Hi and thoughts on a tank swap…

[sllaursen]

Hi everyone, we’ve had several saltwater aquariums over the years and always love them. Currently we have a 13.5 fluval that we’re fixing to move into the new 65 that we got a week ago. We’ve put new live sand in, about 15 pounds of cycled live rock and another 30 pounds of dry rock/life rock. I also took the filter media from the fluval and out in the sump.
We started the Dr. Tim’s fishless cycle like we used in the little tank but then my husband changed the sponge filter out of the sump ‍ Wondering if it really matters or if I can just move everything from the 13.5 into the 65 now with a water change. Ammonia is at about 1, nitrite is less than 1 but not quite 0. Nitrates are at 1.2. If the little tank can support the current bioload, wouldn’t it be fine in the big tank. Thoughts and thanks for any advice?!

 

[fishski13]

Well since your ammonia and nitrite are not 0 I wouldnt risk it. It is a very high chance when you move over fish and coral they can get nitrite poisoning.

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Hello and welcome to the channel

 

[jsker]

Hello, welcome to R2R!!

 

[Reefer Matt]

 

[shakacuz]

welcome aboard the r2r board! definitely don’t recommend swapping until ammonia and nitrite are 0 as already mentioned

 

[vetteguy53081]

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi everyone, we’ve had several saltwater aquariums over the years and always love them. Currently we have a 13.5 fluval that we’re fixing to move into the new 65 that we got a week ago. We’ve put new live sand in, about 15 pounds of cycled live rock and another 30 pounds of dry rock/life rock. I also took the filter media from the fluval and out in the sump.
We started the Dr. Tim’s fishless cycle like we used in the little tank but then my husband changed the sponge filter out of the sump ‍ Wondering if it really matters or if I can just move everything from the 13.5 into the 65 now with a water change. Ammonia is at about 1, nitrite is less than 1 but not quite 0. Nitrates are at 1.2. If the little tank can support the current bioload, wouldn’t it be fine in the big tank. Thoughts and thanks for any advice?!

My recommendation. Continue running the 13.5 and setup the 65g and allow to seed and cycle with denitrifying bacteria such as Micro Bacter XLM. Then slowly add live rock from EVO to the 65 after 2-3 weeks monitoring the ammonia and nitrate in the 65g

 

[Antics]

Welcome to R2R

 

[CoralB]

Welcome !!!

 

[FiddlersReef]

Welcome to R2R!

I'd get ammonia to zero first. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Crustaceon]

Hi everyone, we’ve had several saltwater aquariums over the years and always love them. Currently we have a 13.5 fluval that we’re fixing to move into the new 65 that we got a week ago. We’ve put new live sand in, about 15 pounds of cycled live rock and another 30 pounds of dry rock/life rock. I also took the filter media from the fluval and out in the sump.
We started the Dr. Tim’s fishless cycle like we used in the little tank but then my husband changed the sponge filter out of the sump ‍ Wondering if it really matters or if I can just move everything from the 13.5 into the 65 now with a water change. Ammonia is at about 1, nitrite is less than 1 but not quite 0. Nitrates are at 1.2. If the little tank can support the current bioload, wouldn’t it be fine in the big tank. Thoughts and thanks for any advice?!

Wait a month. I always hated the “wait until ammonia reads zero and throw everything in” methodology. I’ve always found it better to wait one or even two months before adding livestock even AFTER reading zero ppm ammonia with a test kit. There is a maturation process and I firmly believe one week doesn’t cover everything that happens biome-wise when a tank is first set up no matter what the test kit bean counters say. Adding livestock to a freshly set up tank likely causes ammonia spikes as the newly established bio filter grows to cover whatever was used to cycle the tank and not a load of new fish. That denitrification capability strengthens over time and IMO one week is just too soon.

 

[ABQ_CHRIS]

Hello and welcome. I agree with others to wait on zero ammonia.

 

[Jimbhoy13]

Welcome to R2R. Lots of good advice already given. Take things slowly. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here who will support and advise you when needed.

 

[Tiki_Reef]

Welcome aboard

 

[tharbin]

Welcome to R2R! Re your question: what @vetteguy53081 said.

 

[blaxsun]

 

[SPR1968]

Hi and welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[reaper93]

Welcome!!