Upgrading tank.

[Charles-aj]

First of nice to meet you everyone! I have been a long time lurker on this sub and decided to finally go ahead and ask for you guys input.

Now that this is out of the way, Here is what I am wondering about. In the coming month I will be upgrading my 60g to a 180g and I have a few question concerning the transfer.

1. Should I let the new 180g cycle? or is adding the rocks and media of my 60gal to the 180 enough since it will have the same population to start?

2. How many Kessil on a 6f tank should I go with 3 or 4 ?

3.When transfering the fish coral and invert, Do I need to acclimate them if the temp and salinity of the 2 system are the same?

And lastly is there any tip that you guys can give me that would make the transfer easier?

Thank you everyone for your time!

 

[mjlash22]

To answer your questions:

1. Yes, you should still let the tank cycle. It may go quicker since you are adding mature rock into the system, but with fresh salt water and what ever substrate you decide to use, you will still want to wait before adding livestock.

2. You could get away with 3 if you're talking about the 360 Kessil's. Most people would probably recommend 4 for increased PAR/light penetration.

3. Yes, you should acclimate them just as you would when you first got them. Your tank will more than likely have different levels in regards to Alk, Calc, Mag, Ph, etc. Even if you have your salinity spot on as compared to your old tank, these other levels can also stress out the fish.

My best recommendation would be to take your time. You already have an established tank. Start up your new tank and do water checks every couple days until your nitrites and ammonia are 0 and your nitrates have started to go down to a reasonable level. I would personally look into purchasing more/new rock for your new tank, and add a couple pieces from your old tank into your new tank to help with the cycle. If you remove all the rock from your old tank, you will be losing quite a bit of beneficial bacteria.

 

[Charles-aj]

I see that make sense. Thank you for your advice. I'll do as you said and take it slow