Downsizing tank advice needed.

Kimberely · Mar 3, 2019

I'm downsizing my 125 gallon reef tank to a 29 gallon. I've moved most of the live rock I'll be using in the smaller tank, minus the ones with my corals attached. And I've moved enough sand to cover the bottom with about an inch deep bed. I wasn't too concerned about disturbing the sand bed because it was only an inch deep to start with and constantly turned over by my sea cucumbers, snails and diamond goby. And I've dosed microbacter7. How long should I wait before moving the rest of the live rock with my corals? I'm planning to move the fish that I'm keeping tomorrow after it clears completely. I don't think I'll have much die off of bacteria since the rock was only out of the water for less than 30 seconds. Shouldn't it basically be an instant cycle?

Instigate · Mar 3, 2019

You could do it now if you like, all the bacteria is in the rocks and there wont be any die off from 30 seconds out of water. I recently downsized from a 135g to a 37g AIO. When I did, I did it all in one go. Took all the rocks and livestock I was going to use in the 37 and put it right in. I monitored ammonia closely the first few days and then just relied on an ammonia badge. Never saw a spike. Same when I moved the whole 37g from San Diego to LA. Moved the whole thing in one day and never had a spike. I didn't even heat or aerate the water for the rocks, just put them in buckets of tank water and went. Livestock of course was packaged like they were being shipped across country.

Hella_Reef · Mar 3, 2019

Did u use all new water?

As stated above, u can do it now. Just make sure parameters, salinity, and temp are the same first.

Ur going to get a bacteria/diatom bloom from taking out rock and sand in the 125 anyways.

Kimberely · Mar 3, 2019

Instigate said:
You could do it now if you like, all the bacteria is in the rocks and there wont be any die off from 30 seconds out of water. I recently downsized from a 135g to a 37g AIO. When I did, I did it all in one go. Took all the rocks and livestock I was going to use in the 37 and put it right in. I monitored ammonia closely the first few days and then just relied on an ammonia badge. Never saw a spike. Same when I moved the whole 37g from San Diego to LA. Moved the whole thing in one day and never had a spike. I didn't even heat or aerate the water for the rocks, just put them in buckets of tank water and went. Livestock of course was packaged like they were being shipped across country.

Thanks. I'll move them tomorrow then. I'll have to keep enough live rock in the 125 to support the remaining fish until I can rehome them but I don't think that'll be an issue since all that'll be left are my 4 lyretail anthias, my diamond goby and my six line wrasse. I'll be keeping the clownfish pair, 2 azure damsels and my royal gramma.

Kimberely · Mar 3, 2019

Hella_Reef said:
Did u use all new water?

As stated above, u can do it now. Just make sure parameters, salinity, and temp are the same first.

Ur going to get a bacteria/diatom bloom from taking out rock and sand in the 125 anyways.

I did use new water. I matched the salinity and I'm letting it clear and matching the temp now.