Advise on tank swap

dnnor

dnnor

New Member
so here's the deal, i've currently got a 150 FOWLR tank set up and doing well. I just got a 220 that i want to put in place of the 150. I do plan to keep the 150 and at some point down the road i'll make it reef/fish tank.
i've got 9 fish of different sizes in the tank....
from smallest to largest:
yellow tang
foxface rabbit
tomini tang
clown trigger
black dogface puffer
stars and stripes puffer
volitan lionfish
wolf eel
moray eel
my question to my friends here at -- is, whats the best plan for this swap?
some info that might help:
i'm going to be mixing my own water for the tank (thanks to "nano-angel" for loaning me his RO/DI system)
i'm also planing to use half of the water from the 150 and most if not all of the LR, i'm also using new half & half live and dead sand
(i'm hoping this will limit if not eliminate the need for the 220 to have to cycle)
the substrate in the 150 is crushed coral and it will remain in that tank
any and all advise is welcome........thanks
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

Live sand mixed with dead sand does not have to cycle. The only thing in live sand is bacteria and it is kept wet. Swapping the LR right from one tank to the other will also not create a cycle. By keeping the old water and just adding more new mixed saltwater will not cause a cycle, it just equals a big water change.
Keep the filtration media and don’t swap it out so you keep all your good bacteria. Very little bacteria are in the water, most of it is on the rocks and filter media. Once you have the new tank all set move your critters.
If however you add new rocks, change the filtration so you no longer have a good colony of bacteria or have your rocks out of the tank for any amount of time a cycle could result. Also keeping the old substrate and stirring it up in a move can also result in a cycle. You said new sand so that should not be an issue.
If you plan to have the new tank where the old is sitting, you have to put your critters into tubs until the new tank is set up.
Well that is my .02 Hope it helps
 
mkroher

mkroher

Member
I wouldn't worry transferring any water. Just make sure the new tank is the same temperature and exact salinity.
I've done a few tank swaps myself. What I usually do, is order some marcorocks, and set that as the base in the substrate. That way when you move your live rock to the new tank, it gets placed on top of the marcorocks, and won't disturb the substrate and cause a sand storm.
 
jaxfishgirl

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
I just moved into a new apartment and upgraded during this time. The way I did it was, I kept as much of the old water that I could and just mixed in new water to fill my tank. I am currently bare bottom, so I dont have any advice on the sand issue. I transferred my LR in water in buckets. Coral in a separate bucket from my fish.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by mkroher
http:///forum/post/3298628
I wouldn't worry transferring any water. Just make sure the new tank is the same temperature and exact salinity.
I've done a few tank swaps myself. What I usually do, is order some marcorocks, and set that as the base in the substrate. That way when you move your live rock to the new tank, it gets placed on top of the marcorocks, and won't disturb the substrate and cause a sand storm.

What is a microrock?
I was told to always have the rock on the very bottom of the tank and sand around it, because some critters dig and could topple the whole thing creating a rock slide that can break the tank or kill a critter. So how can you place rock on substrate with this microrock?
Please explain because I have never heard this before.
 
mkroher

mkroher

Member
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3298661

What is a microrock?
I was told to always have the rock on the very bottom of the tank and sand around it, because some critters dig and could topple the whole thing creating a rock slide that can break the tank or kill a critter. So how can you place rock on substrate with this microrock?
Please explain because I have never heard this before.

marco rocks, not micro rocks
And I didn't mean to place the rock on top of the substrate. You totally misunderstood what I said.
 
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