Long Question?

[broncofish]

I have a 90 gallon tank, with an overflow, and a dsb. Currently I am running a 29 gallon tank with 70lbs of live rock, and 30lbs of live sand. If I add 60 gallons of RO/DI saltwater, 29 from my current plus the live rock to the ninety gallon tank, will my clown fish(2 true percs) survive that. Or will there be another cycling process. I want to use the 29g as a refugium...but can't set that up until it's empty

 

[snakes'n'fish]

Your 90 is still going to cycle regardless. It is hard to say if the clowns will survive it. I would hope so , but it is hard to say. If you had not added all the wter from the 29 , i would have left them in there till the other tank finished cycling. That is the worst part about upgrading a tank, is what can you do with your fish and such till the new one is ready. Sorry i couldn't be more help.

 

[broncofish]

Well I have not added the water rock and fish yet. I was just hoping I could so I could get my refugium built this weekend

 

[majakarot]

i did a similar thing when i switched from my 29 to my 75 and my tank only mini-cycled, it didn't even noticeably stress my fish, however i did not add any new lr at that time

 

[snakes'n'fish]

oops missed the IF .
I would leave the 29 up till the other tank is finished cycling. but you need the 29 for the refugium. Hmm you got a 10 gal around ? set it up with some LS , LR and fill it from the 29. there shouldn't be much of cycle that way. use the exsisting filter from the 29 on the ten till you get the new tank up and running.That way you could add the rest of the water LS and LR to the 90 to get it cycling. This is only thing i can really think of that can asure the clowns surviving. If your cramped for space it could be a problem. And the ten would have to have regular maintence due to the size of the tank.
But that is my idea .. don't know how good of one , but it is a thought

 

[broncofish]

That's what I was hoping to hear...but I'm waiting til I hear a few more success stories, and of course am open to horror stories to, that way I can make an edumacated decision

 

[broncofish]

I am a little cramped for space, getting down to one tank would really please the wife.

 

[iechy]

That's what I was thinking too Mac. That's alot of rock
For what it's worth clowns are a very hardy fish and may survive a cycle anyway although I don't recommend subjecting them to one if you don't need to. The LR should help the cycle but since it is only 70 lbs of rock going into a 90 gallon tank I don't know that there will be enough bacteria present to handle the load for a 90 gallon tank BUT since it is the same bioload that it was supporting in the other tank I think it should work out OK. I would wait a while before adding anything else and do test every few days and small water changes if needed to make sure the clowns make it through any small cycle if there is one.