Cycle Questions - Tank Reset/Replace

[phillybean]

I had a tank crash a few years ago on my 220 gallon SPS heavy mixed reef. Most of my fish survived, but all coral died. I've kept it running low maintenance, FOWLR basically since (about the past 2 years now). From the very start, I had issues with the tank (poor overflow design, 30" height was a pain, large 18" center brace, not drilled for returns) and dealt with many pests you can think of (Pocillopora spawning everywhere, blue clove polyps, Flatworms, Aiptasia). Tank is currently overrun from Aiptasia, I thought I beat it a year ago, but has come back with a vengeance.

I recently purchased a 180 gallon eurobraced tank to replace it with. I also purchased 200lbs of dead rock from someone else's tank break down and my goal is to start fresh, only transferring over my fish and build it back up to what it once was. I'll reuse my equipment, once it has all been properly cleaned and dried.
I purchased a 100 gallon stock tank to hold my fish while the new tank cycles. I'll transfer my water and a bunch of live rock to the stock tank so won't have a cycle for that. Live stock is a large (15ish year old) Purple Tang, Medium Sized Yellow Tang, Medium Sized Tomini Tang, 2 Clowns and 2 Talbot Damsels.

Although I've been in the game quite a while, I've never cycled a tank without using live rock. Historically I just added the rock, waited 6 weeks and then added my first fish and gradually over a year or so went to full stock. This time however, I do not want to use live rock in the hopes that I can avoid introducing the pests that have caused me so much pain over the years (especially Aiptasia). I don't want to keep this stock tank running for 6 months, what is the best way to cycle this tank so I can get all the fish back into the new one as quickly & safely as possible?

Thanks

Here's a picture of the old tank, back it it's glory days.

 

[ReefSymbiotic]

Happy to give my method. There are companies you can order 15 year old sand or sand from the ocean. I like to do that personally. Never got a post from it. Fritz turbo start, PNS substrate sauce, microbacter7, and prodibio makes a bacteria booster. So many will come and say this isn’t necessary and while yes it is t necessary I’ve skipped the ugly stage completely this way and ready to roll immediately.

 

[phillybean]

Happy to give my method. There are companies you can order 15 year old sand or sand from the ocean. I like to do that personally. Never got a post from it. Fritz turbo start, PNS substrate sauce, microbacter7, and prodibio makes a bacteria booster. So many will come and say this isn’t necessary and while yes it is t necessary I’ve skipped the ugly stage completely this way and ready to roll immediately.

Thanks for the feedback, I certainly want to skip the ugly stage if doable, that said I'm up in Canada and it's tough to find things up here at times. Fritz for example I can't find any where.

 

[ReefSymbiotic]

Thanks for the feedback, I certainly want to skip the ugly stage if doable, that said I'm up in Canada and it's tough to find things up here at times. Fritz for example I can't find any where.

Gotcha. I’m sure there’s one you a substitute for Fritz that you guys have. Look up the strains of bacteria or use urea. I hear it’s just from human waste plants anyways lol

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

What I do is cycle my rocks in a seperate tank or container. I'm preparing for a complete rock swap, so right now, my rocks are in a plastic tote with a damsel. There is no bottled bacteria that can compare to having a real fish in the tank. I will make the change in October, so 3 months in the tote with a fish. The rocks will be mature enough to cover the existing bioload, be completely pest free, and also mature enough to avoid any algae growth.