Upgrading to a bigger tank without cycling

kevsqn · Mar 17, 2017

hi. Just wanna ask if i can upgrade to a bigger tank without cycling. Ive already searched and found out it can be done.
I just need to transfer the filter to the new tank, right? In my case the filter floss and the ceramic rings. I would then remove the old filter after a few weeks.
Im upgrasing from a 8g to a 40g tank.
Im buying new sand. And im transferring the live rocks to the new tank.
Am i doing this correct?

Side question
What if i wanted to add a new rock. It would definitely cause a mini cyxle right?

40B Knasty · Mar 17, 2017

Here is how I see it. First when you add new dead or live rock that needs to be seeded. It has no beneficial bacteria yet. Your old live rock is ONLY ready now to filter 8g tank. So you would only keep up the filtration of what you have in the 8g. When you add new live rock especially 5x as much as what you have now. You best believe it will cause more than a mini cycle. That will be the full on cycle. Here is the thing.
Ammonia will be on that new live rock possibly. Like sponges and critter. Those need to be handled. Basically your die off. IF there is any. You don't want to chance it. Instant gratification in this hobby is not something that comes without paying the price.
So you seed your LR with some kind of kick start. I prefer a table shrimp. Lightly ghost feed. Every other day with what you feed your fish normally to beat up your tank and KNOWING how to breakdown what will be added in. I have a problem with common sense. I use it. Common sense says if there is all these bottles out there of instant gratification of bacteria. Why do some work and some don't? They are supposed to be just bacteria right. So there has to be some kind of underlining we don't know about that is not being said and that is why you go with what is best not instant.
Nitrites turn ammonia into nitrates. Anaerobic bacteria is what turns your nitrates into a gas form to float up out of your tank. If you do not give your tank the time to get that anaerobic bacteria to populate. The most important thing as I see it. You better be ready to do substantial amounts of water changes to fight the nitrate battle, because it has no other means or ways of getting out of your tank.
So to answer your question. Yeah it probably could be done with instant ocean and a few other chemicals. Would I advise it. 100% not. You run the risk of to many thing, because you are upgrading to an unestablished tank. Like filter and LR for starters. If it was a downgrade. Then I could see the possibilities of turning 40lbs LR into 5 x 8g tanks.
I went from a 20g(1year) to a 40B(last 3 months)

Oakie12 · Mar 17, 2017

I upgraded from a 15 gallon to a 91 gallon. I did not take the risk and just cycled the new tank and slowly added everything in. I did lose a couple frags in the process but nothing crazy.

kevsqn · Mar 17, 2017

40B Knasty said:
Here is how I see it. First when you add new dead or live rock that needs to be seeded. It has no beneficial bacteria yet. Your old live rock is ONLY ready now to filter 8g tank. So you would only keep up the filtration of what you have in the 8g. When you add new live rock especially 5x as much as what you have now. You best believe it will cause more than a mini cycle. That will be the full on cycle. Here is the thing.
Ammonia will be on that new live rock possibly. Like sponges and critter. Those need to be handled. Basically your die off. IF there is any. You don't want to chance it. Instant gratification in this hobby is not something that comes without paying the price.
So you seed your LR with some kind of kick start. I prefer a table shrimp. Lightly ghost feed. Every other day with what you feed your fish normally to beat up your tank and KNOWING how to breakdown what will be added in. I have a problem with common sense. I use it. Common sense says if there is all these bottles out there of instant gratification of bacteria. Why do some work and some don't? They are supposed to be just bacteria right. So there has to be some kind of underlining we don't know about that is not being said and that is why you go with what is best not instant.
Nitrites turn ammonia into nitrates. Anaerobic bacteria is what turns your nitrates into a gas form to float up out of your tank. If you do not give your tank the time to get that anaerobic bacteria to populate. The most important thing as I see it. You better be ready to do substantial amounts of water changes to fight the nitrate battle, because it has no other means or ways of getting out of your tank.
So to answer your question. Yeah it probably could be done with instant ocean and a few other chemicals. Would I advise it. 100% not. You run the risk of to many thing, because you are upgrading to an unestablished tank. Like filter and LR for starters. If it was a downgrade. Then I could see the possibilities of turning 40lbs LR into 5 x 8g tanks.
I went from a 20g(1year) to a 40B(last 3 months)

Exactly what i needed! Appreciate it!

mcarroll · Mar 17, 2017

Take the rock, water and filter media from the old tank.

Leave the sand and start fresh on this in the new tank.

The old filter/gear will handle your livestock and then some in the new tank. Pollutants will be given off at around the same rate, but will be 500% more dilute so all the better for your fish.

Take care when adding new livestock though as it's still only a filter big enough for the old livestock.

I count live rock as livestock in this case. Depending on the rock it may come fully cycled or full of muck....so you have to be the judge on that at the time of purcahse.

When in doubt, add it as you would any livestock – a little a time, spaced out by (at least) one or more weeks between additions.

Grow the bio-filter slowly.

Ashish Patel · Mar 17, 2017

When I upgraded my 55gallon to 120gallon I did not see any cycle as my tank was setup for few years and I feel my nitrates where reduced by adding additional volume... Though if your tank is relatively new than it may see a cycle but if its been setup for 1 + years I doubt you see a noticeable cycle... Only use few Lb's of sand to seed the new sand bed so to avoid any nitrate spike. Test your water after you upgrade and only add fish once you confirm the ammonia, nitrite, nitrates are stable..
Thats my 2 cents, hope it helps.. Good luck

michaelrp · Mar 17, 2017

Your tank will cycle regardless. Let's refer to it as a mini cycle. You will get die of just do water changes and keep up with water changes and testing until it balances out.

Colin Fowler · May 21, 2018

Ashish Patel said:
When I upgraded my 55gallon to 120gallon I did not see any cycle as my tank was setup for few years and I feel my nitrates where reduced by adding additional volume... Though if your tank is relatively new than it may see a cycle but if its been setup for 1 + years I doubt you see a noticeable cycle... Only use few Lb's of sand to seed the new sand bed so to avoid any nitrate spike. Test your water after you upgrade and only add fish once you confirm the ammonia, nitrite, nitrates are stable..
Thats my 2 cents, hope it helps.. Good luck

Hi. I am upgrading my 55 to a 125. My 55 has been up for a year and is completely stable. Did you move your fish at the same time?

Boki · Apr 9, 2019

Colin Fowler said:
Hi. I am upgrading my 55 to a 125. My 55 has been up for a year and is completely stable. Did you move your fish at the same time?

Boki · Apr 9, 2019

I just upgraded from a 30g to a 85g reef tank. Made 55g of water to have on hand after the transfer. It took me to hours to make the complete swap. Using everything from old tank except for 90% of the sand. Over the course of a week I slowly added water to get to my 85g and kept testing ALL levels during that time. Now one week in, i have lost 1 of 6 fish and others look lazy like they smoked too much weed. Lost my urchin, seen a blue leg crab die and all my corals look like they are going to die as well. So what’s the problem? I believe that all my tests are giving me false positives! Please help!