29 to 75 transition recommendations

[jb61264]

So I finally have my 75 DT / 55 Sump up and running with saltwater...have had it running for 3 days now. My sump has a skimmer running (although there is nothing being pulled out). I have a 29 gallon BioCube that I've been running for the last year and it will be taken down once I transition everything to the 75...I guess my question is about the best way to transition to the new tank.

I have all new saltwater running in the 75 currently with about 25 lbs of live rock I purchased from someone locally. The live rock had been in a 55 gallon tank when I bought it and for the last two weeks I've been running it in a Rubbermaid storage container with a pump for circulation (no skimmer).

I have been siphoning about 1 gallon of water from the 75 into my BioCube and then waiting about 30 minutes and then siphoning 1 gallon of water from the BioCube to the 75 twice a day for the past three days. Just tonight I took one of my turbo snails from the BioCube and put it on the live rock for the heck of it.

I have a 10 gallon tank I set up about 4 months ago with water from my BioCube and some smaller pieces of live rock from the BioCube...the 10 gallon had a sandbed of about 2" and I kept a mantis and some hermits in there but the mantis committed suicide in the sump pump of that system and I have just had a large bristle starfish in there since (with the surviving hermits). I'm thinking I want to transfer the contents of the 10 gallon into the refugium section of my sump which I T-feed from my return pump in the middle section of my sump.

Just curious for some input on transitioning all this (10 gallon to the refugium and BioCube contents to the display tank) over the next few weeks. Moving from smaller to larger system, should I expect a cycle if I am gradually transferring water from the BioCube to the 75? Should I put the 10 gallon contents in the refugium and then wait a week or so?

 

[pjewett]

tagging a long...will be doing the same in the coming months

 

[inovrmyhd]

I'm doing the same thing. 29 to 75. Must be the new thing for IT people to do.

 

[Taqpol]

Was there any rock on the mantis tank? I would transfer all of the sand to the 75's refugium like you stated and add any rock that was in there to the DT to help "seed" the rock you got from the 55. Also, I would try and take out as many pieces of rock from the biocube as you can (the ones without corals affixed) and add them to the 75 as well as a cup of the biocubes sand and mix it in with 75's sandbed. After this wait an entire week and test all the parameters of the 75 looking explicitly for Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate.

How many pounds of rock are in the biocube, and will they all eventually get transferred over? Its suggested to have about 1 pound per gallon (though I think this can be reduced to give yourself a more open look if you give it enough time). If theres not enough in the biocube now would be the time to add new live rock to the 75.

Go ahead and take it slow, you're doubling your current water volume and the bacteria in the sand and rock need some time to adjust.

 

[sedor]

I would plan for a small cycle. I just upgraded from a 55 to a 75 and was able to avoid a cycle, but thats because I did it all in one fail swoop, and used all of my rock (about 85 lbs.) and all of the water from the 55. I didn't ever see a cycle, but i'm assuming with all the new rock your going to need your unfortunately going to have to just deal with recycling, which sucks because I know your excited to get it going. It can't hurt to be using water from the cube, but might not be completely necessary.

 

[jb61264]

Taqpol...there was a little bit of live rock that I used to seed the sand in the 10 gallon. Unfortunately, my BioCube was barebottom so I may just need to seed the 75 with sand from my 10 gallon.

I would say I have about 40-45 lbs of live rock in the BioCube...I was considering getting another 20 from a local guy who is breaking down his tank as well (VERY nice rock he has)...that would put me at about 80lbs...I do want to have a more "open" minimalistic looking tank as far as rock goes in the beginning (I can always add a piece here or there if I don't like it in the future).

 

[Taqpol]

80 lbs sounds like the perfect amount for a 75g. It really is more about getting "nice" rock that has the shapes and styles you want so that you can make whatever design you want. If you give it time the bacterial colonies on the rocks will grow to compensate your bioload.

Is there a local reefer or local fish store that would let you take a cup of sand from their established sand bed? Getting the sand bed "alive" quickly will greatly reduce your cycle time.