Moving an RBTA to a new tank

[Amazon4]

We're in the process of setting up a 180g tank to consolidate two smaller tanks. One of these contains an rbta with two true percs.

We plan to only run the 180. The others will be shut down. (We can't afford the electric bill to keep them all going :eek2: )

So, my question is...when do I move the rbta? We want to move it first so it can settle in and find a location it likes, then move the corals. But my concern is the newness of the set up.

The tank will be cycled and stable, but I wonder if that's sufficient. The sump on the 180 will be 150g.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[garygb]

If you are moving the live rock and sand from your other tanks into the 180 then it probably won't be a problem. All the nitrifying bacteria will be going to the new tank. You will want to make sure the sg, temp, ph, alk, etc. are the same to reduce the stress of the transition. I would suggest you feed the tank lightly for a few weeks just to make sure there is no spike in ammonia.

 

[livingcorals]

But if you stir up the sand you might get some kind of bloom or other setting start to get set off.....?
Might be wrong but I was always told never move 100% of the sand.
From what I have read on RBTA's is you need or should have a cycled and stable setup that is about 6months old. Now taking some rocks and water this should help out a bunch I think.
You can always add more sand at any time.

 

[garygb]

Ideally the tank would be up and running for several months, I agree, and the livestock added slowly. In this case, I didn't get the impression that taking the time to do that was an option (I may have assumed that without any basis). Honestly, if someone is well aquainted with setup and is experienced, they generally have some intuitive sense of how to do things. That is not very scientific, but it's like cooking, if you do it long enough you don't have to measure every bit of salt and pepper, you just kinda know. You know?

So, before giving bad advice, let me ask you Amazon, how much sand are you going to be transferring? And, do you have time to set up the 180 and then over a period of months add live rock and hardy livestock and then slowly add more?