move to larger tank; want to add rock

busymom

busymom

Member
Hi,
I will be switching from my 29 gal to a 55 gal at some point over the next week. I have been searching/reading lots of the posts about tank swapping etc and I think I understand the basics of it.
My question is as follows: I would like to add more rock to the new tank when I set it up, but know that it could cause another mini cycle. I buy cured rock from the tanks at my LFS. If I bought the rocks (maybe about 10 lbs?) now and put them in a bucket of heated already mixed water with a pump to keep everything moving. Will that let me add the rock directly to the tank when I do the switch? Should I test the rock bucket water for amm/trites/trates while they are in there? Does it need to have a light on it? Thanks!
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Originally Posted by busymom
1. Will that let me add the rock directly to the tank when I do the switch?
2. Should I test the rock bucket water for amm/trites/trates while they are in there?
3. Does it need to have a light on it? Thanks!
1. Yes, once it finishes curing (if it needs to cure at all)
2. YES, that's how you know when it is safe.
3. no
 
busymom

busymom

Member
hey wax, since I have your ear and you have been very helpful to me in the past, can I ask another (maybe silly) question. When I have been reading about swapping tanks none of them mention drip acclimating the old fish with the new tank water that obviously has some new water and some of the cleaner old water. In my case it will be about 50/50 old/new water in the new 55 gal tank. I know that I will try to make the new water as close as I can to the old tank water but it still won't be the same??
BTW you were right about my yellow watchman, we got the mean chromis out of there and the watchman is doing really well, although still a little shy.
Oh and one more, Emrald crabs do molt dont they? I never read any reference to it, but I either had that happen or I had a very large dead hitchhiker...
 
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