What is your benchmark before adding coral?

[Frtdrmrose7]

so my 150G cube is cycled (about 5 weeks) and ready for fish. I have a total of 3 tanks and will be moving livestock from my smallest mixed reef (60G) and eventually breaking it down. I’m just looking for a consensus on what you look for in a new tank before adding coral.

I am anticipating adding a couple fish to the 150 and probably waiting 2-3 months before moving the coral so the new tank can at least start to stabilize with fish. I’m always up for new ideas and methods.

 

[Rjukan]

Wow, 150g cube! That must be impressive, what are the dimensions on that tank?

What's in the 150 right now besides water? Are you transferring the rock over, or did you start with dry rock? I would say that's the biggest factor when deciding how long to wait to start stocking it. If it was me I would try and move over a lot of the base rock you have in the 60g and leave the corals on a rack or on the top rock in that tank. After a week or 2 if the 150 is looking good without any algae blooms etc, I would start moving a couple coral over and see how they do.

If you're going with dry rock I would take the same approach but just wait a bit longer after that first transfer of your live rock.

 

[Geebs19]

I started with Hammers and a torch at 2 months and they were fine.

 

[Softhammer]

I waited about 45 minutes before transferring and adding as long a a good part of it was from an established tank. You’ll be fine.

 

[Softhammer]

Btw I see Orlando Florida, I always have an abundance of coral if you are out towards Tampa.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Btw I see Orlando Florida, I always have an abundance of coral if you are out towards Tampa.

My son goes to USF I’m always out in Tampa!

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Wow, 150g cube! That must be impressive, what are the dimensions on that tank?

What's in the 150 right now besides water? Are you transferring the rock over, or did you start with dry rock? I would say that's the biggest factor when deciding how long to wait to start stocking it. If it was me I would try and move over a lot of the base rock you have in the 60g and leave the corals on a rack or on the top rock in that tank. After a week or 2 if the 150 is looking good without any algae blooms etc, I would start moving a couple coral over and see how they do.

If you're going with dry rock I would take the same approach but just wait a bit longer after that first transfer of your live rock.

The 150 has about 100 lbs of dry rock (cured)and 50lbs of rock from my reef. I still have 75-80 lbs in the 60G which will also go into the 150. Im going to move more mature rock into the 150 tomorrow with the two fish. Before today the 150 was empty (livestock wise) but I did add a group of hermits today.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Here is the tank. The dimensions are 40x33x30 high. I bought it used on Craigslist and believe it to be a custom acrylic tank. The bottom is 1” thick, sides are 3/4” thick, and the top is 1/2”. The corners have been beveled and create a beautiful effect with the lights.
The stand was stripped and refinished by me and canopy was built myself and stained by my wife. She is going to sand and stain the trim on the stand to match.

 

[reef lover]

If most of your rock is established with good corraline growth i wouldnt hesitate at all to add corals.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

If most of your rock is established with good corraline growth i wouldnt hesitate at all to add corals.

Yes, all of the rock in the 60 is covered and very mature. You can see some of it in the pic above.

 

[reef lover]

I wouldnt worry than. Look forward to the build!

 

[cracker]

I have Lps but no SPS until I get this akgae until control .

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Here it is up and running with my PBT, 2 clowns, and an orange stripe Goby.

I actually had thought the Goby died I hadn’t seen him in over a month but when I pulled all the rock there he was! I guess he was just doing his own thing.

Now it’s time to start adding coral!!

 

[WetPets]

that plate colony is great

 

[WetPets]

Here it is up and running with my PBT, 2 clowns, and an orange stripe Goby.

I actually had thought the Goby died I hadn’t seen him in over a month but when I pulled all the rock there he was! I guess he was just doing his own thing.

Now it’s time to start adding coral!!

that plate colony is great looking