Switching tank question (1 Viewer)

[imsuperjp]

Im moving my 25 gallon into a 58 Gallon. Would adding all my fish at one time, which consist of 4 fish, cause a big ammonia spike? And should I move my coral over first or after? Also, my tank cycled within a week. I even threw a shrimp in on day one and now my readings are all zero. Should I wait a couple more of weeks just in case?

 

[AggieBrandon]

How long has the 58 gallon been set up? Did you add live sand and live rock? If so how much? After a cycle there should be at least a little nitrate there...do you have a refugium on this setup? If your levels all look in check and the fish are not huge waste producers then you could probably get away with adding all of them at once. As long as your lights are adequate and your water parameters are in check you can add your corals.

 

[imsuperjp]

My tank has 70 lbs of cured rock and 80 lbs of live sand. I bought the rocks cured so I figured that there wouldnt be a big spike so I threw a shrimp in. I had a small spike and now its zero. Nitrates are real low and yes i have a fuge. The tank has only been running a week so I am really iffy abt moving the fish over already. Fish consist of a tang, 2 clowns and a goby. Havent had an algae bloom yet so maybe i should wait til after the bloom.

 

[AggieBrandon]

Do you have any caulerpa in the fuge? If not I would go ahead and add some. Monitor your levels and if you don't see a change then it is probably good to go. The cured live rock should have had plenty of bacteria as well as the live sand. Sounds like you have a good start going.

Brandon

 

[Guest]

I took my 25 and just moved it to a 65G (a 58G but a little taller).

I filled up the entire 65G on Saturday and let it run until Tuesday when I did the switch. Then I emptied half the 25 and its contents into two rubber-made containers.

Make sure you get the detruis off the rocks. Dip each rock after you take it out of the tank in a bucket of tank water and get the detrius off. Detrius can cause water quality problems.

Use fresh sand and a cup full of your old sand.

I spent the next two hours transfering water between the two tubs and the old tank to get the water all the same. Then I put the LR from my old tank in and aquascaped. Then the fish went in.

This is the 25G about a month ago:

This is what I am working on now:

The left side is pretty much done. There are two rocks that are just two much on the shelf. On the right side I need to build over the shelf and in the middle I need to conect the two sides. Then some of the corals on the sand can go into the rock work. I wish my corals would have gone farther but its an excuse to buy more.

The rest of my rock was bought second hand since it was not from my tank I have been taking a few pieces every day and putting them in my sump. I measure the next day for water quality problems then aquascape the pieces into the tank. The other reason to aquascape slowly is that if you put all the rock in at one time you will end up with a rock wall. I have more rock than I need so I pick the best pieces to make the tank open and free. If you make a rock wall you won't be maximizing your light because the corals will be closer to the bottom.

Other issues are that I added more light VHO to Metal Halide. Unless you have been running carbon or doing water changes your water will be clearer which will give your corals more light. I kept the corals on the sand bed and have been slowly moving them up as they expand to the same size as they once were in the old tank.

Remember "Detrius is the Devil, Don't Put Old Poop in Your New Tank"

 

[imsuperjp]

Wish someone told me to wash off the rocks at the beginning. All my rocks are already in and have some of that junk on the bottom of my sand bed. I guess its too late to do anything now. I have some kind of plant in my fuge. Not sure what kind it is but its the same as the one they use at fishworld. Not sure what a rockwall is classified as but this is how my tank looks right now. I reworked the rocks a little for more flat edges. Main thing is I m not sure abt moving my fish over yet.

 

[Guest]

How much of you rock came from the old tank. IMO that is one of the most important things. Are your fish with out any biological filtration since you yanked out all your rock? Upgrading tanks isn't the same as a new tank; the rules can be bent some. Never the less I did get rid of some fish to lower my bio load during the transition and to only keep fish I like in the new tank.

 

[Guest]

I just upgraded from my 55 to a 125. I had about a bizillion 5 gallon buckets. I mixed up enough new water that I would need. Then I put some of the old tank water into buckets with all the old rock and fish. Then I moved the old tank out of the way and put the new one in its place.

I filled the 125 with new sand, then started moving the old sand to the new tank. Then started adding water from the old tank and new water. Then put all the rock in then the fish.

I did it a couple days ago, and all the fish are doin well now in the new tank. I am slowly adding new liverock before I add anymore fish.

 

[imsuperjp]

65 lbs of new rock and close to 10 lbs from my old tank. My old tank is running with 25 lbs of rock that isnt going to my new tank bc its just one giant boulder. I was treating the tank basically as a new one bc 95% of it is new. The sand bed is completely new also. Another question is, I have some zoos that have grown attach the boulder. Can i just pull on it to detach or do i have to cut it off?

 

[Guest]

It would be better to chizel it off. I don't think they will pull off. A 25lb boulder? How the heck did you fit that in the tank? If I were you I would proceed with caution if it will be that new. I'd add a few fish at a time.