Switching Tanks

[KnightReefer19]

So I'm not necessarily new to reefing but I do have a problem that I can't figure out. You see, I'm moving and I decide to downgrade my 55 gallon mixed reef to a 30 gallon cube. The cube has been up and running for a good 2 weeks and when I went to my lfs to get my water tested to see where I was at in the cycling process, my lfs said I was nearing the end. I've been using Seachem Stability to help speed up the cycling process. Now here's the problem, when I first started my tank I took things way too fast and ran into a lot of avoidable problems. Being in the hobby for about 2 years now I realize that the cycling process takes time and should not be rushed. So, my tank is nearing the end of its cycle and I MUST be out of this apartment by May 1st (basically April 30th) and I have no clue as to what to do. I can't put my fish and corals in the new tank because it's not done cycling, but I can't leave them in my 55 gallon because I have to be out of my apartment by May 1st. I have 2 lfs stores where I live and only one "babysits" fish and corals BUT they are re-aquascaping they're holding tank. And every other reef owner here is either a doctor, car lot owner, entrepreneur, or just isn't on social media or forums. I have a 20 gal breeder that's just sitting in a closet that hasn't had anything in it. Do you all think I could put the water from my 55 gal in the 20 gal and solve my problem or is that idiotic of me to even think of that? PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[BlueMoonFox]

I'm still new to the reefing thing and I know I am guilty of the rushing thing. If the problems you faced weren't catastrophic, just inconvenient, I would move everything over. If the bio load is heavy it might delay the cycle but from what I've read and seen, many things can survive a small cycle, especially if you are moving over rock from the previous tank. It sounds like even if you found someone to take them for a while, you would still be subjecting everything to acclimatizing stresses. Obviously if someone more experienced disagrees, follow their lead. Like I said, I'm still new, but that would be my course of action.

 

[KnightReefer19]

Unfortunately I'm not moving anything from my old tank to this one. Just my fish and corals. I had too many problems that I know I can and will avoid with this new tank. I don't want a repeat of this 55 gal to happen. And I don't wanna risk putting my fish and coral in this new one because I feel as though I need another week or so for this tank to finish cycling. And my livestock isn't worth risking imo. I will say I'm probably gonna take your advice and at least move my cleanup crew over. I know it won't have a dramatic affect on them. I appreciate your help

 

[nereefpat]

Could you give us some info on the 55? How much rock, are you reusing the sand, etc? Livestock?

You may not need to cycle the new tank at all, since this is just a tank transfer.

 

[flooddc]

You can move live rocks and livestock and 75% old water into the temporary tank. Keep a heater and powerhead and light running on the temporary tank. Also, run a hang on filter if you don't have a skimmer. Transfer to your cube when it's "really" ready. I highly recommend cycling your tank the right way instead taking a short cut with chemicals to speed up the process (IMO).

 

[flooddc]

Found an old thread on Seachem Stability. Maybe they improved since then. IDK!
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2109559&page=2

 

[KnightReefer19]

Could you give us some info on the 55? How much rock, are you reusing the sand, etc? Livestock?

You may not need to cycle the new tank at all, since this is just a tank transfer.

Well I'm not transferring anything from my 55 to my 30 except my livestock, it's a mixed reef with about 5 sps, 8 lps and I'm going to move 4 of my 7 fish to my 30 gal. I'm keeping my 2 paired naked ocellaris, my orange spotted golby, and a six line that I've had since it was fry. I would like to move my livestock into a 20 gal I'm currently not using and use the water from my 55 in the 20 but I do not know how that would go

 

[KnightReefer19]

You can move live rocks and livestock and 75% old water into the temporary tank. Keep a heater and powerhead and light running on the temporary tank. Also, run a hang on filter if you don't have a skimmer. Transfer to your cube when it's "really" ready. I highly recommend cycling your tank the right way instead taking a short cut with chemicals to speed up the process (IMO).

So it would be okay for me to reuse water from my 55 in this 20 gal until my 30 gal tank is cycled?

 

[KnightReefer19]

Found an old thread on Seachem Stability. Maybe they improved since then. IDK!
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2109559&page=2

To me it hasn't seemed to change, that data seems accurate. Using Seachem Stability was more of a test to see if this worked better than Bio-Spira. I won't name any names but I called a very well known online fish store and chatted up a gentleman who has about 6+ years of reefing and he said it should work just the same of not better. We talked for about an hour over the differences between the 2 before I finally made the decision to use Seachem Stability. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it but it just doesn't seem to be doing anything for my tank.

 

[WWIII]

The good bacteria isn't in the water. You could use all new water as far as that is concerned. Do u have live rock in the 30 gallon?

 

[KnightReefer19]

The good bacteria isn't in the water. You could use all new water as far as that is concerned. Do u have live rock in the 30 gallon?

I'm using dry rock in the 30 gal

 

[Highweigh]

The 20 gallon would work for a holding tank for the meantime however you would need to place the live rock from the 55 into it. Maybe not all of it but as much as you see fit.

It should be fine to leave it barebottom as well (no sand).

During the transfer of live rock don't let it sit out of water because it will cause some bacteria to die off

And yes using water from the 55 is also fine

 

[dattong]

If you livestock are doing fine in the 55 then why don't you just move everything into the temporary 20g tank? You don't have to transfer anything from the temp tank that you don't want to the new tank after it has completed its cycle.

 

[MeghanisradxD]

I would transfer as much live rock as possible to the temporary tank as that is where the beneficial bacteria lives. If you're able to do that, you should be just fine with the livestock in there until the new tank is ready.

