Insta Cycled or Insta Stocked or something else?

[blaxsun]

1. Something else, no idea what...
2. Yes, I insta-cycled and insta-stocked a tank without issue.

 

[arussellnsg]

I moved my FOWLR tank to a bigger sized one with a few currently used live Rocks (not fully cured), several new dry base rock, and one fully cured live rock. New sand, fresh saltwater. I used Dr Tims one and only, and after a week, my tank was ready to change out
All of my fish and CUC survived!

I would call the above mentioned scenario, InstaTank

 

[Glenner’sreef]

I’ve upgraded to larger tanks 4 times in the last 10 years. Always from one room to another within the same house.
No new cycles. No loss of livestock. Moved a lot of water around so that whether old tank or new tank or holding containers were all the same salinity and temp.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Got a GREAT name!!!

Based off of the idea of “path of LEAST RESISTANCE”
And the TRANSFERRING of Fish, Water, Rock etc.
The LRT Method
Least Resistance Transfer

 

[paul barker]

I move tanks a lot in my life form bigger to smaller form smaller to bigger some times things go good sometimes they don't moving my 29 to a 180 with new sand and new rock didn't go as planned I had no Nitrates and phosphates I did 50%old water and 50% new water all my kh cal mag where off water flow change so some coral like it some didn't lighting change so it was not that easy moving my 75 to the 29 was easy

 

[DK450reef]

Thanks to @LRT for the QOTD idea!

Have you ever moved the inhabitants of a reef aquarium to a new tank? Maybe it was a tank upgrade. Maybe you bought someone's entire reef and set it up in your own new tank. Would it need to cycle? Would there be a cycle? What would you even call that? Let's talk about it!

1. What would you call a fully transferred, instantly stocked tank? Insta Cycled or Insta Stocked or something else?

2. Have you ever relocated an existing reef ecosystem to a new tank and how did it go? Did you experience a cycle?

Image via @happyhourhero

I used to move a 55 gallon reef set up from my college apartment to parents home and back every summer for three years, a three hour drive. Never lost any live stock. Looked at it like doing a major water changes. Recently upgraded from a 150 to a 350 gallon same thing it is like doing a large water change. Tore down system put all items in a lot of plastic tubs set up new tank transferred over and all was fine. I felt the when transferring you get to rinse off a lot of detritus capture bristle worms and do a major clean so all system parameters came back on line

 

[austibella]

I transferred my 55 gal tank plus my 20 gal to a 180. I filled the 180 with crushed coral.. (best decision I ever made, no more sand blowing around) added fresh Saltwater and " added bacteria " i let it cycle for a week then added some live rock from my other tank that had no corals on it.. I let it cycle for about another week then I drained about 20 gallons from my 55 tank and added it to my new tank, i added Dr Tim's first defense for stress relief for the fish. .first I put in all the live rock with corals and then the fish. Have to say my corals and fish were very happy now I wish I got a 300 gal or more tank! Some of my fish are getting to big for my tank and I don't want to rehome them! Who will spoil them like me. L.O.L.

 

[gesock]

I wouldn't call it either I don't think....you are basically just moving an established system from one tank to another....I would call it a move . I have relocated an entire tank without any issues.....no changes in water chemistry at all.

Did you move the sand too? I'm about to make a move but I'm putting in a different color sand.

 

[LRT]

My biggest take away from recent upgrade/transfer was.
A. Be prepared to dose from day 1 after stocking tank. I did instantly stock my tanks 24hrs after they where wet. Rock and inverts went in as soon as there was enough water in the tanks. Tanks where fed when this happened and ammonia was monitored. Fish and over 100 corals where added when ammonia disappeared. Real simple
What happens is your rock hits new system running, processing nutrients etc, just like it did in fully cured healthy system it came out of. Depending on whether you use old system water or not and how much (if any) you will experience nutrient displacement to processing, new surfaces and water column. Watch your nutrients and all params and check daily. The main take away from all this is trying to create and mimmick old system params in new tank. An extension of old healthy system to make transition smooth and not miss a beat.
B. I cannot stress how important and Emphasis should be put on A.
The success of your transfer, upgrade, instastock/cycle or whatever we want to name it will depend entirely on how diligent you are at monitoring and maintained your params/nutrient levels for first couple months

 

[gesock]

I'm hoping it's intsta-gratification!

 

[gesock]

I’ve upgraded to larger tanks 4 times in the last 10 years. Always from one room to another within the same house.
No new cycles. No loss of livestock. Moved a lot of water around so that whether old tank or new tank or holding containers were all the same salinity and temp.

Did you keep the same sand or change it? I'm about to upgrade but want to use a different sand and can't wait for it to run for a few days. I don't have a place to store all my corals and fish for more than a day.

 

[LRT]

Did you keep the same sand or change it? I'm about to upgrade but want to use a different sand and can't wait for it to run for a few days. I don't have a place to store all my corals and fish for more than a day.

Thoroughly cleaning and re using your old sand would most likely help keep your new tank cycling without a hitch.
Any major changes during upgrade should be thought about and planned for.
Having said that you may not have any issues at all in your rock or media may be able to handle bioload on its own.
How much liverock media are you moving to new tank?
This really all does come down to setting up new tank. Transferring your rock/media over and monitoring what your ammonia does.
A good tool of measurement like seneye will let you know when ammonia is actually safe.

 

[gesock]

Thoroughly cleaning and re using your old sand would most likely help keep your new tank cycling without a hitch.
Any major changes during upgrade should be thought about and planned for.
Having said that you may not have any issues at all in your rock or media may be able to handle bioload on its own.
How much liverock media are you moving to new tank?
This really all does come down to setting up new tank. Transferring your rock/media over and monitoring what your ammonia does.
A good tool of measurement like seneye will let you know when ammonia is actually safe.

