55 gallon tank has a small leak

[undertaker777]

i set up a used 55 g tank on November 30 2016. the other day i noticed that i was getting salt creep building up in the back corner. so i ordered a red sea reefer deluxe 350. im planning on using all of the same live rock and substrate. will my tank go through a cycle that will mess with my livestock?
i cycled my tank with 71 pounds of live rock my ph 8.2, ammonia is 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5, phosphates .03. i'm running brs gfo/carbon reactor. my tank was cycled in three weeks.
my plan to just transfer everything over. I'v been doing a 15 to 20 % water change every two weeks, and when i do my water changes i vacuum out my sand bed. which is a 1 inch bed.
i do know because im upgrading 18 gallons. i will have to add some more sand. i have the caribsea dry aragonite special grade reef sand, and plan on putting the same thing with the upgrade. Is my thoughts ok or how shouls i handle this situation?

 

[CrayolaViolence]

Are you sure it has a leak and it's not just water condensing and dripping down. If it is a leak, even a small one, you may want to disassemble it asap.

As for whether or not the tank will cycle, in my experience, if you move your water to the new tank, some of your sand (when you disturb the old sand you're gonna kick up a bunch of junk and it may be safer to put new sand in the tank and add a few cups of old until you can wash it), and rock, then you shouldn't go through a cycle. I mean, essentially it's all the same stuff, just being moved over to a new glass box.

 

[undertaker777]

thx for your help. thats what I was thinking. But, just was not sure

 

[JUNBUG361]

Transfer everything into the new tank except the sand. Add later after clean & dry

 

[billdogg]

If you plan the switch well, you can do it with little to no cycle at all.

Catch the livestock and place in 5g buckets with old tank water.

Remove all the live rock, swish clean in another bucket and then place in other buckets or tubs with enough water to cover them.

Vacuum the sand in the old tank as well as possible with the remaining water in the tank and then transfer it directly to the new tank. At just 1" deep and only a few months old, it won't have enough of anything bad in it to make any difference whatsoever.

Put your Liverock into the new tank and fill with 100% fresh saltwater. IMHO, there is just no good reason at all to reuse water.

Transfer your livestock to their new home.

Have an adult beverage of choice. :beer: By this point, you'll have earned it.

I have used this method many times over the years, not just for upgrades but also for cross town moves, and never noticed any sort of cycle at all.

Good Luck, and post pictures!

 

[ericarenee]

I agree with Billdogg 100% Just be sure temp and ph of new tank water is same as old water or acclimate the fish by slowly adding some new water into there bucket say a cup full or two every 5-10 minutes to where you double the water in about a hour to hour and a half...

 

[undertaker777]

If you plan the switch well, you can do it with little to no cycle at all.

Catch the livestock and place in 5g buckets with old tank water.

Remove all the live rock, swish clean in another bucket and then place in other buckets or tubs with enough water to cover them.

Vacuum the sand in the old tank as well as possible with the remaining water in the tank and then transfer it directly to the new tank. At just 1" deep and only a few months old, it won't have enough of anything bad in it to make any difference whatsoever.

Put your Liverock into the new tank and fill with 100% fresh saltwater. IMHO, there is just no good reason at all to reuse water.





i will defiantly post some pics

Transfer your livestock to their new home.

Have an adult beverage of choice. :beer: By this point, you'll have earned it.

I have used this method many times over the years, not just for upgrades but also for cross town moves, and never noticed any sort of cycle at all.

Good Luck, and post pictures!

 

[undertaker777]

i will defiantly post some pics