Switching Tanks

wild-tiger · 01/05/2007, 02:17 PM

I currently have a regular 29 gallon tank, with live rock, live sand and a clean up crew along with a full grown engineer goby. Only 1 thing growing on a rock which I have no idea what it is. I would like to switch out tanks to about the same gallonage but it's longer and not as deep (flat back hex w/ mirrored back).

Will this throw my tank into a cycle if I do this? and also what is the best way to go about doing this.

And last but not least I know I have asked about this light before, but lighting has me so confused that I wanted to ask about the light with this particular tank.

it's a 24" odyssea 65w 50/50 power compact, the tank has a mirrored back and is only 16" deep, will this light in this tank give me a better chance at raising some of the easier corals such as zoas and ricordias?

swjim · 01/05/2007, 02:54 PM

You shouldn't have much, if any, of a cycle. You didn't mention how deep your sand bed is or how long it's been in place. If it's more than a couple of inches deep and well established be careful when trying to move the sand. If you reach the anaerobic areas you could release hydrogen sulphide into the tank.

I used to keep zoos and mushrooms under similar lighting when I was first starting out. I also had a leather coral that did alright under them. If you're willing to spot feed, sun polyps might be something to try too.

Best of luck!

wild-tiger · 01/05/2007, 04:02 PM

In the current tank it's a pretty deep sand bed, however with the engineer goby it's never in the same place for long, he's quite the digger and is constantly rearranging the tank for me.

The tank has been set up as a 29 gallon for several months and before that was a 55 gallon that I was given and I moved it 2 hrs north but the tank was in such bad shape that I really had no choice but to move the inhabitants (rock, sand, goby) to a smaller tank and the 29 was all that I have available at that time. Unfortunately when I was given the tank, he didn't give me anything with it except for a couple of power heads that have since bit the dust.

You mentioned sun polyps, would moon polyps be ok?

rooroo · 01/05/2007, 04:06 PM

I just did something similar with my tank and have not yet seen a cycle. I don't have a deep sand bed though, only about 2". Most people recommend replacing all sand if you are going to distrupt the sand bed. If you do that you may get a small cycle but no cycle will be as bad as the first cycle.

My one recommendation, have lots of extra ro/di water made up, and get a bunch of harry homeowner buckets from home depot (the orange ones). You can put everything in the buckets with some water and keep in a warm room or drop a heather in there. Or you can get a large rubbermaid container and put everything in one container with a heater and a powerhead.

01/05/2007, 02:17 PM	#1
wild-tiger Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Carlsbad, NM Posts: 78	Switching Tanks I currently have a regular 29 gallon tank, with live rock, live sand and a clean up crew along with a full grown engineer goby. Only 1 thing growing on a rock which I have no idea what it is. I would like to switch out tanks to about the same gallonage but it's longer and not as deep (flat back hex w/ mirrored back). Will this throw my tank into a cycle if I do this? and also what is the best way to go about doing this. And last but not least I know I have asked about this light before, but lighting has me so confused that I wanted to ask about the light with this particular tank. it's a 24" odyssea 65w 50/50 power compact, the tank has a mirrored back and is only 16" deep, will this light in this tank give me a better chance at raising some of the easier corals such as zoas and ricordias?

01/05/2007, 02:54 PM	#2
swjim Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Boerne, TX Posts: 884	You shouldn't have much, if any, of a cycle. You didn't mention how deep your sand bed is or how long it's been in place. If it's more than a couple of inches deep and well established be careful when trying to move the sand. If you reach the anaerobic areas you could release hydrogen sulphide into the tank. I used to keep zoos and mushrooms under similar lighting when I was first starting out. I also had a leather coral that did alright under them. If you're willing to spot feed, sun polyps might be something to try too. Best of luck!

01/05/2007, 04:02 PM	#3
wild-tiger Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Carlsbad, NM Posts: 78	In the current tank it's a pretty deep sand bed, however with the engineer goby it's never in the same place for long, he's quite the digger and is constantly rearranging the tank for me. The tank has been set up as a 29 gallon for several months and before that was a 55 gallon that I was given and I moved it 2 hrs north but the tank was in such bad shape that I really had no choice but to move the inhabitants (rock, sand, goby) to a smaller tank and the 29 was all that I have available at that time. Unfortunately when I was given the tank, he didn't give me anything with it except for a couple of power heads that have since bit the dust. You mentioned sun polyps, would moon polyps be ok?

01/05/2007, 04:06 PM	#4
rooroo Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: New Market, MD Posts: 406	I just did something similar with my tank and have not yet seen a cycle. I don't have a deep sand bed though, only about 2". Most people recommend replacing all sand if you are going to distrupt the sand bed. If you do that you may get a small cycle but no cycle will be as bad as the first cycle. My one recommendation, have lots of extra ro/di water made up, and get a bunch of harry homeowner buckets from home depot (the orange ones). You can put everything in the buckets with some water and keep in a warm room or drop a heather in there. Or you can get a large rubbermaid container and put everything in one container with a heater and a powerhead.