30gal tank help me w/water and fish

bill109

bill109

Active Member
HEY
ok heres the deal !
i just bought a 3o gal tank and its empty i have a 12 gallon tank (sw) and my lfs said that if i use the water from my 12 that has just finished cycling i could put that into my 30 and i wouldnt need to redo my cycle but makesure that the water has the right perameters like ph, temp (so you dont kill the bacteria) and salinity.
should i use ro water to finish off my 18 gallons? the 12 is not ro
also i have NO clue what to put in here i had a plan for a 12 but i upgrades to a 30 gallon tank!!!!

is a yellow tang (too big ) to keep in there Just wondering
:happyfish

thanx for all in advance

ill keep you all posted on pice soon
 
demartini

demartini

Active Member
If you didnt use RO water on the 12 gallon, i would just give the 30gal a fresh start with RO. It might be better in the long run.
 
bill109

bill109

Active Member
Originally Posted by DeMartini
If you didnt use RO water on the 12 gallon, i would just give the 30gal a fresh start with RO. It might be better in the long run.
i was thinking the same but if i use ro water for the rest of the 18 galloons then i think it would work just as well
 
purebullet

purebullet

Member
yes but you cant just top off the tank with ro water u have to mix it to make saltwater and yellow tang is to big for your tank
 
bill109

bill109

Active Member
Originally Posted by purebullet
yes but you cant just top off the tank with ro water u have to mix it to make saltwater and yellow tang is to big for your tank
yeah i know but i take it its ok to use ro water to finsh off the water in my 30 from the 12 but the cycle WONT have to "redo" right?
ok thanx
what do you all think about a aggressive tank with a dwarf lionfish and idk what els can go in there or do you recomend going without a aggressive tank for the befinner?
 
stanlalee

stanlalee

Active Member
you could fill the tank up with perfect parameter water from a 10yr established tank and your new tank will still cycle or need to cycle. perhaps if you transfered enough of one or more of the following:substrate/rocks/decor/filtration media you could sustain a very minimal amount of livestock initially without cycling (because you only have 12gallons worth of these things to tranfer to begin with). From there with time you can establish the bio filtration without cycling. How much of that substrate/rock/media you'll need is anybody's guess and dependent on what you initially plan on putting in there (since you want to avoid a cycle I'm assuming you want to put something in there right away. otherwise there would be no point in avoiding a cycle). You'll also be weakening your 12gallons filtration by doing this. especially on a newly cycled 12 gallon (new AND small). you may cause it to recycle. you'd probably do alot better by taking some sand/rocks from someone with a more established tank and perhaps a few pieces of some locally obtained fully cured livestock.
If you just add established water to a new tank you may not cycle until you add the first fish or livestock. The good part about old water it will contain bacteria that can spread and establish your biological filtration (the bad part is it contains however little or much nitrates, phospates and who knows what other waste and contaminants). However they (bacteria) cant do that (spread) sufficiently without a food source. So you'll still have weak if any bio filtration though no cycle initially. the minute you add fish to that tank a cycle is going to start. If you add one or two hardy damsels/clownfish (to a 30gallon tank) the process will happen gently enough that the fish will survive with ease (I've always cycled my 30 gallon with one or two damsels or false perc clownfish without any issues). If you do much if any more than that you risk the possibility of a dangerous ammonia spike and risk killing those fish.
 
bill109

bill109

Active Member
Originally Posted by Stanlalee
you could fill the tank up with perfect parameter water from a 10yr established tank and your new tank will still cycle or need to cycle. perhaps if you transfered enough of one or more of the following:substrate/rocks/decor/filtration media you could sustain a very minimal amount of livestock initially without cycling (because you only have 12gallons worth of these things to tranfer to begin with). From there with time you can establish the bio filtration without cycling. How much of that substrate/rock/media you'll need is anybody's guess and dependent on what you initially plan on putting in there (since you want to avoid a cycle I'm assuming you want to put something in there right away. otherwise there would be no point in avoiding a cycle). You'll also be weakening your 12gallons filtration by doing this. especially on a newly cycled 12 gallon (new AND small). you may cause it to recycle. you'd probably do alot better by taking some sand/rocks from someone with a more established tank and perhaps a few pieces of some locally obtained fully cured livestock.
If you just add established water to a new tank you may not cycle until you add the first fish or livestock. The good part about old water it will contain bacteria that can spread and establish your biological filtration (the bad part is it contains however little or much nitrates, phospates and who knows what other waste and contaminants). However they (bacteria) cant do that (spread) sufficiently without a food source. So you'll still have weak if any bio filtration though no cycle initially. the minute you add fish to that tank a cycle is going to start. If you add one or two hardy damsels/clownfish (to a 30gallon tank) the process will happen gently enough that the fish will survive with ease (I've always cycled my 30 gallon with one or two damsels or false perc clownfish without any issues). If you do much if any more than that you risk the possibility of a dangerous ammonia spike and risk killing those fish.
i can cycle my 30 with a ocelleris clown?
 
