upgrading tanks will i have a cycle?

adambirk · 09/07/2009, 06:07 PM

hello well the time has finally come i am planning on upgrading in the next two weeks from a 90 to a 150. i plan on using the live rock and sand out of my 90 and putting it in the 150 along with a little more sand. (less than 1 inch on bottom just for the look)

And was wondering if you think i will have a cycle in my new tank? i also plan to put about half of the water out of my 90 in the new tank as well. so how much time do you think that it will take till i can safely put my livestock in the tank?

i have a mixed reef now and my new tank will only be sps and a few zoos and lps. all my softies/ leathers, and shrooms will be going back to lfs. so i am worried about stressing out the sps that i already have. also i have quite a few fish and was wondering if it is ok to add these right away of if i need to wait a bit.

i would think that using the live rock and sand that i have now that has been in my tank for over 2 years plus the water i should not experiance a cycle, but i am looking for anyone that has done this and what there experiance was?

also i have about 150 pounds of live rock so i have enough for the display. i want a more open display than what i have now anyway so i do not plan on adding anymore rock to the display.

any help would be greatly appriciated. thank you

-adam

adambirk · 09/07/2009, 06:22 PM

nobody? any advice would be greatly appriciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mfinn · 09/07/2009, 06:26 PM

As long as you don't leave the rock laying around without water for very long you shouldn't have much, if any cycle.
When I did my upgrade I did the same with the rock being out of the water for about a 1/2 hour tops and I didn't have any cycle.
I'd get all new sand. The old stuff will be pretty dirty and it's really tough to get it clean.

sedor · 09/07/2009, 06:36 PM

What mfinn said. Do everything real quick, fill the new tank with 60G of water and get it to matching parameters and then add your new sand (or cleaned old sand) and move the rock, livestock, everything over all at once. Since your not using any more LR, you won't have a cycle.

Congrats on the new tank!

adambirk · 09/07/2009, 06:44 PM

thanks!!!!!!!!!!! i am so pumped about the new tank. yeah i wont let the rock dry out at all i have plenty of containers to keep the rock in water while i am trying to figure out the new aquascape. i just wanted some first hand experiances with this.

also the sand in my current tank is not very deep maybe an inch and my diamond goby really keeps it srirred up so i think that a good rinse and i will reuse it but will have to add a new bag or two to get enough to cover the bottom.

09/07/2009, 06:07 PM	#1
adambirk Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: michigan Posts: 358	upgrading tanks will i have a cycle? hello well the time has finally come i am planning on upgrading in the next two weeks from a 90 to a 150. i plan on using the live rock and sand out of my 90 and putting it in the 150 along with a little more sand. (less than 1 inch on bottom just for the look) And was wondering if you think i will have a cycle in my new tank? i also plan to put about half of the water out of my 90 in the new tank as well. so how much time do you think that it will take till i can safely put my livestock in the tank? i have a mixed reef now and my new tank will only be sps and a few zoos and lps. all my softies/ leathers, and shrooms will be going back to lfs. so i am worried about stressing out the sps that i already have. also i have quite a few fish and was wondering if it is ok to add these right away of if i need to wait a bit. i would think that using the live rock and sand that i have now that has been in my tank for over 2 years plus the water i should not experiance a cycle, but i am looking for anyone that has done this and what there experiance was? also i have about 150 pounds of live rock so i have enough for the display. i want a more open display than what i have now anyway so i do not plan on adding anymore rock to the display. any help would be greatly appriciated. thank you -adam

09/07/2009, 06:26 PM	#3
mfinn Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Olympia. WA. Posts: 8,648	As long as you don't leave the rock laying around without water for very long you shouldn't have much, if any cycle. When I did my upgrade I did the same with the rock being out of the water for about a 1/2 hour tops and I didn't have any cycle. I'd get all new sand. The old stuff will be pretty dirty and it's really tough to get it clean. __________________ 240 gallon soft coral tank 50 gallon lps tank

09/07/2009, 06:36 PM	#4
sedor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 4,689	What mfinn said. Do everything real quick, fill the new tank with 60G of water and get it to matching parameters and then add your new sand (or cleaned old sand) and move the rock, livestock, everything over all at once. Since your not using any more LR, you won't have a cycle. Congrats on the new tank! __________________ Ryan

09/07/2009, 06:22 PM	#2
adambirk Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: michigan Posts: 358	nobody? any advice would be greatly appriciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!

09/07/2009, 06:44 PM	#5
adambirk Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: michigan Posts: 358	thanks!!!!!!!!!!! i am so pumped about the new tank. yeah i wont let the rock dry out at all i have plenty of containers to keep the rock in water while i am trying to figure out the new aquascape. i just wanted some first hand experiances with this. also the sand in my current tank is not very deep maybe an inch and my diamond goby really keeps it srirred up so i think that a good rinse and i will reuse it but will have to add a new bag or two to get enough to cover the bottom.