Combining two tanks

[Kooma]

I have a dilemma.

I have a 32 gallon biocube with rock I’ve been running for the last 14 years. It was live ocean rock and has plenty of life. The problem is that this tank is OVERRUN with bubble algae, bristle worms, and thin glass worms. I’ve seen some flatworms but they have gone away recently, and it’s LOADED with pods. They are almost like a carpet on the sand.

The 225 is spotless. Zero algae, I’ve seen one or two bristle worms, and only a couple pods. I have asterina stars in it and dealing with some cyano.

What would you do?

I have a few corals encrusted to some of the rock I’d like to keep, and the cube has been fallow for 80 days now.

Looking to shut down the biocube.

 

[JTP424]

If you move over the rock etc you're going to transplant more bristleworms etc. They like to burrow into the rock as well.
It's "Easy" to clean off the bubble algae.
Sand wouldn't be worth transferring etc. (unless you want to add a tiny bit of depth)

I'd maybe get a third smaller tank, transfer a rock to that at a time and starve out the bristles? Although if you've seen them in the 225, there's more....

 

[Davileet]

I would cut the desired coral off the rock, dip, and transplant into the 225. I wouldn't bring anything else over.

 

[Kooma]

I ended up cutting off the stuff I wanted and moving it to a holding tank with old tank water, the sand and rock I removed. Rock is outside, and as stinking up the garage. Sand I’ll probably just toss.

I found the biocube to 225 were at a fairly different alk and largely different nitrate so I’m acclimating them in the holding tank slowly over a few days.

Thanks for the tip, I’m glad I didn’t move over any rock.