...snip..
I plan to set everything up and let it run for a few days to make sure
everything is running smoothly. Once everything's up to snuff, Bob the
Oranda will have a new home

You might want to clean it with some bleach and water (10%). Make sure it's
plain bleach, not lemon scented. Also watch out for the sponges with
fungicide/soap added. Rinse everything with water after the bleach bath and
dechlorinate well.

If Bob has a rubber duck or other ornament you might want to put it in the
new tank while you wait for it to cycle. The idea is to give the
ammonia/nitrate eating bacteria a head start in the new tank by transferring
them from the old tank.

Allright, thanks I stole one of Bob's plastic plants. He wasn't too
happy about it, but hopefully it has enough biobugs to get things
started in the new tank.

Should I wait for the tank to finish cycling before moving Bob? He
seems OK in his fishbowl (it has an undergravel filter, and he's very
small) for now.