SWITCHING TANKS

The week before Christmas my 40 gallon tank had a tiny leak. I had to move my New World Cichlids into an empty 30 gallon tank I had, so I could fix the leak. I know it's a whole month later but I finally got it done. I spent the last few days stripping out all the old silicone, washed it out, allowed it to dry good for a day then my hubby re-applied new silicone for me. I filled the tank and let it sit a few hours making sure it sealed well. This morning I was finally moving my fish back into their original tank.

I first removed 15 gallons of their water saving it for the new setup. Once the water was down enough I removed all the decor, plants and stones. I saved a couple gallons of their water to keep fish in while I worked. It was easy catching them. I find the African Cichlids much more challenging to catch. Within a couple hours my work was done. Keeping a close eye on the water temperature I was able to put the fish back in pretty much immediately. Because I replaced quite a bit of water I didn't clean my filter leaving all that wonderful bacteria to help acclimate the water. I used Prime and added some salt. 

I love it. I used a course white sand substrate, changed the decor, added a few more plants, and changed the rocks structure giving them lots of nooks and crannies to swim through and hide in.They look happy and I'm happy it's done and looks great.

40 GALLONS - New World Cichlids, 1 Oscar, 2 Black Convicts,
3 Parrot Fish, 1 Bristle Nose Catfish and an Algae Eater.