Adding SPS after reef tfank upgrade

Asp762 · Dec 1, 2017

Hello, I'm new to the forum and will be upgrading from my 34 gallon reef with sps to a 165 gallon with 40 gallon sump. I have 35 lbs of live rock in my established reef. My options are to transfer to the large tank utilizing the 35 lbs of live rock or setup the tank and cycle 150 lbs of rock. If I cycle with 150 lbs of dead rock, how long after my cycle completes before I can safely add my SPS with no casualties?

Next question is if I go with minimal rock and just keep 35 lbs with a very light bioload and marinepure blocks to supplement can I transfer my two fish and SPS immediately? If I go with this option I can cycle the dead rock in a brute container and add them in later, right?

What would be the best option here?

Thanks.

HB AL · Dec 2, 2017

I would transfer everything over to the new tank then slowly add some live rock, and slowly add fish.

Salty1962 · Dec 2, 2017

Welcome to R2R!
I would place some of your current LR in your new tank and wait a week for the tank to mature some. Then add some, just a small number, of your most resilient livestock and test your parameters, mainly NH4 and NO2, to make sure your tank can process the bio-load safely. After you have verified that your tank can process the bio-load, add your remaining livestock. I did this for my last tank transfer and I was able to move everything within 3 weeks with minimal losses, 2 frags out of 20. Good Luck and let us see you new setup!

Asp762 · Dec 2, 2017

Awesome. Ok so after I transfer everything over I'll have 35 lbs of live rock in a 165 gallon reef, which may look odd. I'll likely up the amount of live rock in there to handle the slow increase in bioload over time.

So how should I go about plussing up my live rock to 165 lbs? Obviously I need to cycle my dry rock first ( came from another person's reef and is sitting in a dry brute container now).

Should I add in say 10% of live rock in the aquarium per week to avoid a mini cycle? So that would be 3.5 lbs for the first week and so on.

Thanks for the help.

ifarmer · Dec 2, 2017

Cycling can go anywhere from 4 weeks 6 months.
In order to know then you need to start testing the water and monitor the water. You have to test to know. Ideally you want first to see some nitrate, nitrite, ammonia present in the tank. You continue testing the water every few days. Soon these level go down to near zero then that is how you know the tank is cycled.

For sps. I would say make sure you see some stability (after tank is cycled) before adding sps. They can die within a.few.hours if not they will turn brown.

Just because tank is cycled does not mean its good or ready for sps.
After tank is cycled Monitor.the alk and calcium, temperatre and salinity level consitence for a few months. Adjust their level to be where you want and keep it constance for.a.few.months.
In addition to those parameters. Be aware that sps needs good lightning and phosphate and nitrate level needs to be.low otherwise they will turn brown after a week. Once corals go brown its hard to make them go colorful again. Alot of people sometimes rather choose to throw away the browned out corals rather than tryto bring them back to life again. it could take months or year or never ever for the browned out to go colorful again.

Good luck