Tank change

Evgarrett · 12/06/2013, 11:38 AM

I currently have a 10 gal nano tank with a clown, purple fire fish, a green bubble tip anemone, peppermint shrimp and some blue leg hermits. I recently got a 33 gal hexagon tank from a friend this is the reason i bought the anemone. I want to set this new tank up in another room and not sure how to go about doing this. I bought new sand for the tank and filter media for the filter I have(which is for a 30 -40 gal tank). Do i need to buy another filter to let the new tank cycle or can i just set it up and switch everything over slowly. I also plan to buy some more live rock to the new tank as well.

klwheat · 12/06/2013, 11:48 AM

Using the rock and filter media you have should be enough to handle the bioload you have if it's already doing so. You should be able to just migrate everything over. Also, if you're added more live rock, that will help as well. Just be sure to keep an eye on the tank, watch parameters, and have spare water in case you need to do a change. Honestly though...if you already have established filtration, you should be just fine.

Evgarrett · 12/06/2013, 12:42 PM

thank you do you think that the fish will be fine to just aclimate for a while, so the filter can run in the new tank a bit.

Cymonous · 12/06/2013, 01:50 PM

If you are setting up a new tank in another room, I would just set it up as a brand new tank. Make new SW, get dry rock and add in your new sand. Toss in a shrimp or add pure ammonia up to 4ppm and let it cycle. You could seed the tank with the filter media. When the cycle is complete, slowly move over your livestock. One fish a week, inverts can probably go in right away, anemone last. Make sure you have good enough lighting and flow for that anemone and any future corals.

Evgarrett · 12/06/2013, 02:00 PM

I can do that i was hoping not to have to buy a new filter but I can. I'm buying rock from my local store along with 30 gal of water from their tanks (they fill 1 gal jugs of pre-made water for 1 gal) and i also bought a new power head to promote flow at the bottom of the new tank. You don't think that with all that, that i can transfer the filter and slowly move the fish over after they acclimate for a while to the new tank. I can leave the existing media in the filters since it is cycled and transfer some water over from the old tank.

nmbeg · 12/06/2013, 03:53 PM

I would think you have two options
1) set up as new tank and allow cycle, then slowly add livestock as suggested in an earlier post.
2) transfer everything in one Big Bang--but you have to be sure that the entire filtration system--including sand/rock/filters--goes too, or else the new tank won't be able to handle the bio load.

klwheat · 12/06/2013, 05:34 PM

Just fill with new water, add your new rock and transfer all of your current system...rock, filtration, etc. just make sure you acclimate the fish properly as if you were just bringing them home. No reason to cycle the new stuff. The whole point of the cycle is to grow bacterial filtration which you already have.

Evgarrett · 12/06/2013, 05:57 PM

Ok thanks for the info Im going to get it set up this weekend and I will let you know how it goes.

12/06/2013, 11:38 AM	#1
Evgarrett Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Gahanna,OH Posts: 35	Tank change I currently have a 10 gal nano tank with a clown, purple fire fish, a green bubble tip anemone, peppermint shrimp and some blue leg hermits. I recently got a 33 gal hexagon tank from a friend this is the reason i bought the anemone. I want to set this new tank up in another room and not sure how to go about doing this. I bought new sand for the tank and filter media for the filter I have(which is for a 30 -40 gal tank). Do i need to buy another filter to let the new tank cycle or can i just set it up and switch everything over slowly. I also plan to buy some more live rock to the new tank as well.

12/06/2013, 11:48 AM	#2
klwheat Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 676	Using the rock and filter media you have should be enough to handle the bioload you have if it's already doing so. You should be able to just migrate everything over. Also, if you're added more live rock, that will help as well. Just be sure to keep an eye on the tank, watch parameters, and have spare water in case you need to do a change. Honestly though...if you already have established filtration, you should be just fine. __________________ 180 Gallon Mixed reef President/Co-founder Running4Trisomy A Butterfly's Touch

12/06/2013, 01:50 PM	#4
Cymonous My Clown Attacks Me Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,105	If you are setting up a new tank in another room, I would just set it up as a brand new tank. Make new SW, get dry rock and add in your new sand. Toss in a shrimp or add pure ammonia up to 4ppm and let it cycle. You could seed the tank with the filter media. When the cycle is complete, slowly move over your livestock. One fish a week, inverts can probably go in right away, anemone last. Make sure you have good enough lighting and flow for that anemone and any future corals. __________________ 100 Gallon Long with 20L sump 10 Gallon Office Tank Current Tank Info: 2 False Percula Clowns, One Spot Foxface, Diamond Watchman Goby, Yellow Tail Damsel, Engineer Goby

12/06/2013, 05:34 PM	#7
klwheat Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 676	Just fill with new water, add your new rock and transfer all of your current system...rock, filtration, etc. just make sure you acclimate the fish properly as if you were just bringing them home. No reason to cycle the new stuff. The whole point of the cycle is to grow bacterial filtration which you already have. __________________ 180 Gallon Mixed reef President/Co-founder Running4Trisomy A Butterfly's Touch

12/06/2013, 05:57 PM	#8
Evgarrett Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Gahanna,OH Posts: 35	Ok thanks for the info Im going to get it set up this weekend and I will let you know how it goes. __________________ Evan Current Tank Info: 33g hex tank with fluval 305 and a 6 line wrasse, coral beauty anglefish, purple firefish, brittle star, peppy shrimp.

12/06/2013, 12:42 PM	#3
Evgarrett Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Gahanna,OH Posts: 35	thank you do you think that the fish will be fine to just aclimate for a while, so the filter can run in the new tank a bit.

12/06/2013, 02:00 PM	#5
Evgarrett Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Gahanna,OH Posts: 35	I can do that i was hoping not to have to buy a new filter but I can. I'm buying rock from my local store along with 30 gal of water from their tanks (they fill 1 gal jugs of pre-made water for 1 gal) and i also bought a new power head to promote flow at the bottom of the new tank. You don't think that with all that, that i can transfer the filter and slowly move the fish over after they acclimate for a while to the new tank. I can leave the existing media in the filters since it is cycled and transfer some water over from the old tank.

12/06/2013, 03:53 PM	#6
nmbeg Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 894	I would think you have two options 1) set up as new tank and allow cycle, then slowly add livestock as suggested in an earlier post. 2) transfer everything in one Big Bang--but you have to be sure that the entire filtration system--including sand/rock/filters--goes too, or else the new tank won't be able to handle the bio load.