Looking for suggestions --- Tank Upgrade / Live Stock Move

[DeepBlueSea]

Just looking for suggestions on how I should go about establishing a new 120g system. (On and off saltwater hobbyist since 1994, so I do have an idea what' I'm doing.)

Currently have a 7 month old 29g system that's doing remarkable well.

Corals are seem to be thriving, Elegance, Hammer, Frog Spawn, SPS frags, psammocora, chalice, zooandthids, xenia, everything is growing/multiplying rather nicely. Water parameters are perfect.

I have 100# cured LR, either inside the 29 DT, the sump of the 29 and another tank that's been soaking for a year now. The 29 also has 50# of ESV Oolitic Aragnite Reef Sand that is 3"-4" deep, that's been undisturbed for 7 months at this point. (Not looking for advice or comments on DSB or not)

I just pulled the trigger on purchasing a 120g aquarium, that will be placed on a different stand. Eventually, most of the hardware that's running the 29 will be used on 120 and the 29 will become my quarantine system.

So my question is...

After I get the 120 plumbed, filled with RO/DI, salt, temperature, etc... Should I cycle this system with dead shrimp before I make the full blown switch of all my livestock?

OR

Considering, I'll be placing nearly 100# of fully cured rock into the 120, can I by pass the individual cycle as the rocks themselves will "speed" cycle the entire aquarium and no ammonia spike will ever be reached anyway. (Only 2 clown fish and I feed lightly)


My plan is to move the existing 29 sand bed over a period of days, after I move my live stock to the 120, to avoid any unwanted hydrogen sulfide spike.


Thoughts??

 

[THEUNION1]

There will still be a mini cycle.

If your first system is doing remarkably well, just follow whatever it was that you did for that one.

 

[DeepBlueSea]

There will still be a mini cycle.

If your first system is doing remarkably well, just follow whatever it was that you did for that one.

That is solid advice... the 29 was built with patience. However, I have some issues with summer time heat, that I have to beat. Have to try to get the 29 broken down before the dog days of summer. So, I really only have about 2 months to obtain my overflow, drill and plumb the tank and cycle it.

I guess I could get away with getting the 120 up and running (Temp,Low Flow, no lighting), add all the cured rock (which isn't in the aquarium), start seeding the new substrate with the existing ESV sand bed and cycle the tank much more quickly than I did with 29. Throw a dead shrimp in and once It goes through it's mini-cycle, move the 29 livestock into the 120.

 

[mcgyvr]

If you put suitable amounts of cycled rock like you plan to do into a brand new system there will be no cycle unless there was considerable die off on that cycled rock due to the time it spent out of water during the transfer..
That time would need to be hours or more to cause any real problems..

The process of cycling is to establish a suitable bacterial population sufficient to quickly process any ammonia to its lesser toxic forms..
When you are using "live rock" that has not been shipped/die off there is no cycle as the bacterial population is simply transferred from one vat of water to the other..

The water itself has very little bacteria as the bacteria is surface dwelling and not free floating in the water column.. You don't cycle the water... You just need to establish a suitable bacterial population in the system..

You can certainly get the water/salt going and even add dry sand if you want (don't use live as it has considerable die off that has a chance of overpowering the bacterial colonies brought in later).. Get it to the salinity/cal/alk/mag,etc...to match the other tank then transfer all the rock in and you can instantly start moving your corals/fish,etc..
There will be no cycle as the rock you bring in will contain all the needed bacteria already..

These facts are exactly why local fish stores have vats of rock sitting there curing/cycling.. So that you can buy that nemo fish for your screaming daughter along with a tank/water/rock and go home and instantly set it all up..
That rock thats already cycled goes into the new tank and a cycle never happens so the fish is never exposed to toxic ammonia...

 

[THEUNION1]

That is solid advice... the 29 was built with patience. However, I have some issues with summer time heat, that I have to beat. Have to try to get the 29 broken down before the dog days of summer. So, I really only have about 2 months to obtain my overflow, drill and plumb the tank and cycle it.

I guess I could get away with getting the 120 up and running (Temp,Low Flow, no lighting), add all the cured rock (which isn't in the aquarium), start seeding the new substrate with the existing ESV sand bed and cycle the tank much more quickly than I did with 29. Throw a dead shrimp in and once It goes through it's mini-cycle, move the 29 livestock into the 120.

You won't need a shrimp.

 

[DeepBlueSea]

If you put suitable amounts of cycled rock like you plan to do into a brand new system there will be no cycle unless there was considerable die off on that cycled rock due to the time it spent out of water during the transfer..
That time would need to be hours or more to cause any real problems..

The process of cycling is to establish a suitable bacterial population sufficient to quickly process any ammonia to its lesser toxic forms..
When you are using "live rock" that has not been shipped/die off there is no cycle as the bacterial population is simply transferred from one vat of water to the other..

The water itself has very little bacteria as the bacteria is surface dwelling and not free floating in the water column.. You don't cycle the water... You just need to establish a suitable bacterial population in the system..

You can certainly get the water/salt going and even add dry sand if you want (don't use live as it has considerable die off that has a chance of overpowering the bacterial colonies brought in later).. Get it to the salinity/cal/alk/mag,etc...to match the other tank then transfer all the rock in and you can instantly start moving your corals/fish,etc..
There will be no cycle as the rock you bring in will contain all the needed bacteria already..

These facts are exactly why local fish stores have vats of rock sitting there curing/cycling.. So that you can buy that nemo fish for your screaming daughter along with a tank/water/rock and go home and instantly set it all up..
That rock thats already cycled goes into the new tank and a cycle never happens so the fish is never exposed to toxic ammonia...

Thanks... Providing me with piece of mind... Current system is doing so well it's upsetting to even break it down...

I didn't build this stand to not have a tank on it...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Crooked Reef]

Nice looking stand. Does the front support or side panel come off to put a sump in?

 

[DeepBlueSea]

Nice looking stand. Does the front support or side panel come off to put a sump in?

Thanks

I actually built it out of 2x6 and in theory doesn't need a center support. When I skinned it with ply, I cut the door panels out of a single sheet of ply and have since been able to squeeze a 40g breeder through the door and into place underneath.

With that said, I like to be overly built and I have placed temporary center braces in. If by chance I really, really needed to open up the front, I could cut that faux center brace out, remove a few screws and tap out the front center brace and have full access, even if the 120 on top was still full. Hopefully, I never need to do that.

 

[NO3]

Just looking for suggestions on how I should go about establishing a new 120g system

First...secure a third-side-hussle-job :spin3:

 

[DeepBlueSea]

First...secure a third-side-hussle-job :spin3:

LOL... I get it. My last large system, when I shut it down, my electric bill went down $150 a month. This hobby is sort of cheap compared to what it was back in the day with 2x400wt metal halide and VHO which had to be replaced every 9-12 months and, required a chiller and multiple fans to control heat... Increased evaporation rates, used more top off, ending up with more resins. Multiple huge external pumps and energy hog powerheads for water movement.

These ecotech radions and other low energy equipment ... Though high cost initially... Save so much money over five years it's making my decision to get back into the game so much easier.

Big expense is going to be the whole house gas generator when I have a fully stocked system