Cycling a new tank quickly with established live rock..idea, but will it work?

lemadl · 11/28/2006, 08:34 AM

I have a 95 wave tank that is well established. The tank only has LPS, SPS and soft corals, no fish. On Wednesday I am taking receipt of a 280 gallon tank. My question is do you think it would be ok if I were to put the entire contents of my 95 gallon tank in the new tank in one go? This would include the rocks, sand, as well as the aged water. The 95 is heavily stocked, so I am hoping the quantity of bacteria will be sufficient to stablise the volume of water in the new tank.

My goal is to cycle the new tank with the live rock and sand, but the ideal would be to move my corals in as well, once I get the temperature, PH etc the same. My strategy is to slowly add the new osmosis water, into the new tank while running my tunze pumps for closed loop circulation, until the water level is high enough for the sump pumps to kick in.

Any advise, suggestiions, or experience with others doing this with success would be appreciated.

Thank you

Shooter7 · 11/28/2006, 08:50 AM

I moved a couple of smaller tanks and some live rock purchased from someone local into my 120 kind of like this. I did not concern myself with moving the water or sand over though. I set up a little assembly line kind of thing for the rocks where I had a few buckets full of SW, I took each rock and in the first bucket I shook them pretty hard and blasted them with a turkey baster, took it from that to another bucket of SW and gave it another good shaking, then another bucket of SW for a final rinse before going into the new tank. Obviously, this was for the purpose of getting rid of as much rock detritus as possible. If any snails or other good guys came out of the rock in the process, they were saved and moved as well. I moved all the rock, corals, and fish into the new big tank with all new water and sand. I did not cycle at all, in the usual sense of an ammonia spike and such, I had no ammo show ever this way. I did, however, still go through some new tank syndrome stuff of some algae and cyano though.

reefbuzz · 11/28/2006, 08:51 AM

From what I've read, your live sand would be the limiting factor. You will kill the anaerobic bacteria during the move and thus decrease your tank's denitrification capacity. However, since you have no fish, maybe you could move the corals into QT with some of your live rock and a couple powerheads for a few days or weeks, until your new tank tests OK for nitrates, etc. The extra tank gives you a backup plan if the water's not right.

yeldarbj · 11/28/2006, 09:09 AM

I would guess you would be okay although I have no experience to back it up. I started my tank with good cured live rock and "dead" sand and had no ammonia or nitrite spikes. I had a very slight ammonia reading for a day or two, but never a concerning level.

TheMcs · 11/28/2006, 09:14 AM

Every time I've transferred a DSB it caused a huge hair algea bloom in the new tank. Recently I've been rinsing the sand thoroughly in FW if it has to be transferred. Effectively kills the LS aspect, but there are no blooms to deal with.

In addition to using your current sand, LR, & water, I'd do a few water changes and save the removed water for addition into the new tank. Make sure any LR additions are fully cured (onsite or at an LFS, there's no such thing as shipped, cured LR) so you don't start another cycle.

While everything should go fine, I'd keep a very close eye on the parameters, testing at least daily for a couple weeks. Good luck!

kevin gu3 · 11/28/2006, 03:29 PM

I too would dump the sand and just use the rock for reasons listed above.

Just swishing each rock around in the old tank before removing it should dislodge most of the gunk.

Match the new tank's water temp and salinity to the old, then transfer the rock like a newly bought fish; go thru the usual introduction ritual (add more and more tank water to the bag/bucket o rocks slowly) to avoid shocking it. I would dump all the old water except what you need to perform the ritual.

Sk8r · 11/28/2006, 03:38 PM

I got somebody else's live rock---transferred in 3" of water in January ice storm in the back of a pickup truck.
I used raw aragonite sand, and raw very cold [January] saltwater---well under 50 degrees. Rocks went in first, then the sand, unwashed---don't ask: I had help for this, since the equipment was all new to me, and I'd expected different choices, shall we say?

At this point, being given the equipment, and figuring a little warmth wouldn't hurt, I fired up the lights, the skimmer, everything, and ran it all.

I cycled within a week and a half and have a laundry list of worms, snails, algaes, corals [including a bubble frag], and the like that made it through the process.

These critters are amazingly resilient. I'm now 11 months on and very stable, with a broad invert and bacteria base that doesn't take offense easily.

