Tank transfer/cycle

matt199 · Oct 1, 2020

Hi everyone ,I’m upgrading to a 180gal tank from a 90 gal.My question is the only spot I can put a 6’ tank is were my 90 is.Can I take down the 90 use my 60 lbs of Fiji rock and start the 180 right up without a cycle happening?I currently have another 60lbs of dry rock in a brute can that is cycling in my garage.I bought a small purple tang from a guy whom was breaking his tank down and he brought me the purple tang and threw in a free naso tang.The Naso tang is about 5” and would like to give him more space ASAP.Any help would be much appreciated with this tank transfer.Thank you all

matt199 · Oct 1, 2020

Also I forgot to mention I have a 60 gal cube plumbed into the 90 with all my acros in it.

Kryptonian · Oct 1, 2020

As long as you keep the Fiji Rock wet, or just don't let it dry out too much, all the bacteria will stay right there are go into the new tank. You'll skip the cycle as all that rock is already full of good bacteria.

UCF Alum · Oct 1, 2020

You’ll be good as long as you transfer the rock wet. Also, transfer all the water from you current tank to the new one.
I’m doing the same thing this weekend. Fun times.

Tiki Reef Joshua · Oct 1, 2020

Yup. Done this multiple times. You will still get uglies but probably not too bad because you are cycling new rock already. As long as your rock currently supports the bio-load you have, that shouldn’t change much. I did it from a 30L to a 100. I only used about 5-10 gallons of old water, all new rinsed sand.... but I transferred all rock, cycled new rock as you are doing, and waited a few weeks to add new fish. I threw in some bottled bacteria for good measure but probably didn’t need to. I also had about 15 marine pure spheres I moved over. You will be fine.

Pistondog · Oct 1, 2020

matt199 said:
Hi everyone ,I’m upgrading to a 180gal tank from a 90 gal.My question is the only spot I can put a 6’ tank is were my 90 is.Can I take down the 90 use my 60 lbs of Fiji rock and start the 180 right up without a cycle happening?I currently have another 60lbs of dry rock in a brute can that is cycling in my garage.I bought a small purple tang from a guy whom was breaking his tank down and he brought me the purple tang and threw in a free naso tang.The Naso tang is about 5” and would like to give him more space ASAP.Any help would be much appreciated with this tank transfer.Thank you all

Just did this on a much smaller scale; waterbox10 to 20g.
Put all rock, livestock in brutes, buckets, covered with old water.
Have plenty of saltwater ready.

Do not reuse sand, it is not worth the cleaning effort, smart people know this already.

UCF Alum · Oct 2, 2020

Pistondog said:
Do not reuse sand

+1

Click to expand...

brandon429 · Oct 2, 2020

agreed to all above it works, we have a 40 page thread of tank transfers with no loss. I'd offer these tune ups

on the new tank dont run full blown lighting you will have just totally reset the organics loading, re ramp up lighting like you just got new led's.

on the sand, either rinse the old in tap for hours or rinse the new sand in tap for hours, either way do not input cloudy sand into the new tank it helps nothing, ever. only set up a cloudless tank at the new place with the wet rocks, clear sand, you'll skip cycle again. this is the exact method reef conventions use in about 99% of tanks to skip cycles coming to, and going home, since the 90s

the reason you are resetting the sand 100% is to get cloud out, you simply do not need sandbed bacteria they're extras, only the live rock matters. if you removed your entire sandbed at once it would be ok, w the lighting trick

brs messed up the removal process by skipping the light ramp portion.

matt199 · Oct 3, 2020

brandon429 said:
agreed to all above it works, we have a 40 page thread of tank transfers with no loss. I'd offer these tune ups

on the new tank dont run full blown lighting you will have just totally reset the organics loading, re ramp up lighting like you just got new led's.

on the sand, either rinse the old in tap for hours or rinse the new sand in tap for hours, either way do not input cloudy sand into the new tank it helps nothing, ever. only set up a cloudless tank at the new place with the wet rocks, clear sand, you'll skip cycle again. this is the exact method reef conventions use in about 99% of tanks to skip cycles coming to, and going home, since the 90s

the reason you are resetting the sand 100% is to get cloud out, you simply do not need sandbed bacteria they're extras, only the live rock matters. if you removed your entire sandbed at once it would be ok, w the lighting trick

brs messed up the removal process by skipping the light ramp portion.

Thank you for your feedback,I’ll be reading the tread as well.This tank will be bare bottom.Anything that I should be worried about with this set up?I only have one tank experience with bare bottom and it’s the 60 cube I have plumbed into the 90 with sand so it’s not a true bare bottom.