upgrading tank question about cycling

dbestnindy

Member
I have a question about cycling. I am moving a 46g to a 120g I have set up. I put some live sand (60 lbs.) and rock from my existing tank and some new live sand I purchased. I was wondering if it would be safe if I moved my canister filter with everything else. It has only been 7 days but ammonia is reading 0, no spike. I thought maybe because I used stuff from my existing tank (also put some bio-spira in it) that I could move the fish. Please let me have some opinions.
 

zoie2

Active Member
hmmm... not sure if it's the same, but I just started a 6 gal. tank and i asked pretty much the same question. I have a 12gal. tank been set up for 3 years so I thought if I did a 50% water change in old tank and used that 6 gal of water and moved LR from my 12 gal and bought LS if maybe I would avoid a cycle, but most people thought it would still cycle.
Not sure kif that helps.
 

canareef

Member
If your not in a hurry I would wait 5 more days. Keep testing the water and if you see no changes and all your readings (salinity,ph,temp) are the same as your 46 I would move your fish over slowly over a week or two and just keep an eye on them for wierd behavior and keep testing the water. Sounds teadious but better safe than sorry.
 

dbestnindy

Member
I am sure I can hold off 5 more days. It sure is tough seeing a 120g sitting here just longing for some fish. I have 5 green chromis, I thought I would start the move with a few of them. I think a week with them and if the water is still good then I will move more over to their new home. Thanks for the input.
 

canareef

Member
Are you going to add more live rock or did you ?? If so I would keep your 46 going use it to cycle the new rock so you won't have any problems in the future with another cycle. What kind of tank is this going to be FOWLR or a Reef? Make sure you add some pictures of it when you get everything moved over. Good luck and hope the best for your new adventure.
 

culp

Active Member
i am going to be upgrading to a 125 from a 55 and when i do i will move all the rock and sand from my 55 to the 125 and move the wet/dry to the 125. i have been told that if i move every thing from one tank to another that it won't cycle again as long as i do not add any new fish to the bioload.
 

snowrider84

Member
i upgraded from a 46 to a 120 i moved every thing from the 46 into the 120 i didnt have a cycle in the 120 i think that since i moved all lr and ls and water it was just like as if i did a big water change
 

dbestnindy

Member
I have about 65 more pounds of live rock in the 46 still and some sand. This is going to be a reef tank. So, it seems that if I move it all to the new tank then it should be okay. I will post a before and after pic when I get the nerve to move it all.
 

canareef

Member
I think it will cycle maybe a small one DBESTNINDY added some new sand and stirred up all the old substrate and moving around the rock will stir up detrius and may cause a spike though it might not be big it's better to wait a little bit longer and make sure you are in the clear. Just my 0.02
 
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