Im moving my 75 into a 40b and ill be putting rougly 30-50lbs of my rock into it and was wondering since my rock is A few years old very well established rock will it be an instant cycle and i can throw some fish in, or should i still go ahead and dose ammonia and test for a bit?
Moving+downgrading question
- Thread starter Subuchef
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Peace River
Thrive Master
Staff member
Super Moderator
Reef Squad
Reef Squad Leader
Partner Member 2024
Excellence Award
Article Contributor
Hospitality Award
Article Administrator
Reef Pumpkin Carver
Will you be also moving any of the water from the 75 to the 40b? If you can siphon off 15-20 gallons of water from the 75 before you start removing things and stir up the water and add that along with new water and the cycled rock then IMO there shouldn't be a reason to dose ammonia. I am certainly open to others added input. Of course if there are other issues or unwanted pests that you are trying to get rid of then that is another scenario.
Main reasons switching and downgrading is space, and i have so many dang aiptasia its unreal. I thought i could keep up but it took a turn for the worst when i started working 75+ hour weeks, if i stir up some water and throw it into the new tank will i have a chance of getting the aiptasia in the new one?
I selected a bunch of rocks after careful inspection they didnt have any and put them in the new tank.
Instigate
Valuable Member
I wouldn't worry about using any old water. The bacteria is mostly in the rocks you're reusing, not the water. I recently moved and switched to a smaller tank in the process. When I did it I moved everything into the new tank. My old live rock, new sand, fish, corals and inverts all went in immediately and I had no issues. I monitored ammonia but none was ever detectable. I did add some bottled bacteria just as a precaution but I likely would have been fine without it IMO. Skip cycling is how they have all those tanks at trade shows setup in less than a day. Use good live rock and add a little bottled bacteria for good measure and you'll be fine. But wont hurt to monitor ammonia just to be sure your livestock is OK.
Peace River
Thrive Master
Staff member
Super Moderator
Reef Squad
Reef Squad Leader
Partner Member 2024
Excellence Award
Article Contributor
Hospitality Award
Article Administrator
Reef Pumpkin Carver
I would suggest that because aptasia is very sneaky it could be hiding in your carefully selected bunch of rocks. You may want to search the forum for threads on aptasia treatments such as this one on Aptasia Solutions and have a plan for another potential outbreak. Good luck!
Ok well i pulled the trigger, put in about 1/3 of the fish and most coral. Will monitor very closely and see what happens. Couldnt catch most of the fish theyre too small and fast in my 75 they run circles around me 
if all goes well ill just remove all rock and put em in. Ill keep you guys posted. Thanks for the info
if all goes well ill just remove all rock and put em in. Ill keep you guys posted. Thanks for the info So eveyrhing went great, all fish in and healthy. hanging my lights when im off work tonight or tomorrow, also does anyone know of any fish that actively will eat aiptasia? Ive had a filefish but he started eating zoas so thats a no for me, but i was reading into butterfly fish and was wondering is there a small enough genus that would fit in my 40b and eat the aiptasia? I dont see a single one but would rather have a preventative measure along the likes of a fish and i can also glue them over if need be.
