from 40g breeder to 90g bowfront

[Jonzie777]

Hi all!

New to the forum!

i have a 40 gallon breeder that has been up and healthy for about two years, this last week i hit the jackpot and my older brother gave me his old 90 gallon bowfront and about 120lbs of dried live rock so i can start building my dream tank!

My issue is that i cannot set up both tanks and have them running at the same time as i have limited space available, what would be the safest way to upgrade to the larger tank?

Thank you!

 

[Ocelaris]

The live rock needs to cure if its got any organic material in it. Is it natural or synthetic , used or new? Once you figure out how to cure that rock I'd just move everything over , maybe store it in a tub in the transition day .

 

[Jonzie777]

The dried rock is Fiji premium, i haven't devised a way to cure it with the limited space i have so i guess i am just going to do it a little at a time. My current tank has about 60lbs of live rock in it, so basically this will be like a really big water change?

 

[Ocelaris]

I don't think you want to try and cure it in a living system. I had about a 40 breeder full of dried pukani rock in the basement and it literally made me want to wretch upstairs . At best it will lead to continuous algae outbreaks , at worst everything will die with the ammonia spike . Can you bleach it in 5 gallon buckets and a powerhead in the shower a little at a time, then rinse in clean tap or ro water ? Basically the bleach will remove the organics , so theoretically you could put it in after that? Someone else may have to verify . Can you cycle it elsewhere ? Even if you local club might be able ro help . . .

 

[Jonzie777]

I have already bleached it and power washed it and left it sitting in the sun for a little over a month now, i was thinking about using a 50 gallon trash can with water from my water changes and putting it outside with all the rock in it and a power head and just letting it go for a month or two ? good idea or bad idea?

 

[Bdog4u2]

I would swap the 40 to the 90 no need to cycle the 90 just add the water and rock and maybe a cup or 2 of the sand to seed the new sand if you use sand.
Cure the dry rock in a trash can with a couple cheap power heads for a few weeks

 

[Dragonreef202]

No need to let it sit in for month. From what you already have done. You should be able to add the rock straight to your 90 along with the water you had mixed up to add to 90. I don't think anything would be on the rock after a month

 

[Ocelaris]

No need to let it sit in for month. From what you already have done. You should be able to add the rock straight to your 90 along with the water you had mixed up to add to 90. I don't think anything would be on the rock after a month

I agree. If you bleached it for a good while and then rinsed heavily you should have removed most organics. I'd buy some ammonia neutralizer and monitor a ammonia and nitrites carefully, keep the lights down low for a few weeks until everything is stable. Do some decent water changes along the way as well.