what will happen when I upgrade?

[Teremei]

(aside from spending $1000) From my 55 gallon to my 120? What I am doing right now is cooking some base rock and live rock. Only a few CHOICE peices will actually move from the 55 to 120.

First I am going to buy and get everything set up on my 120 reef ready tank. That means new skimmer time!! Get to finally see some MH lights, huge sump installed. And I'm going to get this thing filled all the way up and running for a couple months first with southdown, live rock, and everything fully hooked up, to cycle.

Now when the time is ready I am going to be moving 6 fish into it all at once. Because I am going to try to take as much of my 55 gallons of water (from a year old matured system) and do like one big water change on my 120 removing 55 from it, and putting my 55 from my old tank. I figure this is my best bet if I want to move everything at once.

I am not sure what to expect though. This is like more than a 50% water change. Has anybody done that big of a water change? What sort of cycles should I expect? Once I do the change will my new tank still be considered a "mature tank" in relation to being able to add more corals, ect. . .?

 

[goulding.c]

I wouldn't consider it mature. It may not cycle as much if you add some mature rock or sand from the other tank. I would think that if the chemistry matches ph alk calcium and all that you should be fine. My 125 tested for trace amounts of nitrite for quite a while after loading it up and it did cause a few problems "deaths" just keep an eye on the water.
I am curious if others here think it woud be bad to use that much old water incase you have parsites ich or anything else in the old tank.
Will you keep the old one running at all for quarentine of new fish? After my ich problems I would for sure!

 

[Saltywater]

I am currently in the process of upgrading from a 180gal to a 450gal tank. I am planning on moving all of the water from my 180gal into the 450gal. From what I have read or been told by others it is best to use as much of your old water as possible. I am also moving the 245lbs of LR from my old tank into the new tank and adding an additional 100lbs of new cured Marshall Island rock. I don't expect to see any cycle at all in the new tank.

 

[Teremei]

I was planning on keeping my old tank for quarantine at first but considering I'm going to use most of the water I probably will just break it down. I don't want any fish deaths so that's what I'm asking so I am prepared what to look for.