I need some advice on how to handle my move from my fully stocked 3 year old 60 cube to my new 175 cube. I am lucky that they are both in the same location and I can take my time (within reason) to make the switch.
The 175 was set up on March 28th, 2018. It was set up with dry rock and live sand from a bag. On day 1 I threw a table shrimp in the display and one in the sump. I added an automatic feeder set to feed pellet 2x a day. The feeder is feeding approximately what I am feeding the other tank currently. After the first week, I pulled my head out of my butt and put the Marinepure brick (mp) into the sump of the 60 gallon and sucked ¾ of the sand out of the 60 and dumped it in the 175 display hoping this would help with biodiversity and jumping the cycle. My plan is to let the mp marinate in the 60 for 2 weeks. At week 3 I will remove the mp and put it in the 175 sump. I will then give that a week to adjust to the 175. This will put me out 4 weeks. I will hopefully be able to add livestock at that point. (pending water testing)
I need help with deciding how to handle the transfer.
Should I move ½ the fish over and wait a week, then the other half, wait another week, then the coral, rock, and sand?
Should I move it all over at once when the water tests right. All rock sand, fish and coral?
Or should I do a combination and do half the fish and half the rock and coral then wait a week or two and then the other half of fish, rock and coral.
All the rock is covered in coral so I can't move just rock over to the new tank.
The stock list for the 60 is:
Dotty Back Pseudo
True Perc
Melanurus wradde
Copperband butterfly
Heniochus Dipherues
Hippo Tang
Ocellaris Clown
(I have had these fish for 2 years and are fat and healthy!)
3 Rainbow Bubbletip nems
1 large maximum Ultra Clam
Many SPS corals (Fresh frags up to colonies)
Some LPS and softies but nothing rare.
The 175 was set up on March 28th, 2018. It was set up with dry rock and live sand from a bag. On day 1 I threw a table shrimp in the display and one in the sump. I added an automatic feeder set to feed pellet 2x a day. The feeder is feeding approximately what I am feeding the other tank currently. After the first week, I pulled my head out of my butt and put the Marinepure brick (mp) into the sump of the 60 gallon and sucked ¾ of the sand out of the 60 and dumped it in the 175 display hoping this would help with biodiversity and jumping the cycle. My plan is to let the mp marinate in the 60 for 2 weeks. At week 3 I will remove the mp and put it in the 175 sump. I will then give that a week to adjust to the 175. This will put me out 4 weeks. I will hopefully be able to add livestock at that point. (pending water testing)
I need help with deciding how to handle the transfer.
Should I move ½ the fish over and wait a week, then the other half, wait another week, then the coral, rock, and sand?
Should I move it all over at once when the water tests right. All rock sand, fish and coral?
Or should I do a combination and do half the fish and half the rock and coral then wait a week or two and then the other half of fish, rock and coral.
All the rock is covered in coral so I can't move just rock over to the new tank.
The stock list for the 60 is:
Dotty Back Pseudo
True Perc
Melanurus wradde
Copperband butterfly
Heniochus Dipherues
Hippo Tang
Ocellaris Clown
(I have had these fish for 2 years and are fat and healthy!)
3 Rainbow Bubbletip nems
1 large maximum Ultra Clam
Many SPS corals (Fresh frags up to colonies)
Some LPS and softies but nothing rare.
