Cycle done---now what?
- Thread starter a&a2
- Start date
btldreef
Moderator
Some things are a little different than your tank, but here is what I just did upgrading my 155 to a 180, it's also the same method I used when I upgraded the 50 to the 155:
I put most of my important corals in a QT tank, this time I used my display refugium, but in the past, I've put them in rubbermaid containers with a light, heater and powerhead. I then moved rock into the new tank. I moved half the tank one day, half the tank the next. Each time that I moved rock, I added Prime to keep the stress level down on the fish, and dud a large (30+g) water change after about an hour or so. Added extra carbon to the 155 and tested parameters 3x a day and kept extra water on hand as well as Amquel and Prime. On day 2 of adding rocks to the 180, I added bagged "live" sand. I then took 6-8 cups of live sand from my 155 and seeded the lice sand in the 180. Prime and water changeon 155 because sand kicks up a lot of cr@p. Dat 3: move coral. Day 4: test both tanks, move fish. It took about 8-10 hours to get all fish moved. When stuff really started to get kicked up, I started putting the fish in buckets with airstones and/or powerheads. After all the fish were out, I fished out the rest of the nassarius snails that were hiding in the sand.
Fish and corals have all been in the tank since Wednesday/Thursday of last week. Everything is doing well. We only lost 1 fish, my mystery wrasse, he jumped out. The corals and fish all look great and are enjoying the new tank. We are still keeping extra water on hand and have been running extra carbon in the 180. I think having the refugium definitely helps. Now I just have to wait out the diatom bloom caused by the bagged sand.
For you with the craved coral, I don't recommend seeding. I'd start with all new in the new tank because it traps a lot more than sand does. Just keep lots of extra water on hand, run more carbon than usual, and have Prime/Amquel on hand.
I put most of my important corals in a QT tank, this time I used my display refugium, but in the past, I've put them in rubbermaid containers with a light, heater and powerhead. I then moved rock into the new tank. I moved half the tank one day, half the tank the next. Each time that I moved rock, I added Prime to keep the stress level down on the fish, and dud a large (30+g) water change after about an hour or so. Added extra carbon to the 155 and tested parameters 3x a day and kept extra water on hand as well as Amquel and Prime. On day 2 of adding rocks to the 180, I added bagged "live" sand. I then took 6-8 cups of live sand from my 155 and seeded the lice sand in the 180. Prime and water changeon 155 because sand kicks up a lot of cr@p. Dat 3: move coral. Day 4: test both tanks, move fish. It took about 8-10 hours to get all fish moved. When stuff really started to get kicked up, I started putting the fish in buckets with airstones and/or powerheads. After all the fish were out, I fished out the rest of the nassarius snails that were hiding in the sand.
Fish and corals have all been in the tank since Wednesday/Thursday of last week. Everything is doing well. We only lost 1 fish, my mystery wrasse, he jumped out. The corals and fish all look great and are enjoying the new tank. We are still keeping extra water on hand and have been running extra carbon in the 180. I think having the refugium definitely helps. Now I just have to wait out the diatom bloom caused by the bagged sand.
For you with the craved coral, I don't recommend seeding. I'd start with all new in the new tank because it traps a lot more than sand does. Just keep lots of extra water on hand, run more carbon than usual, and have Prime/Amquel on hand.
btldreef
Moderator
Not really. I didn't really have to, I was using all the sane live rock, plus some macro pieces.
Forgot to add, and it won't let me edit my first post: I had a Fluval FX5 running on my 155 just for media storage and to get some extra flow in the tank. I moved that to the 180 about a week before along with a few rocks to help seed the macro rock. But no, it dud not get the "traditional" cycle. I never do full traditional cycles when I'm upgrading if I'm using the same rock.
Forgot to add, and it won't let me edit my first post: I had a Fluval FX5 running on my 155 just for media storage and to get some extra flow in the tank. I moved that to the 180 about a week before along with a few rocks to help seed the macro rock. But no, it dud not get the "traditional" cycle. I never do full traditional cycles when I'm upgrading if I'm using the same rock.
a&a2
Member
Mine cycled because i needed so much more crushed coral I just bought more and added it first. I should have moved my current live rock over sooner and I don't think I would have had that problem. Thanks for the info!
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/386305/cycle-done-now-what#post_3392341
Not really. I didn't really have to, I was using all the sane live rock, plus some macro pieces.
Forgot to add, and it won't let me edit my first post: I had a Fluval FX5 running on my 155 just for media storage and to get some extra flow in the tank. I moved that to the 180 about a week before along with a few rocks to help seed the macro rock. But no, it dud not get the "traditional" cycle. I never do full traditional cycles when I'm upgrading if I'm using the same rock.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/386305/cycle-done-now-what#post_3392341
Not really. I didn't really have to, I was using all the sane live rock, plus some macro pieces.