stanlalee

stanlalee

Active Member
some people are against cycling tanks with fish. I've used clowns to cycle with no problems. I'm only against cycling with fish if a)you buy em just to cycle and take them back or b) you end up killing them during the process (which should only happen if you add too many or the wrong ones). To me if you dont mind the process of pulling them out the ocean and the many transfers and highly unfavorable conditions they go thru to to get to you then cycling with fish doesn't seem any more cruel. I havent ever even seen the slightest visual/behavioral sign of stress. that said I dont ever plan on doing it anymore but mainly because I never plan on owning damsels or a common clown again.
 
bill109

bill109

Active Member
Originally Posted by Stanlalee
some people are against cycling tanks with fish. I've used clowns to cycle with no problems. I'm only against cycling with fish if a)you buy em just to cycle and take them back or b) you end up killing them during the process (which should only happen if you add too many or the wrong ones). To me if you dont mind the process of pulling them out the ocean and the many transfers and highly unfavorable conditions they go thru to to get to you then cycling with fish doesn't seem any more cruel. I havent ever even seen the slightest visual/behavioral sign of stress. that said I dont ever plan on doing it anymore but mainly because I never plan on owning damsels or a common clown again.
do you think that 2 damsels and a clown will make dangerous conditions as far as ammonia spike killing all my fish in a 30 gallon rock with 15-20 lbs of rock and and 20 lbs of llive sand. they are showing no gigns of stress they are swiming around the tank happily i was hoping to add a clown with the 2 damsels but wanted to know if it is too dangerous. all my lr is cured.
 
stanlalee

stanlalee

Active Member
Originally Posted by bill109
do you think that 2 damsels and a clown will make dangerous conditions as far as ammonia spike killing all my fish in a 30 gallon rock with 15-20 lbs of rock and and 20 lbs of llive sand. they are showing no gigns of stress they are swiming around the tank happily i was hoping to add a clown with the 2 damsels but wanted to know if it is too dangerous. all my lr is cured.
They should be fine (those particular fish would survive even thru a cycle) but its hard to guess how much sand/rock is required to prevent an ammonia spike. With 15lbs of rock and 20lbs of cured live sand it is very unlikely that you will cycle at all. If you do it will be very mild and very quick. If you dont already own the clown I still dont see any need to rush it. I'd wait at least a few weeks. I dont doubt they'll be fine though, I cycled my 30g tank with NO liverock, NO live sand, ALL new water, 1 clown and one damsel so your much better off than that (not an endorsement to do that for the fish police, I didn't know any better at the time. it had always worked for me that way the past 8 yrs prior).
 
bill109

bill109

Active Member
Originally Posted by Stanlalee
They should be fine (those particular fish would survive even thru a cycle) but its hard to guess how much sand/rock is required to prevent an ammonia spike. With 15lbs of rock and 20lbs of cured live sand it is very unlikely that you will cycle at all. If you do it will be very mild and very quick. If you dont already own the clown I still dont see any need to rush it. I'd wait at least a few weeks. I dont doubt they'll be fine though, I cycled my 30g tank with NO liverock, NO live sand, ALL new water, 1 clown and one damsel so your much better off than that (not an endorsement to do that for the fish police, I didn't know any better at the time. it had always worked for me that way the past 8 yrs prior).
huh so they will be fine with a clown and 2 damsels. i am going to buy more live rock today so if i do i will buy the clown at the same time . if they will all be fine the 3 fish. then i would like to purchase him.
it cant be any worse then what its already been through from ocean to box and in the ocean im sure there wasnt anyone to say that he cant go because tht par tof the ocean has a lot of ammonia in it .
 
bill109

bill109

Active Member
Originally Posted by canisee2
tank rasied but wait until your tank has cycled.
yeah i know i should but i need something to start the cycle so for that wich one?
if it dosent go well then i will bring him back or my friend will take him.
 
bill109

bill109

Active Member
Originally Posted by canisee2
do you have live rock?
yes about 15 lbs maybe more. and is aLL cured and 20 lbs or live sand
 
S

saltfreak4

Guest
First, how many days has this 30 been setup? Weren't you just on here thur/fri saying that you just moved this rock into the 30 with a salt chunk problem???? If you moved the NEW 12 to a NEW 30 just 3 days ago, your rock is NOT cured. If you place two damsels and one clown in this tank you will hurt them, if not kill them. This tank if the above is correct has NOT cycled.
 
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