setting up a new nano reef today. my 250 gallon has extra sand and live rock that i am using to put in the tank. i will be putting a frag of my zoas in with a snail and a bristle star right after i get water in to see how they do. anyone ever transfer water, sand, and rock from an old aquarium? how successful was it and how long did you wait to put in live stock?
new tank cycle
- Thread starter YoCamron
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I would just use new sand, why take the chance of stirring things up when there could be toxic gasses trapped in your sand bed that may only get released at toxic levels if you stir things up. After adding new sand then rock & water from the two fifty straight to the new tank you should be good to go.
Elegance Coral
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I do this all the time. I lightly stock the new tank right away with no cycle.
If you do this right, there should be no cycle. Use new water and sand. Transfer LR from your 250, and you should be ready to go right away. All you're really doing is transferring a perfectly functional biological filter from one tank to another. No need to cycle, or grow a biological filter, in the new tank.
If you do this right, there should be no cycle. Use new water and sand. Transfer LR from your 250, and you should be ready to go right away. All you're really doing is transferring a perfectly functional biological filter from one tank to another. No need to cycle, or grow a biological filter, in the new tank.
Elegance Coral
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By "sand fleas", do you mean, Emerita???
Emerita and sand sifting stars both require an abundance of food to do well. If they are living long term in your system, you must have plenty for them to feed on. If there is that much organic matter in your sand, I would not transfer it to a new system.
The rate of decomposition is highly dependent on oxygen levels. Within your sand bed, oxygen levels are low, and decomposition is slow. If you transfer this sand to the new system, things will get mixed up, and the lighter organic particles will end up on or near the top of the sand, where O2 levels are high. Decomposition will be rapid, and there could be a sudden increase of nutrients. Potentially leading to the biological filter becoming overwhelmed, and you could experience a cycle.
Emerita and sand sifting stars both require an abundance of food to do well. If they are living long term in your system, you must have plenty for them to feed on. If there is that much organic matter in your sand, I would not transfer it to a new system.
The rate of decomposition is highly dependent on oxygen levels. Within your sand bed, oxygen levels are low, and decomposition is slow. If you transfer this sand to the new system, things will get mixed up, and the lighter organic particles will end up on or near the top of the sand, where O2 levels are high. Decomposition will be rapid, and there could be a sudden increase of nutrients. Potentially leading to the biological filter becoming overwhelmed, and you could experience a cycle.
