Moving from a 72 to a 180. Need help with the logistics.

[Capt_Cully]

I'm moving up to a 180 in about 4 months. I'm starting to look for equipment now. How do I move up and save all of my livestock. I'll be adding about 100lbs of LR and 100 gallons of water. Do I get the new tank and cycle it with the new 100lbs of LR, then just move everything in my 72 over? Water included? Or would this be a catastophe?

Thanks

 

[Wryknow]

More or less. I would set-up the new tank and completely cycle it. Then I would start transfering animals slowly to the new tank, making sure to do a complete drip acclimation process before putting the specimen in the new tank. I would only transfer fish and inverts at the rate of one every 2-3 days to make sure that yor biological filter is able to grow quickly enough to keep up with the increased bio-load in the new tank.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Is that pretty much the only way to go. What if I dont' have that kind of time? Can I use my tank's water to add to the new tank?

 

[dchao]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6643869#post6643869 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Capt_Cully
Can I use my tank's water to add to the new tank?

Yes, but it doesn't help, since all the nitrification bacteria is on the surface of LR's and sand substrate. Only less than 5% is in the water column.

Therefore, it's important to transfer LR's and some live sand over to the new tank. Do that a day before you transfer the fish so the sand has some time to settle down. Then just transfer all the fish over. The skimmer should be able to get rid of most of the fish wastes, and LR's and should cop with the rest.

Monitor ammonia daily. In the case of emergency, add a drop of water conditioner (such asSeachem Prime) to lock down ammonia, and then do a water change.