Upgrading a 50g reef to a 180g tank

sstwelder · Oct 9, 2017

Hi, I currently have an established reef tank (almost 2 years) and recently bought a used 180g reef ready tank. I am in no rush your setup the 180 since I still have to build a stand and a couple other things. Right now my system is a 50g tank with about 12g of water in a sump. When I do setup my 180 I would like to transfer everything in the shortest amount of time possible. I have roughly 80lbs of rock in my tank and sump. Would that be sufficient to get the 180 going without a cycle or would it be better to get more live rock? Thanks for any help.

Clinton · Oct 9, 2017

When you get your 180g ready to be up and going, might I suggest keeping just enough media in your 50g to keep it stable. Everything else plus a little extra I'd transfer over into the 180g and let you run a cycle without livestock. Essentially set your 50g up to be like a quarantine tank until your 180g is successfully cycled. Any filters you'll be using on your 180g I'd also try to fit into my 50g so it can start building up its own bacteria culture.
Be awesome if you could avoid a cycle but better safe than sorry keeping a close eye on your 180g's parameters just as if it was a brand new tank.

sstwelder · Oct 9, 2017

Clinton said:
When you get your 180g ready to be up and going, might I suggest keeping just enough media in your 50g to keep it stable. Everything else plus a little extra I'd transfer over into the 180g and let you run a cycle without livestock. Essentially set your 50g up to be like a quarantine tank until your 180g is successfully cycled. Any filters you'll be using on your 180g I'd also try to fit into my 50g so it can start building up its own bacteria culture.
Be awesome if you could avoid a cycle but better safe than sorry keeping a close eye on your 180g's parameters just as if it was a brand new tank.

I don't have any filters. I just have a lot of live rock, aragonite bottom, filter sock, skimmer and cheato. I was thinking since I still have time i could get more dry rock and just put it in a spare tank with a piece of live rock to seed it. I went from a 36g to 50g without a cycle but the volume upgrade was like doing a big water change. This is nearly triple the volume and would like to make sure not to lose any fish or corals.

Clinton · Oct 9, 2017

Slip that filter sock on somewhere in your current system. Place the aragonite substrate in there or your spare tank if you have space, boil the dry rock and drop it right in your 50 or figure out a way to add your spare tank into a loop within your current system?

Clinton · Oct 9, 2017

Doesn't even need to be a spare tank, a Rubbermaid trash can could do the trick. Adding volume and space to your current system can never hurt imo. These are just opinions though. What works for one tank may crash another so always proceed with cautious slow steps. I plan on looping a 110g stock tank filled with dry rock into my system once I'm ready to upgrade from my 150g. That will be quite sometime down the road though since my wife isn't a big fan of the hobby lol

sstwelder · Oct 9, 2017

I can't loop into my current system, don't have any space close by to put another tank. May I ask why you would boil dry rock? Thought that actually boiling rock was a big no no.

Clinton · Oct 9, 2017

My dry rock was kept in a garage and a porch and random places, I just did it for sanitizing. Could be unnecessary but gave me piece of mind. Rock that has been kept I wouldn't boil.