First time moving from 30g to 53g without cycling. Advice need!

[Gabbone]

Hello all,

I am moving very soon from a 30g to 53g and I'd like to know the best way to do that without cycling again.

The 30g has about 33lbs of 1 year matured rocks (real reef rocks the purple ones) + live sand + some bacteria blocks in the back chambers. I also have a lot of corals (no sps) and some fishes.

My plan is:

- Use as much water as I can from the 30g to fill the 53g and then add the new salt water to complete.
- Use new sand (I'd go with the Caribsea arag-live fiji pink)
- Use all the rocks + bacteria blocks from the old tank.
- Use the exact light (I am using radion g6)

Concerns:
- I am planning to add two new pieces of dry uncured rock from ARKA because the tank is bigger. One is 40cm, the second is 15cm (see pic);

I am looking for the safest way to add these two pieces without causing a spike of ammonia/no2 or new cycle. Should I cycle them in a brute can and then when ready add them to the new aquarium? Or I can just toss them (after washing with rodi) in the new tank without worrying too much?

- Also, are my actual rocks and bacteria blocks enough for the new tank?

Should I take anything else into account? Any tips?

Thank you a lot for the help!

Kind regards
Gabri

 

[Dragen Fiend]

I've done a few tank transfers so far. My latest from 20 gallon long to 25 gallon lagoon this week.

You should have no issues adding in new rock with the already established rock plus bio media. I moved a few marine bio balls over plus live rock. Then the rest was dry rock. Plopped my livestock in and no issues.

The only thing to watch out for is using same sand. Which your not doing.

I personally use all fresh salt mix. As long as the parameters match. I see no reason not too.

As long as your not adding in a bunch of new bio-load into the tank after the transfer too soon. You will be fine. Same rocks, same bio-load, bigger tank is all.

 

[Pntbll687]

You shouldn't have any issues with an ammonia spike, since you're keeping the rock you have. You can just add the new pieces. The new pieces may get more algae for a little while since they won't have any biofilm built up on them.

You don't have to use new sand. You can just rinse the sand you have and put it in the new tank.

 

[Gabbone]

Thank you both for the Precious imput.

Regarding the sand, I want to change it anyway since this one I personally don like

 

[brandon429]

one part of your plan can bleach your tank

safest transfer details= consult large tank transfer thread using public tanks as they present
if you plan based on 1st person move testimony, where they may have skipped the light reduction step and lucked out of bleaching, your stuff can bleach due to variables between our tanks and public ones. you need to reduce your lighting in the new tank for a week, then ramp back up slowly.

tank transfer thread using other people's tanks

Official Sand Rinse and Tank Transfer thread

Don't have radio, so would a good live rock rinse be declorinated tap with salt added? Whatever you use for saltwater in your tank will work. You should save up your pennies for an inexpensive RODI. If you only need a few gallons a week for water changes and top offs, you don't need a big...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[brandon429]

pick any 4 or 5 jobs done there, read them to completion/light ramping is key safety

 

[Gabbone]

pick any 4 or 5 jobs done there, read them to completion/light ramping is key safety

Hi Brandon and thank you so much! Inspiring what you did by starting that thread almost 10 years ago!
I've been reading some pages and I have some technical question:

- I've ordered caribsea arag-alive fijipink; even if the bag said DO NOT WASH or rinse you always recommend to do that. Is this gonna kill the living bacteria they claim to be in the sand right?
- What about going without sand, bare bottom? (I am just curios here)

Basically if I understand correctly the most critical parts are sand + lights. Got it.

 

[brandon429]

the final takeaway is we gain no benefit from sandbed bacteria, they're bioload the tank tolerates so to rinse them away, or keep them, or add five billion more colonies of them: neutral to anything you can test in the entire system. pure neutral

that's why rinsing them away doesn't harm. we're rinsing chalk clouding out of new sand, not dangerous waste like from old sand. two different reasons for the same rinse, nice detail find there.

and thats why the answer to the second part is yes, can go bare bottom totally if you want. any reef tank in the world that has rock/the primary locus for filtration bacteria we use, can instantly remove ALL it's surrounding surface area beyond sand, and the system still doesnt crash.

So, in total opposite to everything ever written about filtration bacteria in a reef tank: if tank A is 100 gallons, has 15 fish set for 3 years running all cruising along, then during a home move we remove all sand and not ever put back (that's no ramp down, total instant yanking removal) AND we remove all the bioballs they have packed in a sump, and we remove the three hang on back filters that have been running the whole time, leaving only the same tank, same water, 15 fish, the rock, and no other surface area: the reef does not crash, and a seneye audit shows no overall loss of cycle control for the entire system.

nobody reading would believe that rule, were it not for the ongoing proof of it

the overriding rule in skip cycle transfers is absolute cloudless transfers. for new sand setups, its so that harmless chalk dust doesn't obscure our pure clean water assessments in the new tank, though that's technically harmless its an assessment risk.

in old system transfers, we risk because if we don't what happened in the very first readable link example becomes the risk.

the sole purpose of that giant thread is to prove my take on reef microbiology vs all the stuff I was taught 20 years ago that I now do not agree with. new rules are getting made.

thanks for stopping in.

 

[brandon429]

for the new rocks, simply add them in the new tank. they can't leak ammonia.

 

[Gabbone]

Thank you again!

More question, can i prep the new sand week/days in advance? If so, nest way to stock? Thanks!

 

[brandon429]

yes I had mine rinsed 3 months early just sitting in a bucket in my closet drying. I had separated it into thin sections on large tote lids to truly dry: it would mildew if left as a large pile. totally rinsed, dried sand stores as long as you want. leave it open don't store it closed.

 

[Gabbone]

Can I also store it in rodi and then before use it, rinse it again?

 

[brandon429]

I wouldn't. That's stagnant, dry after rinse is best. Indefinite, easiest store, won't go sour

 

[Gabbone]

Hi Brandon! I did the complete move yesterday night and after 24h no lost. Water is just a little bit cloudy but probably cause I dose some bacteria yesterday.

 

[brandon429]

ok

update pics when you can