Kind of upgrade how to...

[Luc Lauzon]

I am wondering how to safely proceed to a kind of tank upgrade. Since my 75g leaked all my live stock are in a 20g and 15g so rest of lr was dried this summer but i have them in 2 5g buckets with salt water circ pump and heater also put a small lr to reactivate all of them. Now my new 93g cube is ready did leaking test and all is ok it is filled with RODI water i am wondering if i drop half of water, put salt and lr with circ pump and heater and fill the rest with weekly water change... about 3 weeks (10g p/week) or i go out to my reef store and buy cycled water with bioballs full of bacteria that means going to food store and get 12 empty 5g water bottles getting to reef store and getting back in the cold around -15c (1 hour drive from store). I m looking for best result fast also but budget wise.

Thanks in advance.

 

[nervousmonkey]

First make sure you add enough salt to the DT to bring it up to 35 ppt salinity, add a heater and get the water circulating.

Next, don't add old tankwater. It doesn't have many bacteria, the LR has all of the good bacteria. Make sure you cycle all of the rock though. Add the rock you had in the 5 gallon buckets and test it like your very first tank. No way around cycling the rock but you can speed it up with bacteria in a bottle, Dr. Tim's is one example. Add whatever you want or do whatever you want to cycle the tank.

The fish have waited this long, might as well let em wait until you finish getting their new house ready with custom home upgrades and remodeling part of the process done.

 

[Luc Lauzon]

Thanks nervousmonkey, i bought two little fish bacteria bottle and cycled bioballs. Today i've noticed diatom algea i think started to invade glass and rocks. this friday have to go get my new radion g4 pro and i'll get 4 5g bottle of cycled water to make my first water change !