 

[GilliganReef]

Well I'm not transferring anything from my 55 to my 30 except my livestock, it's a mixed reef with about 5 sps, 8 lps and I'm going to move 4 of my 7 fish to my 30 gal. I'm keeping my 2 paired naked ocellaris, my orange spotted golby, and a six line that I've had since it was fry. I would like to move my livestock into a 20 gal I'm currently not using and use the water from my 55 in the 20 but I do not know how that would go

I understand you not going to reuse anything from your 55. Why is that?

If you are having issues with algae on your current rock aka Dino, Hair or I don't know what could be worst then DINOS. I had a DINO issue in my 40B before I built my 65G. I reused all my rocks from my old tank, but I cleaned all of them off and recycled them in two 5 gallon buckets for 2 months. Just use a spray bottle with peroxide and RO/DI water.


Do a 40/60 with the solution, 40 % peroxide and 60% RODI. Use a toothbrush and spray and scrub. I used three 5 gallon buckets. One was filled with the rocks I was scrubbing, one with Ro/DI and one with fresh SW. Once you have sprayed the rocks and scrub. Dip them in the RO/DI and place in the SW bucket.

Take the 5 gallon bucket with SW and the cleaned rocks. Place a heater and small PH in the bucket. Let it be for month and check on the levels. Do a W/C and leave alone for another month. Or however long you would like.

 

[KnightReefer19]

If you livestock are doing fine in the 55 then why don't you just move everything into the temporary 20g tank? You don't have to transfer anything from the temp tank that you don't want to the new tank after it has completed its cycle.

That's what somebody else said too. I'll probably end up doing that later on today. Thank you for the advice!:bigeyes:

 

[KnightReefer19]

I would transfer as much live rock as possible to the temporary tank as that is where the beneficial bacteria lives. If you're able to do that, you should be just fine with the livestock in there until the new tank is ready.

That's what I'll end up doing later on today, thanks for the help!:spin3:

 

[KnightReefer19]

I understand you not going to reuse anything from your 55. Why is that?

If you are having issues with algae on your current rock aka Dino, Hair or I don't know what could be worst then DINOS. I had a DINO issue in my 40B before I built my 65G. I reused all my rocks from my old tank, but I cleaned all of them off and recycled them in two 5 gallon buckets for 2 months. Just use a spray bottle with peroxide and RO/DI water.


Do a 40/60 with the solution, 40 % peroxide and 60% RODI. Use a toothbrush and spray and scrub. I used three 5 gallon buckets. One was filled with the rocks I was scrubbing, one with Ro/DI and one with fresh SW. Once you have sprayed the rocks and scrub. Dip them in the RO/DI and place in the SW bucket.

Take the 5 gallon bucket with SW and the cleaned rocks. Place a heater and small PH in the bucket. Let it be for month and check on the levels. Do a W/C and leave alone for another month. Or however long you would like.

Well everything from my 55 gal is old and somewhat beginner. My lights are coralife LED aqua lights that I bought when I started this tank, I bought my LR off a gentleman I met from my lfs, my filters are just HOB as well as my skimmer is an HOB. On this new 30 gal I've started fresh with all new equipment, lighting, filtration etc. my 55 gal was my first real saltwater tank and it definitely showed. The reason I'm not using the LR from my 55 gal is because my LR was not really LR at all. The gentleman I bought it off of asked for $140 for 60+ pounds of LR which was a good deal but I didn't know what I was getting in to. The LR he sold me isn't LR, it's man made and colored purple to make it look like LR. Some of it wasn't even purple, he mixed some pukani and reef saver in there as well. And we he brought it over I didn't realize it till later on but it had bubble algae, aptasia, asterinas, nudibranchs, 2 gorilla crabs and lord knows what else! Some of these problems I've taken care of but only to what I can tell. Their may still be something bison in the rock that I don't want in this 30 gal. That's why I bought about 30 lbs of reef saver for my 30 gal so I know for a fact I won't have this problem unless I'm the one causing it. I'm not going to just dump the rock from my 55 gal. I'm going to do like you said and clean it off, scrub it down and let it sit in a bucket. Someone may want to buy it or not. who knows

 

[colodano]

I have done basically what you are needing to do, and so far it has been ok.

Had a 36 cube set up.

Moving across country, so I had to move everything I wanted to keep.

set up a 10 gallon BB tank with fresh saltwater and got it up to the same temp as the old tank, moved over the fish and pieces of rock and coral and anemones that I wanted.

A couple of days later did my move, so that all went into a bucket with a bubbler and heater, and traveled for 4 days. Brought the bucket into hotel rooms at night, and ran an inverter in the truck while driving.

Got here, again fresh water into the 10, and moved everybody over. Currently running like this with a hob filter box, no skimmer, watching water parameters and all is staying where I am happy, and actually the repeated moves into all new water has helped get rid of Po4 in the rock, and the live rock seems happier than it has been for awhile.

Right now I am running an acid bath on the rest of the rock, that I just tossed into buckets for the move, and going to soak all the rest of the machinery, sump, skimmer, powerheads etc in vinegar to really clean them up.

Once the rock is ready, it will be going into an acrylic 55 that I have carted around for awhile, and the sump, overflow, and pump were originally sized for, and run with a couple of fish before my friend got bored and gave up on it.

Just for giggles, the wife let me keep my 180, that had been a freshwater Piranha tank, but they died off a few years ago, so it has been taking up space since. Maybe eventually I can get it up and running again, cleaned it out real well with vinegar before the move.