I'm currently running an IM 40 AIO Cube, it's a 3-year established tank and super healthy. So healthy, in fact, that my anemone split. And then split again. And then again. And now I have 4 massive, happy anemones and they're taking up a little too much real estate in my mixed reef tank. Clownfish? Oh they're loving it, thriving, living their best life. They went from an apartment to a mansion. But my euphyllia garden? My toadstool? My duncans? Suffering from constant neighbor harassment.
So I figured it's about time to do something about it. I've considered my options. I live next to two well known LFS so I thought about rehoming some of them BUT because of how my rocks are set up, it's gonna be difficult to do the ice cube or hang-over-a-bucket-and-let-gravity-do-its-thing methods. Plus, I do love the look of them. I just also love having, you know, corals in my mixed reef tank.
A relevant side note: my current rockscape setup is giving Baby's First Saltwater Tank. Very one-level. If it won't screw with the chemistry in my established tank too much, I'd LIKE to change it out (gradually if necessary)
The solution: I caved and got the nems their own tank. Nothing crazy, grabbed the Hello Reef 15g Cube. Figured that's perfect for two happily married clowns and their anemone mansion. But here comes my dilemma.
What's the best way to move them over? The nems are basically split 2/2 on two different pieces of rock. Can I throw in water and some filter media from my established 40g and immediately move 2 over on one of the rocks? Give it a week or so, make sure everything stays good, and move the other two over? Will that bring over enough of the established tank to avoid a cycle?
OR should I cycle the new tank like normal with all new rock, and once its cycled swap the new rocks out the nem rocks and call it a day?
(basically, tl;dr, can I avoid a cycle in a new (smaller) tank if I cannibalize my established tank and move over rock, water, and filter media?)
So I figured it's about time to do something about it. I've considered my options. I live next to two well known LFS so I thought about rehoming some of them BUT because of how my rocks are set up, it's gonna be difficult to do the ice cube or hang-over-a-bucket-and-let-gravity-do-its-thing methods. Plus, I do love the look of them. I just also love having, you know, corals in my mixed reef tank.
A relevant side note: my current rockscape setup is giving Baby's First Saltwater Tank. Very one-level. If it won't screw with the chemistry in my established tank too much, I'd LIKE to change it out (gradually if necessary)
The solution: I caved and got the nems their own tank. Nothing crazy, grabbed the Hello Reef 15g Cube. Figured that's perfect for two happily married clowns and their anemone mansion. But here comes my dilemma.
What's the best way to move them over? The nems are basically split 2/2 on two different pieces of rock. Can I throw in water and some filter media from my established 40g and immediately move 2 over on one of the rocks? Give it a week or so, make sure everything stays good, and move the other two over? Will that bring over enough of the established tank to avoid a cycle?
OR should I cycle the new tank like normal with all new rock, and once its cycled swap the new rocks out the nem rocks and call it a day?
(basically, tl;dr, can I avoid a cycle in a new (smaller) tank if I cannibalize my established tank and move over rock, water, and filter media?)
