Can i cycle a new reef tank with bacteria from my 75?

[doctor9824]

hi , new here but not to hobby. I have cycled my tanks the old way with damsels,newer ways with a dead shrimp, but I want to start a 30 gal. Reef using bacteria from my established 2 yr old fowlr.. I just saw a short video on YouTube showing how a guy took his bacteria filled sponge from one of his tanks and squeezed everything into a cup and poured into his new cichlid tank( no fish yet). My idea was to squeeze bacteria from my overflow sponge, into my 30 gal. Tank. ( not yet, next week when all my equipment arrives). I will be using a bag of live sand, I can prob. Steal 30 lbs of live rock from my 75, and 2 clowns to provide ammonia to feed the bacteria. Does anyone think I'm hurting the clowns with spikes or do you believe the bacteria will cause small cycles until the tank is ready for corals?

 

[doctor9824]

One more quick question. If the above method works- does it make sense to talk water from my 75( 10-15 gal. ) and add to my new salt mix? Thanks

 

[thegrun]

You will get a lot more benefit from the 30 pounds of live rock from your old system than what you can squeeze out of the sponge, but the sponge will help a little. The water will make close to no difference.

 

[Ou8me2]

I'll agree, the 30 pounds of live rock will make the most difference. The sponge and water..not so much of a difference to be honest. I would think squeezing the sponge would kill a lot of the beneficial life in the sponge.