Tank move help/questions

[Sad Panda]

Ok when you are all snowed in (I have to work during the storm) answer my questions. (Please).

 

FIRST, please remember that I am SUPER new to the hobby (but I'm hooked bad). I am changing from my 55g tank to a 180g. I want to cut down on the cycle time as much as possible because my clowns are going to be in a temporary home as I empty the 55. Can, or should I use the water that is currently in my 55 and place that in my 180 to get it started? same question for the rock I have (or do I need to wash it). I know to use things like the bottles of bacteria they sell. Also I was just going to move the rubble and chaeto from the old sump to the new. I do not have any coral to worry about at this time.

 

ANY and all comments/suggestions are appreciated.

 

Thank you.

 

Ed.

[dread240]

I'm actually going to say no to the bottles of bacteria they sell to start with.

 

I think really you need to come up with a few things right now as now is the time to do it before you start stocking the 180.

 

Have you had any suspicion at any point there might be parasites or unwanted hitch-hikers in your tank?

 

Have you or do you plan on quarantining from here on out?

 

Those are the main things to think of. It sounds like you have an established tank already. Therefore you should have some established rock. That rock has been maintaning your fish in the 55 for the time being, because the tank is going to be bigger does not mean that the same rock you have now is inadequate to maintain the bacteria for what you already own (meaning your current stock list) Yes obviously you will need more as the bio load increases, but for the transfer you shouldn't need anything. You could put more dry rock in there and slowly increase your bio load as that dry rock becomes live rock.

 

If however there's any problems or concerns you have now with the 55, this is the time to fix it before you start off with an uphill battle. The most common would be ich. If you've battled it in the past in your 55, you may want to setup that 180, move the live rock in and let it stay fallow for a bit while you keep the fish alive through tank transfers and the such.

 

Again, just think about it. This is the time to correct problems. I QT'd every fish I ever got but I didn't QT a few corals... and I've ended up battling polyclad flatworms because of it. Not super destructive, but they attack clams, and on top of that they kill snails, so for me, when the 400g system goes up, my current live rock will get completely bleached and I will start with fresh liverock. I will probably try and save a few things from it, I like the mini brittle stars, get a decent colture of pods out of it, but nuke the rest.

[Sad Panda]

No problems in my 55 but I only had it up and running for about 6-7 months before I knew I wanted to go bigger. Only thing in the tank now are a pair of clowns (about 5 months old) two snails and two peppermint shrimp. All my other snails seem to die and I think its because the shrimp did not have enough to eat even though I make sure to put extra flak and pellets in for them (I see them come out to eat, but I also see them attack the snails and eat them). I think they got a taste for snails when food was low and that started the problem but that's just a thought.

 

But I have been taking it slow with the 55 and have not had any "fish" problems. Plenty of equipment issues as I figure out how things work and more importantly how they don't or shouldn't. Also at first I got to caught up in thinking I needed to dose everything until I found if I just leave things alone with the proper salinity/salt mix everything seemed to get better and fix itself without me adding anything. I really love the two clowns and don't want to hurt them in the move.

 

Oh I also have a very small tank (maybe 15-20 gallon aquarium) I plan to use as a quarantine tank when I get new items.

 

Thanks for the post.

[DaveS]

If there aren't any issues with your 55 and you don't have a deep sand bed in it, then this will be simple.

 

Just move everything from the 55 to the 180 and enjoy.  Assuming you do this in one session and don't let things dry out, all the bacteria you have in the 55 will go into the 180.  It was enough bacteria before the move, it will be enough bacteria after the move.  Everything will just think you did a big water change as whatever you had in 55G of water is now in 180G of water.

 

You won't need to add any new bacteria from a bottle because your bioload hasn't changed.  As dread said, you can add new live rock and things will start populating them over time.  You won't have a cycle.  Give everything a week to settle down and you can start to gradually add new livestock.

 

Don't over think it and stress out.

[Sad Panda]

Thank you. I will continue to bother you all with questions.

[WheresTheReef]

I was fortunate in that my upgrade was right next to my existing tank. After I filled the new tank with saltwater and let it heat up, I tied my existing tank into the sump of the upgrade and increased the flow slowly over the day. Once the flow was established between tanks I was able to add in the new rock and move over the existing rock to aquascape the new tank. Since they were one large water volume now I could take my time with the new aquascape while the live stock was still benefiting from the biological filter in the new tank. Additionally, I could just move all my livestock over as I could without any acclimation or stress (at least on my part).

[s2nhle]

Those are good advises.

Edited January 23, 2016 by s2nhle