. I'd probably set up the new 55 gal tank, and just move everything over from the old one. Drain water out, move filters over, scoop substrate out and transfer over. Just did this with a 29 gal that was bowing. Got a new one, and it all worked great. In fact, I just scooped out all of the Eco Complete into buckets, kept it wet, and transferred it.

And then maybe resilicone the old 55 when you are not pressured for time and have another tank to play with!😉

[Chiclid addict]

2 hours ago, CalmedByFish said:

Just thinking ahead. Maybe some of you have experience with this.

I have a 55 and a 20. The 55 needs emptied and re-siliconed. (The silicone has growing algae pockets between it and the glass.) My only fish are 1 grown angel, and some endlers. They'll fit okay in the 20 for a while. I'm okay with the endler fry being angel candy.

I'm hoping I can wait until the weather is warm enough to put the 55's plants in a makeshift pond outside. If not, I'll do the pond inside. 

So that takes care of fish and plants well enough. But how about the 55's bacteria? The main media it grows on are gravel, and sponges in the HOB. 

How do you suppose I could keep the bacteria alive on the gravel and filter sponges? 

I'm open to other ideas too. Although I've successfully re-siliconed a 20, it was very hard for my unremarkable biceps, and I assume a 55 is going to take a lot more muscle and speed. 

I agree with @Lifeisgood just buy a new one even a used one would be fine you can find them for around $50

[CalmedByFish]

@Fish Folk and @Angelfishlover, I'd love to just buy a new one.

Here's the catch. We have one brand to choose from around here, and they do a terrible job with the silicone - and sometimes the seams too. If I bought a new one, it's likely it would require half a day of driving around to different stores looking for a tank with good seams. Then IF I found one to buy, I'd still probably have to re-silicone it before use. 

It's not impossible that I'd find a good one, but very unlikely. I'm really torn as to what to do. I've even wondered if I should buy 2 20 gallons to put side-by-side on the 55's stand, strictly because re-siliconing a 20 isn't as hard. I'm super frustrated. 

[Chiclid addict]

32 minutes ago, CalmedByFish said:

@Fish Folk and @Angelfishlover, I'd love to just buy a new one.

Here's the catch. We have one brand to choose from around here, and they do a terrible job with the silicone - and sometimes the seams too. If I bought a new one, it's likely it would require half a day of driving around to different stores looking for a tank with good seams. Then IF I found one to buy, I'd still probably have to re-silicone it before use. 

It's not impossible that I'd find a good one, but very unlikely. I'm really torn as to what to do. I've even wondered if I should buy 2 20 gallons to put side-by-side on the 55's stand, strictly because re-siliconing a 20 isn't as hard. I'm super frustrated. 

What is the brand?

[CalmedByFish]

8 minutes ago, Angelfishlover said:

What is the brand?

Aqueon. In fact, the 20 gallon I had to re-silicone was a brand new Aqueon - the only one we could find that had decent seams. 

[Chiclid addict]

6 hours ago, CalmedByFish said:

Aqueon. In fact, the 20 gallon I had to re-silicone was a brand new Aqueon - the only one we could find that had decent seams. 

Hmm I have only aqueon and yes they are sloppy but I’ve never had a leak so I think your fine just one bad tank I also think they have some kinda Guarantee I’ve never read through it though as I’ve never had a problem 

[CalmedByFish]

13 hours ago, Angelfishlover said:

I also think they have some kinda Guarantee

I'll hunt that down online. Thank you.

[CalmedByFish]

On 4/3/2021 at 8:48 PM, Angelfishlover said:

aqueon... Guarantee 

FYI. I looked it up. The warranty is not real - it's nothing but a legality. If anything at all were to be wrong with the 55 I buy, I'm required to mail it (how?), and on my own dime, back to their company. At which point they decide whether they want to do anything about it. I can't imagine anyone doing that - and I bet they can't either. 

[CalmedByFish]

Either Friday or Saturday, my partner and I are going to drive around to various Petco's, hunting for a 55 gallon with good seams and silicone. I'm very much afraid it's going to be a lot of work with no success, but because re-siliconing the current 55 would be SO hard, we think it's worth trying to find a new one first. Wish me luck!