upgrading tanks...when to transfer sps corals.

[11cmortarman]

Ive successfully kept a 30g aio for about 3 years. My new 90 gallon has been cycled for about 2 months... Im hesitant to switch my sps over. How long did you wait to transfer. Ive heard many things about new tank syndrome and someobne told me that they will wait a minimum of 6 months before adding acropora and millepora. Im interested to see how people handle this issue

 

[Anthony Wood]

If it were me I would transfer all the rock and sand from the 30g and just Transfer everything now I just transferred 40+ sps from my 125g to my 210g a month ago. Transfered all the rock and sand from the 125g one day waited 24 hours then all the SPS. Lost 3 very cheap corals from the mini cycle. A month later and all my acros are looking better and growing faster then they ever did in my 125g. Like I said I waited 24 hours to do the transfer i would say your good with 2 months. Side note my 210 display is also a 400g+ system so I had water volume on my side.

 

[malira]

Ive successfully kept a 30g aio for about 3 years. My new 90 gallon has been cycled for about 2 months... Im hesitant to switch my sps over. How long did you wait to transfer. Ive heard many things about new tank syndrome and someobne told me that they will wait a minimum of 6 months before adding acropora and millepora. Im interested to see how people handle this issue

Why not transfer a few test pieces? Give them at least a couple to 3 weeks. Then transfer a few at at time every 4 to 5 days to let your new tank acclimate to the new bioload.

 

[11cmortarman]

I think I will transfer the stylo to see how it goes and maybe a small acro frag. I just hate losing corals to not being prepared.

 

[MontiFanatic402]

I just finally got done with my tank transfer. went from a 29 Biocube, to 55Gal. I did this over 3 months because I was deathly scared of killing all my sps. I started with all new dried pukani, a few pieces of LR and new water. I added my first sps frags about a month after the cycle, to see how well they did.....granted they were montis, and birdsnest. They all did fine, and have grown/colored up really well. I added a few corals every day...when I was able to remember Finally after 3 months, I can say that all of my corals/clams/sps colonies did just fine, not a single death. Just make sure to monitor your tank, and do the proper testing.
I think that as long as you do the transfer slowly, you shouldn't send anything out of wack. I must say, taking care of 2 tanks was a big pain in my butt, I'm glad to be back down to one!

Good luck!

 

[Apisto]

I just transferred a pretty full 40g. SPS system to a 93g. cube last Sunday. I "seasoned" the new cube by numerous water changes from the old display. There was a few fish and some rock in the new tank. I was very nervous about this move, but needed to do it, as you can see.



The actual transfer took about 5 or 6 hours and included moving water, corals, fish and rock into bins. I then moved the tank out and the new one into the same position(after removing the water, rock and fish into holding bin, which then got moved back into the tank). Basically everything from the old tank got moved back into the new tank. This included quite a bit of water and the same pumps, skimmer and sump. I really wanted to replicate/replace as much of the bacterial base of the old system in the new.

I will slowly replace equipment with new stuff, including a new larger sump. But I am in no hurry because I am still nervous and am hedging my bets as much as possible.

 

[Apisto]

It has been one week and so good, so far. I did break at ton of branches and the color of a lot of the corals is down. But for the most part it is gone pretty well. I know I need to wait a few more weeks to really be in the clear, but I am hopeful at this point I have seen too many crashes after transfers to take this lightly.

Here is a quick iPhone picture of what the 93 gallon cube looks like now. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Dropped]

Any update @Apisto ? im about to do the same thing, including moving the sump across to the new tank.

 

[MontiFanatic402]

Looks like the 93 is pretty full!!! I love seeing tanks full of SPS, beautiful!

 

[Reefnjunkie]

If it were me I would transfer all the rock and sand from the 30g and just Transfer everything now I just transferred 40+ sps from my 125g to my 210g a month ago. Transfered all the rock and sand from the 125g one day waited 24 hours then all the SPS. Lost 3 very cheap corals from the mini cycle. A month later and all my acros are looking better and growing faster then they ever did in my 125g. Like I said I waited 24 hours to do the transfer i would say your good with 2 months. Side note my 210 display is also a 400g+ system so I had water volume on my side.

I just transferred a pretty full 40g. SPS system to a 93g. cube last Sunday. I "seasoned" the new cube by numerous water changes from the old display. There was a few fish and some rock in the new tank. I was very nervous about this move, but needed to do it, as you can see.



The actual transfer took about 5 or 6 hours and included moving water, corals, fish and rock into bins. I then moved the tank out and the new one into the same position(after removing the water, rock and fish into holding bin, which then got moved back into the tank). Basically everything from the old tank got moved back into the new tank. This included quite a bit of water and the same pumps, skimmer and sump. I really wanted to replicate/replace as much of the bacterial base of the old system in the new.

I will slowly replace equipment with new stuff, including a new larger sump. But I am in no hurry because I am still nervous and am hedging my bets as much as possible.

I basically did the same as these two when I went from my 75 which was stuffed to 150 that was a transition tank for 6 months before it all went into my 400- I didn't loose a single acro.

The only real new "stuff" was a few hundred pounds of live rock that I cured in a trough for the entire 6 months, it was well seeded and help in zero ammonia spike/nitrite.

It's a nerve racking thing, or it was for me but it should go smooth if you can use all the old tank living rock and water. No sand if you have any, I bought the "live sand" and had that in place witht the newest live rock as I keep adding the old tanks water.

Good luck and congrats on the upgrade!!