New tank question
 

Just bought a 120g, if i put all the water from my established 55g, do I still need to do a fishless cycle? Or can i just transfer all my babies over?I'm using live sand in the 120g.


thx :biggrin:

Transfer all the rock, water and sand over and add the extra needed water. (If your adding more live rock, make sure it's cured.) Add your critters and go realy realy light on the feedings for the first couple of weeks to allow the system to establish properly.

This is how I would do it and probably isn't the only way. :smile:

do i need to let the sand settle b4 my babies go in? or can they go in while it's still cloudy

They can go in while it's cloudy.

ah ok, cool thanks!

put a new sand bed in or leave it out. disturbing an established sand bed is a recipe for disaster. I would even suggest new water. there is plenty of bacteria in your rock to set off the new tank. this also allows you to set it up then move everything over carefully strait from one tank to another.

Steve

I have moved plenty of sandbeds from one tank to another while upgrading tanks or moving to a new house. There have never been any problems with sandbed issues. Sandbed depths have been 3"-4".

Usually, I have left the corals, fish and critters in a heated, aerated, partially covered but lit rubbermaid tub while the sandbed settled somewhat, for less than a day.

I have also put heaters and powerheads in the newly setup tank with the old sandbed to help off-gas the bad stuff that would come from the sandbed. JME, though.

reply
 

Steve said, I agree that moving sand beds is very touch and go however a new sand bed isn't really needed. I find that moving one gives you the opportunity to clean the sandbed. I find that if you leave about 1/4 to 1/3 of the water in the tank and stir the bed, you can drain the brown water. Now you can drain the rest of the waste water whil leaving most of the bio matter. Either way the sandbed will be starting over, so why not clean it.
Just my 2 cents. :biggrin:

Adidas, do small water changes over the next couple of weeks just to be safe.

Re: New tank question
 

Are you starting a new sandbed for the 120? IF so, I think the safest option is to have the 120 up and running beforehand, using some of the water from the 55, as you would take out in a large water change. Do that a couple of times, and make the rest of the SW fresh as Steve says. If it takes several days to get the new tank topped right up, no biggie.

The beauty of having the new system up and running is you have room for error. If one tank goes south somehow during the move, then you have a safe haven - if the move goes sour and only one tank is viable, then where do you go?

Move over some of your rock, add some of the new rock you'll need - :biggrin: - and let the 120 get on its feet for a couple/few weeks before moving your babies. This is the method I've had best success with the lst 2 tanks. They cycled quickly and became surprisingly stable faster than any other moves.

Just check your levels diligently and keep in mind it might take a month before you are safe to go over. Not a problem for a conscientous marine aquarist. :mrgreen:

Nope, not true. I have moved entire sandbeds to new tanks, and there has never been a problem, let alone a disaster. :rolleyes: