we've just moved oscar into a new big tank, it was a bit tricky getting him out of the old one (he's nearly 12mths old) but he seems to have settled OK, we also introduced 3 new silver dollars at the same time, Oscar ate everyone else that was in his other tank, but we think these new SD's are too big for his mouth.
I was wondering if there is any thing we should look out for in terms of stress behaviour or danger signals? they are all feeding OK, tho Oscar is doing a fair amount of gravel moving at the moment, I figure he's making it more comfortable?!

Is the new tank fully cycled?

yes I hope so? we set it up 2 weeks ago, and have been running it since then with no fish, we also put quite alot (maybe 40%) of Oscars old tank water in it and his bit of wood, we also treated it for chlorine and tested the PH. Hopefully that is OK?
I just got home everyone looks happy and eating ... but tank looks a wee bit cloudy?

Are you using the cycled filter and/or media from the old tank?

If its a new filter with new media your tank is probable a in cycle.
www.oscarfishlover.com/how-to-cycle-a-tank
Its a good idea to have liquid test kits for ammonia nitrite and nitrate as well so you know for sure what your water quality is like. ammonia and nitrite are very toxic to fish and can lead to various health issues such as Hole in the head disease, ammonia burns or nitrite poisoning. Nitrate poisons fish over long term and is a killer also, we all get nitrate and this dictates our water change schedules .

The cloudy water could be a bacterial bloom, some people call it 'New tank syndrome' as it is common in newly setup tanks.

The water from the old tank and bits of wood would help but if its a new filter with new filter media then your looking at 50% water changes daily for around 40-50 days or until you get a negative reading for ammonia and nitrite and a positive reading for nitrate.

thank you, I just tested the ammonia and it is 0.25, I have added some stress zyme the man in the aquarium recommended, he said this would help the bacteria establish, we did not use the old filter thats all new. I have not tested the nitrate yet, but will do so & wato a water change too.

fatbubbles wrote:

that is common mistake...you should use the old filter or the media from it
to fast track cycling... nevertheless, just continue regular water change until
the tank is fully cycled. do not overfeed the fishes to avoid complication.

btw, welcome aboard

Listen to the man it is crutial that u use an old filter for about a month or more it has the good bacteria in it already and is alot healtheier then placeing a fish in a tank without it

thank you, all seems to be coming good, the tank is now clear and ammonia level is now zero, everyone looks happy & Oscar is having a ball digging big holes in the gravel! although he did an almighty jump the other night and smashed the thermometer ... I think we will change it to an outside stick on version

LOL, I am glad he is making himself comfortable!

congrats yourself for pulling it through....
a picture will be appreciated

Did you move the filter from the old tank onto the new one. If you didnt then you need retest again, add some prime and do daily water changes of 50%

we just went away for 2 weeks and came home to find Oscar has dug an enormous hole in the gravel right to the bottom of the tank & piled it up high on both outside edges - it looked hilarous!