55 setup

I bought an angle iron stand for my 55 and moved everything into it yesterday. (It's supposed to have slightly bent legs, that's so you can fit a second tank underneath which I am not going to do btw).

It was an all-day project. I started around 9am and was finally done moving the last fish after 3, but then there was a lot of cleanup and tidying to do afterwards. Phew! It was much easier than past tank moves I've done. Experience is finally paying off I suppose. I leveled the stand and filled the tank on thursday, but it was off by 1/8" so in the morning I drained it to about 12 gallons and adjusted the shims. Now only off by 1/16" in one direction, which is within tolerance. First thing to move in were the bunches of hornwort. And a few guppies which are not very wary, so I kept scooping them up with the gallon pitcher when taking water over! My goal was for most of the 55 to get refilled with water from the 45 tank, and I met that.

At half full, moved over the filters and heater. I had to cut the uplift tubes shorter. Sanded rough and sharp spots off the edges (from where I'd used the hacksaw) and dropped the removed pieces of tube in the background. Thought the kuhlis might like hiding in them. I have the heater low in the tank and horizontal this time, also bumped the temp up a degree and so far it seems to be keeping it very steady near 80 with more even distribution- the 45 often had cooler areas I'd notice when I put my hand in. (All the pics dim because no light on top yet, and excuse reflections)

Next the basket planter with the giant vals (thought it was 'rubra', although someone told me online that what I actually have is vallisneria americana, that the store mislabeled them)

Its leaves reach all the way across the four-foot tank

Then I moved over all the baskets with tall plants. Delighted to see that some of my other crypts and even the aponogeton are showing more growth (here's crypt balansae)

and the leopard vals have runners going off the basket edges (I clipped them and replanted into gaps)

Then the driftwood pieces with anubias

and smaller pieces with buces

I really thought the hardest part of everything would be catching the fishes- but it wasn't. I partly filled a large plastic bag, laid it on side in the bottom of the 45 (which at that point only had enough water to just clear the tip of Miss Beautiful's dorsal fin) and just coaxed her into a corner. Bagged, momentarily in a bucket:

I floated it for a bit to equalize temperature (had a small heater going in the 45 while I was rearranging plants, but still I think there was a temp difference). She was quite eager to get out.

Released! Hasn't acted stressed at all. Seems to feel quite at home.

I did have some misgivings she might startle from people appearing suddenly in the room from around the corner that goes to the front door- kind of a high-traffic area. But she hasn't. She startles sometimes but just moves easily away, no crashing into walls yet. I really think the extra foot of space is going to make a huge difference for her. I put all the hornwort stems thick on this short end to screen it for her

There she is- coming over to look at me- just left and behind the filter uplift tube.

A look down the short end to the vals

My light doesn't fit this tank- and I couldn't find the type I wanted at local store so I ordered one online. While I wait for it to arrive I have the LED over one half and a lamp by the other end just to keep the vals alive.

Full tank in dim ambient light. More pics tomorrow!

Oh, and the kuhlis came over last of all, when nothing was left in the 45 but some mulm. I just used two nets against the edges. All the extra bits of sponge, ceramic media in a mesh bag etc that I had lying hidden in the back of the tank, moved over too. I wanted this to be as low-stress an event for my angel as possible. And it worked- I didn't see any hint of ammonia or nitrite spike when tested water params this morning.