# Will switching to a larger aquarium with new substrate cause problems?



## Grey Ghost (Jun 4, 2010)

My current tank is a 29 gallon, and the substrate is a mix of aquarium gravel and a small amount of flourite. I'm planning on upgrading to a 56 gallon with Caribsea Eco Complete as the new substrate. Will this switch cause ammonia spikes or "New Tank Syndrome"?


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## killacross (Apr 29, 2010)

absolutely...luckily it will cycle ALOT faster than your 29g originally


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

FYI Eco Complete has a reputation for increasing the hardness of the water.

Just make sure that you include all the mulm from your old tank and that will help in cycle a lot faster. Also stuff it with plants. Fast growing plants are the best as they will take up all the ammonia that will surely follow. My favorite plant for new tank cycling is Najas sp. "Roraima".

I'm changing out tanks and substrate this weekend from 126g to 85g. I feel your pain! ;D


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

There are a lot of nitrifying bacteria that live in the substrate, but only in the upper layers where the most oxygen is. It is possible that when you change tanks this population is a significant part of the bio filter, and there may be a minicycle. Move the established filter over to the new tank, and run it together with the new filter for a few weeks. Or, at least move the cycled media into the new filter.

With lots of plants it might be OK, the plants will increase their removal of ammonia until the bacteria in the filter catch up.

You can add bottled bacteria to help the tank over this change. Look for _Nitrospiros sp_ of bacteria. Do not waste your money on anything else.

If you are able to wait a few weeks you could cycle the new filter by running it on a storage container before you set up the new tank. Add ammonia just like the fishless cycle and the bacteria will start to grow. It can take up to 3 weeks to get a really big population of nitrifying bacteria, but then the new set up will use these bacteria as a replacement for the bacteria that got left behind in the substrate.


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## barbarossa4122 (Dec 31, 2009)

Just changed mine to Eco and after 60hrs ammonia is 0 but, the nitrite (0.15) and Ph(7.4 from 7) went up a bit.


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