I'm moving next month and currently have a 55gal set up and running for about a year now. I'm setting up a 135gal at my new place and have both houses for 2 weeks during the move. My plan is to set up the new tank, and then transfer everything over about a week after in 5gal buckets, and rubbermaid totes. What things should i look out for? Should i re-setup my 55gal and move things slowly 1 by 1 over to the new tank? The only thing i could see that's going to re-cycle my tank is added substrate, should i wait and add it bit by bit over time once the new tank is set up? I'm expecting losses, since sadly, that's what i've seen from most other moves
. I'd like to avoid that as much as possible.
Plan so far is:
-Set up new tank and balance parameter's, i don't expect a nitrogen cycle since there's nothing living yet
-wait about a week and keep playing with calc reactor, etc. until tank is balanced
-add current rock, sand, livestock
-add sand weekly until i have a decent substrate(1"-2")
There's goin to be some sort of a cycle happening again, does anybody know how to minimize this? My current sandbed gets mixed up fairly well, so i don't think there's going to be ammonia pockets, but could there be? Should i donate out some coral and fish to friends to hold until after my tank's set up?
Any help would be great, thanks in advance.