New Used Project 2

[jacksdad]

Hello there: As you may know, my original Fluval 260 litre 'New used project' sprung a leak, the stupid holes in the base system failed, I resealed them, but still leaked...
I cannot trust this tank again so I've bought another eBay used set up
It is a Boyu 300l tank, and it came with 2x APS 1000EF external filters, filled with 1 tray of Filter Pro sponges and 2 trays of Biohome Ulimate media. Also came with loads of meds, test kits, internal filters, LED lamps and decorations etc.
Once again I'll be selling on a lot of the extras, using my own Fluval 406 filter that's filled with Biohome Ultimate and maybe 1 APS. Sad to say I've lost a few fish whilst moving them into a bucket, now in a 56l set up I bought at a decent price, I'll keep it for future emergencies!
The cabinet got a little damaged by water, I've now dried it completely, coated all the joints with PVA, and made a new top/base for the Boyu. I'm going to place 2 sheets of HD insulation roll under the tank, just to cushion it a little, then get it started up again!







I've managed to save the wood with the Java Fern plants I glued on, pleased to say they are growing well.






The Fluval is quoted as being 260l, this Boyu 300 is supposed to be (wait for it!) 300l but its actually 288l, still a gain though. I'm going to reuse the substrate, but its all mixed up now, Tetra base stuff, then another 'anchor' mix for the plants, forgot which I bought, then black Limpopo on top: can I just give these a proper mix, then cover with more Limpopo?
I must say that despite all the above, the plant roots were very poor, I've only saved a couple of Elodea Densa with root stock!
I've got 90l of tank water, plus the 406 that is full, but the rest of the tank will be treated new tap water, am I best off cycling the tank for a week or so, before returning the fish?
Bit of a long post, it's been a total nightmare TBH, but I'm actually looking forward to restarting 'project 2'

[jacksdad]

Just checked the levels and it's good enough: both length and width are the same

[plankton]

I would think that the mix of soil and sand will be ok with a top-off, but it will make a mess if you put it in a tankful of water, won't it?

[Gingerlove05]

You wont need to cycle the tank if your using your existing filter/filter media as the bacteria will already be present and should be able to deal with the current bioload
Hope that makes sense

[jacksdad]

I did think that the base soil stuff would float to the top. I mixed up a sample bucketful of the substrate and it soon settled and cleared, so maybe the 11 months in use has already mixed them? Especially with the corys digging all the time !
I was thinking about how well the plants will grow in the mixture of substrates, with a 30mm-ish cover of black Limpopo?

[jacksdad]

Re water, I've only got about 90l, plus what is in the filter. Should I fill the tank right away? I've got the substrate which came out of the 260, and some plants, in tank water.?

[VikingMummy2015]

The important bit is to keep the filter running in any tank with the right bioload. It won’t matter if you do a 10% or 90% water change (unless you’re somehow treating the water); the filter is the important bit.

[Ric]

As per above - you're not adding any new fish straight away and as long as you've managed to keep the filter going, you're all set.

Also, just thought how lucky you don't have any massive fish in your tank. That way you can keep them all in a small tank until you're sorted.

[jacksdad]

The remaining fish are a little cramped, but are doing fine. I've got the wood with the Java Fern in the small tank, a small internal filter that I ran in the main tank for 2 days before I had to drain it, and I leave an airstone running for about 6 hours a day.
I've not been able to run the Fluval 406 filter so its been stood full of water for about 3 weeks

[Ric]

Ah, not sure whether that is too long for any bacteria to have survived. I see why you're asking about cycling again.

My suggestion: set up the tank, pour out the old water from the filter but leave the media as it is. Then install filter and, as you intended, do a mini cycle, keeping a close eye on your parameters. There is always a chance that the bacterial colonies, what is left of them, will regrow and recover. Would need some feeding, of course, and that is where I am not sure how much ammonia to add without risking killing any remaining bacteria off.