My Tanks

[sandy]

Here is the deal ya'll (and I'm so very open to suggestions, comments, even criticism if need be... Please, please stay patient with me and the long post (as many of you already have). Thanks.
My 20gal tank is WAY overloaded (as most of you know, but some may not). It was doing great until I had the lousy idea of adding a small Tang in hopes of getting a bigger tank. (Fish store said oh that will be fine... ya, right).
(FYI: 20gal, 20lbs LR, apx. 2lb of LR with carpet algae, 1 small purple tang, 2 small percula clowns, 1 royal gramma, 2 small yellow-tailed damsels, 3 snails, 5 hermits. (I KNOW, I KNOW). Skilter, Whisper, 2 small powerheads, CC and 3lbs live sand. My levels are not bad. (Ammonia goes between 0 and .25 often and I do 10% change most days. BUT my Royal Grammas tailfin has very recently looked ratty, like someone is nipping it.
I bought a 50 gal tank, but need to use the equip. from the 20 gal, which makes it all just a mess. So I WANTED to do this the right way. Wait the 10 days for my Nature's Ocean to arrive.. Add some LR.. the shrimp... wait... et. al. BUT I really need to get that 20gal away from trouble.
Herz what I want to do. (This is where you come in I've been cycling some SW in the tank with a decent powerhead that has an oxygen tube. There is a heater and the temp is good. Lighting okay for fish only. Salinity is good and levels are (of course) zero. Today I added 20lbs of sand (well, actually cc but grainy like sand). A whisper with carbon is running. I want to let this stuff settle, add another whisper with some established bacteria on the other end of the tank, a small powerhead for counter-current, an air tube for more oxygen circulation.
I want to move the two yellow-tailed damsels into this tank with some non-living "furniture" and plants to live in. Now I have a little less bioload in the 20gal and more crevices for the gramma to get away from whomever is nipping her.
I'll wait for the NO Sand (about a week). Gently and slowly introduce it to the 50gal. Maybe some LR and let this thing sit and cycle with reg. testing and H20 changes. Sooo..... Waiting expectantly and patiently for many replies.

 

[mr . salty]

Your plan sounds like a good one,but I do have a couple of Q's.First off,you say you have been cycling some SW in the 50...Is there anything live in there at all??? If not,it's no wonder that the readings are all ZERO,It has NOT cycled at all yet.And probably will as soon as you add those poor fish.Your best bet will be to put some of the live rock,and substrate out of the other tank into this one when you add the fish.The rock,substrate,and filter from the old setup will contain the needed bacteria to sustain the bio load of the two fish,and the tank will probably NOT cycle at all...If you don't want the substrate to mix,you can put the CC out of the other/old tank into some pantyhose feet.Then just place them in the tank.Then after a few weeks pour it back into the old tank.

 

[sandy]

Thanks Mr. Salty!

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

Sandy,
I would never disagree with MR. SALTY. he is right - you have 50 gallons of salty water - not a salt water tank. However, you shouldn't do away with your existing 20 gal setup at all.
Just purchase a cheap powerhead (180GPH) and a slightly more expensive one (350GPH), drop a piece of your LR in the tank and stick one of your yellow tail pals in after a week.
BTW - it may be possible that you have a fluctuating ammonia level in your other tank because of too much feeding, and not enough critters to help eat the waste/excess food - I have a large number of snails and hermits to keep algae and excess food problems from happening.