Forgot to add, and it won't let me edit my first post: I had a Fluval FX5 running on my 155 just for media storage and to get some extra flow in the tank. I moved that to the 180 about a week before along with a few rocks to help seed the macro rock. But no, it dud not get the "traditional" cycle. I never do full traditional cycles when I'm upgrading if I'm using the same rock.
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by A&A2 http:///forum/thread/386305/cycle-done-now-what#post_3393869
Ok I thought the cycle was over but trates are reading 10 or so for the past 5 days? Am I stuck in the cycle?
LOL...No nitrates are the end of the cycle. Idealy there is enough extra good bacteria in the sand to turn the nitrates into a gas that goes out of the top of your fish tank. This what we call the gas exchange and why we tell folks to make the top boil with surface movement. Not only does it add oxygen to the tank but it removes CO2 and the gas version of nitrates. HOWEVER 99% of folks don't have the perfect balanced system, so we do water changes to remove the nitrates. Hopefully between the gas version of nitrates and the removal through water changes we can keep our fish tanks at optimal levels.
CONGRATULATIONS! You are ready to do a water change. This is not the same as a top off, you have to get the SG of good clean saltwater to match the SG already in your fish tank. once they are equal, the amount of saltwater you remove is the exact amount of new saltwater you add to the tank...so just swap it out.
The old saltwater is great for rinsing off media you want to return to your tank (canister filters) or for rinsing bio balls or washing off a rock. Dispose of the water once you no longer need it.
TIP: I keep my last bucket of removed saltwater until I refill my tank with new, in case I over shoot and removed too much water to match the amount I can change out. Nothing worse than seeing that 1/2 inch off the very top and no saltwater to refill it with. Some folks mark the tank once they know how much to remove and then add back, but certainly for that first time save the last bucket.
Did you set up a quarantine tank? Your main tank and the QT should have cycled together. After your first water change WAIT another week and retest, if numbers are good you can add the first fish. The first fish should be in a QT first to protect the display tank from the nightmares of disease. Because you can'tdose medications in the DT because meds can kill the other tiny critters on the rocks and sand. Once a tank is infected it must remain empty for 8 weeks to be rid of the ICH parasite. So do yourself a favor and use a QT when stocking your display.
Originally Posted by A&A2 http:///forum/thread/386305/cycle-done-now-what#post_3393869
Ok I thought the cycle was over but trates are reading 10 or so for the past 5 days? Am I stuck in the cycle?
LOL...No nitrates are the end of the cycle. Idealy there is enough extra good bacteria in the sand to turn the nitrates into a gas that goes out of the top of your fish tank. This what we call the gas exchange and why we tell folks to make the top boil with surface movement. Not only does it add oxygen to the tank but it removes CO2 and the gas version of nitrates. HOWEVER 99% of folks don't have the perfect balanced system, so we do water changes to remove the nitrates. Hopefully between the gas version of nitrates and the removal through water changes we can keep our fish tanks at optimal levels.
CONGRATULATIONS! You are ready to do a water change. This is not the same as a top off, you have to get the SG of good clean saltwater to match the SG already in your fish tank. once they are equal, the amount of saltwater you remove is the exact amount of new saltwater you add to the tank...so just swap it out.
The old saltwater is great for rinsing off media you want to return to your tank (canister filters) or for rinsing bio balls or washing off a rock. Dispose of the water once you no longer need it.
TIP: I keep my last bucket of removed saltwater until I refill my tank with new, in case I over shoot and removed too much water to match the amount I can change out. Nothing worse than seeing that 1/2 inch off the very top and no saltwater to refill it with. Some folks mark the tank once they know how much to remove and then add back, but certainly for that first time save the last bucket.
Did you set up a quarantine tank? Your main tank and the QT should have cycled together. After your first water change WAIT another week and retest, if numbers are good you can add the first fish. The first fish should be in a QT first to protect the display tank from the nightmares of disease. Because you can'tdose medications in the DT because meds can kill the other tiny critters on the rocks and sand. Once a tank is infected it must remain empty for 8 weeks to be rid of the ICH parasite. So do yourself a favor and use a QT when stocking your display.
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by A&A2 http:///forum/thread/386305/cycle-done-now-what#post_3393904
My qt was established over 5 years ago. I've has a 125 gal for bat 8 years but it has been so long since I had to cycle the tank. Thanks
LOL...So your all set. Sorry, when you asked if the cycle was stuck I assumed you were a total new person at fish tanks. I remember trying to do another tank...I had forgotten about diatoms and all the fun the first year brings.
Originally Posted by A&A2 http:///forum/thread/386305/cycle-done-now-what#post_3393904
My qt was established over 5 years ago. I've has a 125 gal for bat 8 years but it has been so long since I had to cycle the tank. Thanks
LOL...So your all set. Sorry, when you asked if the cycle was stuck I assumed you were a total new person at fish tanks. I remember trying to do another tank...I had forgotten about diatoms and all the fun the first year brings.