Cycle & LR question

[OkR33Fer]

I'm about to make the move from the 50G to the 92G.

The plan to to move everything from the smaller tank to the big one. I will have to add an extra 40 or so Gallons of water..Will I need to cycle the tank? Or will this be the equivalent to a massive water change?

Originally I had planned to run both tanks but I really don't have the space for both in the house we are in now. I may still end up putting the 50G setup in my bedroom at least to keep the extra live rock going. Will I need lights other than a standard florescent just for LR?

 

[papagimp]

Won't NEED any lights for just rock. The rock don't care one way or the other. But putting nicer lights on it while just "storing" the rock may keep some nice coralline growing on it.

The new tank probably won't go through a full "cycle" but the new tank won't be considered "mature" yet. I"d expect maybe some diatoms and some other small patches of nuisance algae from doing this, at least it happened to me when I added a new 75g to complete the dual 75 setup, the older more mature tank did go through a full algae cycle again (still going through it!) Never went through an initial nitrogen cycle though. We let the added on tank run for a few days and then simply emptied our 55g into it, rock, sand, fish, corals, the whole nine yards and didn't lose anything in the process. In fact, we gained a few things, lol, like a peppermint we had no idea was hiding in our 55g.

 

[mskohl]

okay, first, cycling live rock doesn't need light. It will need filtration or water changes though.

you may experience a small cycle with the new tank, if you change your sand, add new rock, or new fish. Otherwise, you are just increasing your water volume. Make sure your new water matches your current water and have extra on hand.

If your rocks, sand, and other filtration equipment are maintaining your parameters, you should be fine. Just take it very slow when you add new rock or livestock.

 

[OkR33Fer]

I've got a little over 300lbs of live rock and I only plan to use 150lbs or so in the 92G. It may be a few months before we find a house we like. Why will I need to do water changes with the rock only?


*edit

I've got about 100lbs or so in the 50 currently and planned to add another 50-75 lbs depending on the aquascaping.

 

[mskohl]

Since you said cycling live rock, that usually means that you have taken dead rock and are giving it time to grow life or you have recently purchased some 'live rock'.

When you 'cycle' rock you are giving it time to go through the nitrogen cycle. Because of transit time on 'live rock' you will likely see some die off of organisms on the rock. This stuff will decompose and create ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and eventually turn to nitrogen gas. If you wish to save any life that may be on the rock, you'll want to do some water changes during the ammonia stage. If you are starting with completely dead rock, it may not matter. I would still change some water in the nitrate stage though.

 

[papagimp]

If you don't do water changes on the rock only, then the die off will be even more excessive. The increasingly horrid water conditions will only cause more dieoff. Water changes will help minimize this. More dieoff = longer curing time.

 

[OkR33Fer]

Then I didn't state my 2 questions clearly enough.

1. Will this tank have to cycle after almost doubling it's size.

2. Was about the hold of currently LR that will not be used in the display tank.

As far as water changes, I didn't think that the water would have problems without fish and inverts. I could space the water changes out to much longer durations though, right?