Do I need to let my new tank sit for 24 hours if...

[sainthogan]

I am using the same water and filter from his old tank?
Fizz's new tank and heater have arrived. The directions say to let the water sit with the filter running for 24 hours before adding a fish. But if I take water out of his tank and put it in there along with his current filter, do I still need to do this?
I will be adding all of his decorations to his new tank. The only new things other than the tank, will be the gravel that came from the same package his current gravel came from, and his new heater.
I have limited outlet space and have figured out a way to run the other tank for 24 hours if need be (I don't plan on cycling), but that would mean that he goes without a filter and his light until tomorrow when I can put him in the new tank.

[AyalaCookiejar]

The whole letting a tank sit for 24 hours really doesn't do much. Maybe people say it because it mixes up the water conditioner in the tank? I've always put my fish directly in the tank after it was set up with no issues, but he will need reacclimated to new water.
Also, if you aren't going to cycle the tank, you don't need a filter. As long as the tank is at least 5 gallons it will hold a stable cycle and it will cycle on its own eventually with your fish in it. I would do two 50% changes a week for at least two months and the tank will cycle itself (you do need a siphon to clean the gravel during changes, though.)

Many people cycle their tanks without even meaning to. The fish provide the ammonia for the cycle and it will eventually cycle on its own. My brothers tank is cycled and he doesn't even know what cycling is. He just had his fish in it and the filter running. Do not ever turn off your filter or remove the media, or rinse it in untreated water as it will kill the good bacteria and cause and ammonia spike. If you change the filter media, you'll need a sponge in it or something so you don't lose your good bacteria.

[sainthogan]

Yeah, I figure it will cycle on its own, but I didn't feel I needed to do it before putting him in. My female is in a 5 gallon and it cycled just fine with her in it.
I do have a nice live plant with him in his 3 gallon currently, I don't imagine there will be any problem moving it. Since I am using much of his current water, there should be enough nutrients in it to keep the plant alive until more builds up over the week. I'm planning on getting sponges for his filter and my female's filter as soon as I save up some more money (you know it's bad when you have to dig through the couch for change just so you can buy food for lunch). That way I can change out the media once in a while if it seems to need it. My filter will fit a sponge and the media inside.
Ok, so I think I will just rinse out the new tank and get it set up and siphon out half his current water, then add new water as if I was doing a water change and acclimate him to the tank. I'll let the heater warm up the water to his current temp first though.

[AyalaCookiejar]

I would just add water that's the same temp from the tap. The only thing with fish in cycles is they cause large nitrite spikes and are stressful... If you don't have a test kit, and your fish ever exhibits strange behavior, I would at first assume its a spike and do an immediate water change. Most people recommend testing the water daily when doing fish-in cycles but the test kits aren't cheap and they can be done without one.

[sainthogan]

I have a test kit, and haven't had any problems as of yet. So, you recommend just using all new water? My other plan was to cup him, and put in all his water and then add new water as needed, but if all brand new water would be ok, I'll do that instead.

[AyalaCookiejar]

If you are adding in old decorations, or the old water is pretty dirty, all new water would be okay but I don't think it's necessary. You can do half and half old and new water. If you do all new water, he will need to be acclimated slowly.

Both of my males are in five gallons and I set them up and put the fish in the same day, slowly acclimating them to the new water. I had no issues doing this. One was completely new decor and substrate and the other had a decoration from the old tank. If your current filter has been running for awhile, both the filter and the decor might already have some good bacteria on it.

[sainthogan]

Cool thank you.