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EDIT:
In conclusion, if using the method I did - connecting an established reef to a new system with dry rock (clean), I recommend the following:
1. Dose your new tank prior to connecting to your old tank with NO3 and PO4 enough to raise to your established tank levels.
2. Take your skimmer and filter socks offline (or don’t clean them) until your NO3 and PO4 are stable and consistently matches established tank prior to connecting.
2. Don’t freak out if you have a bacterial bloom in the beginning, it will clear up after a day or so.
3. Overfeed your tank (assuming new system is substantially larger) in the beginning as the additional water volume has diluted your system but watch NO3 and especially PO4 closely.
4. Don’t run lighting on the new tank during this process.
5. Obviously, monitor your alk, calcium, mag and adjust dosing as needed and be sure to dose the new tank up/down to established tank levels prior to connecting.
I would like to document my observations of this process here for the reefing community to learn from.
Below is my 6 year old established reef. It is a 90 gallon tank with 20 gallons in the sump.
I am going to connect this system to my new 262 gallon in wall tank with 60 gallon sump.
This tank will have dry, rinsed sand and reef saver dry rock.
No bottled bacteria will be added during this process. The goal is to transport bacteria from my established reef to my new system by means of connecting the two systems together with plumbing.
In conclusion, if using the method I did - connecting an established reef to a new system with dry rock (clean), I recommend the following:
1. Dose your new tank prior to connecting to your old tank with NO3 and PO4 enough to raise to your established tank levels.
2. Take your skimmer and filter socks offline (or don’t clean them) until your NO3 and PO4 are stable and consistently matches established tank prior to connecting.
2. Don’t freak out if you have a bacterial bloom in the beginning, it will clear up after a day or so.
3. Overfeed your tank (assuming new system is substantially larger) in the beginning as the additional water volume has diluted your system but watch NO3 and especially PO4 closely.
4. Don’t run lighting on the new tank during this process.
5. Obviously, monitor your alk, calcium, mag and adjust dosing as needed and be sure to dose the new tank up/down to established tank levels prior to connecting.
I would like to document my observations of this process here for the reefing community to learn from.
Below is my 6 year old established reef. It is a 90 gallon tank with 20 gallons in the sump.
I am going to connect this system to my new 262 gallon in wall tank with 60 gallon sump.
This tank will have dry, rinsed sand and reef saver dry rock.
No bottled bacteria will be added during this process. The goal is to transport bacteria from my established reef to my new system by means of connecting the two systems together with plumbing.
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