11/28/2006, 08:34 AM	#1
lemadl Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Costa Rica Posts: 39	Cycling a new tank quickly with established live rock..idea, but will it work? I have a 95 wave tank that is well established. The tank only has LPS, SPS and soft corals, no fish. On Wednesday I am taking receipt of a 280 gallon tank. My question is do you think it would be ok if I were to put the entire contents of my 95 gallon tank in the new tank in one go? This would include the rocks, sand, as well as the aged water. The 95 is heavily stocked, so I am hoping the quantity of bacteria will be sufficient to stablise the volume of water in the new tank. My goal is to cycle the new tank with the live rock and sand, but the ideal would be to move my corals in as well, once I get the temperature, PH etc the same. My strategy is to slowly add the new osmosis water, into the new tank while running my tunze pumps for closed loop circulation, until the water level is high enough for the sump pumps to kick in. Any advise, suggestiions, or experience with others doing this with success would be appreciated. Thank you __________________ surfer dave Current Tank Info: 280 gallon reef. 95 gallon Wave Tank, Fish, live rock.

11/28/2006, 08:50 AM	#2
Shooter7 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tolono, IL Posts: 6,754	I moved a couple of smaller tanks and some live rock purchased from someone local into my 120 kind of like this. I did not concern myself with moving the water or sand over though. I set up a little assembly line kind of thing for the rocks where I had a few buckets full of SW, I took each rock and in the first bucket I shook them pretty hard and blasted them with a turkey baster, took it from that to another bucket of SW and gave it another good shaking, then another bucket of SW for a final rinse before going into the new tank. Obviously, this was for the purpose of getting rid of as much rock detritus as possible. If any snails or other good guys came out of the rock in the process, they were saved and moved as well. I moved all the rock, corals, and fish into the new big tank with all new water and sand. I did not cycle at all, in the usual sense of an ammonia spike and such, I had no ammo show ever this way. I did, however, still go through some new tank syndrome stuff of some algae and cyano though. __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 10 years salty - standard 29g reef - moved from 120 gal reef, 2x250w Reeflux 10k's on ARO electronics and VHO super actinics on Icecap ballast, 2xTunze 6060, MSX 200 skimmer, GEO 612 Ca reactor, mag 12 return

11/28/2006, 08:51 AM	#3
reefbuzz Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: West Seneca, NY Posts: 219	From what I've read, your live sand would be the limiting factor. You will kill the anaerobic bacteria during the move and thus decrease your tank's denitrification capacity. However, since you have no fish, maybe you could move the corals into QT with some of your live rock and a couple powerheads for a few days or weeks, until your new tank tests OK for nitrates, etc. The extra tank gives you a backup plan if the water's not right. __________________ ><((((º> Current Tank Info: Elos System 80 & 300g in wall

11/28/2006, 09:14 AM	#5
TheMcs Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Posts: 2,272	Every time I've transferred a DSB it caused a huge hair algea bloom in the new tank. Recently I've been rinsing the sand thoroughly in FW if it has to be transferred. Effectively kills the LS aspect, but there are no blooms to deal with. In addition to using your current sand, LR, & water, I'd do a few water changes and save the removed water for addition into the new tank. Make sure any LR additions are fully cured (onsite or at an LFS, there's no such thing as shipped, cured LR) so you don't start another cycle. While everything should go fine, I'd keep a very close eye on the parameters, testing at least daily for a couple weeks. Good luck! __________________ Evaporation and top off don't count as water changes... Current Tank Info: 185g Deep Sea display, 2x 40g frag tanks, 90g fuge, 60g sump (400+ gal system)

11/28/2006, 03:29 PM	#6
kevin gu3 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Whitmore Lk, MI Posts: 732	I too would dump the sand and just use the rock for reasons listed above. Just swishing each rock around in the old tank before removing it should dislodge most of the gunk. Match the new tank's water temp and salinity to the old, then transfer the rock like a newly bought fish; go thru the usual introduction ritual (add more and more tank water to the bag/bucket o rocks slowly) to avoid shocking it. I would dump all the old water except what you need to perform the ritual. __________________ Divert all money to life support. Your wallet will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. Current Tank Info: 90g reef, 29g anemone exile tank

11/28/2006, 09:09 AM	#4
yeldarbj Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 1,295	I would guess you would be okay although I have no experience to back it up. I started my tank with good cured live rock and "dead" sand and had no ammonia or nitrite spikes. I had a very slight ammonia reading for a day or two, but never a concerning level.

11/28/2006, 03:38 PM	#7
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I got somebody else's live rock---transferred in 3" of water in January ice storm in the back of a pickup truck. I used raw aragonite sand, and raw very cold [January] saltwater---well under 50 degrees. Rocks went in first, then the sand, unwashed---don't ask: I had help for this, since the equipment was all new to me, and I'd expected different choices, shall we say? At this point, being given the equipment, and figuring a little warmth wouldn't hurt, I fired up the lights, the skimmer, everything, and ran it all. I cycled within a week and a half and have a laundry list of worms, snails, algaes, corals [including a bubble frag], and the like that made it through the process. These critters are amazingly resilient. I'm now 11 months on and very stable, with a broad invert and bacteria base that doesn't take offense easily. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.