I have over 100 pounds of live rock and bioballs in the sump. Definitely don't want to add anything until I get the ammonia right. I was actually thinking about taking some of water from my next water change and adding it to the new sand and letting it circulate in there until I'm ready to do the upgrade.

 

[LRT]

I have over 100 pounds of live rock and bioballs in the sump. Definitely don't want to add anything until I get the ammonia right. I was actually thinking about taking some of water from my next water change and adding it to the new sand and letting it circulate in there until I'm ready to do the upgrade.

Totally not necessary. Make sure new sand is thoroughly rinsed and clean prior to setting up new tank.
I dont know correct ratio of rock/media to water that would be considered acceptable for safe upgrade. Im trying to nail that down in instacycle thread.
What I can tell you is that I used 100lbs of liverock in both of those tanks I posted about. Which is close to 1lb/gallon. Way more than enough to handle bioload. It all came out of barebottom system if that helps.
Monitor ammonia is key here. Doesnt matter how much rock you have. When ammonia falls back to acceptable levels after first cpl feeding you should be good to go.

 

[reefer fro canada]

I have transfed whole systems a few times and I found if you are using all the old water and rock that we have never had a cycle it just continued.We have added more dry rock of coures and maybe more sand but normally we have never seen a cycle.We tested every day for about two weeks to be sure but everthing was okay.Thats my exsperience.

 

[Waters]

Did you move the sand too? I'm about to make a move but I'm putting in a different color sand.

No, I always used new sand or went BB on the new tank.

 

[Dacotahk]

Terms such as move and transfer as suggested above are more accurate and would be more helpful to those contemplating such. The “insta” can mislead.

 

[Drewbacca]

I would upgrading a Tranfer Setup.. and the details Vary So much it is So Very situational. ... most stuff is cycled but usually..everything else is changing.. tank ,plumbing, flow , sand, gear
I have TWO Types... one I did very quick and successfully which is take a 55 sumpless system and get the sump all ready underneath and then quickly take 55 down And replace with a 90... add new sand then livestock as plumbing dries..because I planned for the future and made the 55 stand 18 deep so I could upgrade to 75 or 90.. ...right? ..WRONG.. I sat the 90 on and found out they are often 18.5 deep.. Right shoulder Devilish leather motorcycle jacket dude whispered.. hey.. DO IT..it's ok bro.. it's only ¼" overlap on front and back right?.. and the left shoulder nerd annoyingly tapping the whole time with a lisp "excuthe me..excuthe me ..hellllooo.. what he MEANS to say is.. it's a ¼" UnSupported front and back.. Get Your Keyths & go to Loweth. " So, the pop one tank off & pop one on, turned into a 90 minute new stand build in my basement as all my fish & coral were in binth .. BinS! (Geeth) defeated the whole purpose of an easy switch & sucked cuz I would have gone 120 if I knew I was going to build a new stand.. but All worked out great... for 2 years.. until briopsis won because the internal megaflow tower had a tiny bit of texture that allowed briopsis to survive being scraped with razor blade and siphoned.. so peroxide which worked on rocks & corals would need done which meant full tank drain.. and hope one spore doesnt get on it again..?NEW TANK TIME! AKA DISASTER.. & lost everything. ( power outages & then an internet outage while my 5 years off corals & fish were in temp tanks on floor)
(Now Taking frag donations to rebuild btw) : ]

so heres where the new method I'm about to finish today comes in..
Two small 10 gallon tanks cycled on floor with MB7 & a dartfish and snails in each & packed with bio balls live rock & mesh bags of new dry sand...which will all go in the new 90 setup today after adding 2 bags of live sand and mixing all the sand & live rock from small tanks & all else... then going to pick up my tangs and add them in.. along with a bottle of dr Tim's. This is something I'm very interested in the results of.
Can you setup a new big tank system while 2 cheap lil surface packed tanks cycle and then have success with an insta big tank?
(As Dr Tim says.. Surface Matters.. Not Water.)

 

[MnFish1]

1. What would you call a fully transferred, instantly stocked tank? Insta Cycled or Insta Stocked or something else?

Something else. A new glass box with the same inhabitants. I guess thats close to instantly stocked - but since it was previously stocked with the same stuff - not sure that matches.

2. Have you ever relocated an existing reef ecosystem to a new tank and how did it go? Did you experience a cycle?

I had an old 75 gallon reef with a 20 gallon sump - I upgraded it to a new Reefer 525XL as follows:

1. Drain and save 1/4 of the old water. in a Tub
2. 2 Brute cans with powerhead and heater matched to the tank in each one.
3. Water from the tank in each brute can - in one - all the rock and coral
4. In another All of the fish.
5. Drain the rest of the old tank, remove half the sand and discard. Rinse the rest and save in the first brute can
6. Get rid of the old tank (the new tank was already set up next to it)
7. Used the same skimmer, added to new sump
8. Add Fresh Newly made (mixed) salt water to the sump.
9. Add some new sand (rinsed) to the new tank. Ad some of the old sand and tank water to the new tank (from the first tub)
10. Add the old rock (with a little new dry rock) - since it was a bigger tank.
11. Add back the corals
12. Add back the fish
13. Fill the tank rest of the tank with new Saltwater - like a water change
14. Turn on the equipment.

Done in 2 -3 hours. There was no cycle, or any problems with coral, fish or anything. I think the key was 'speed' and preparation. I had all of the brute cans, the new tank set up and ready to move into place. with plumbing done, etc. So it was actually very quick. A friend came to help with some of the lifting/moving.

 

[MnFish1]

Ok I see where your at now.
How about transferring a mature tank? Do you still add bottle bac?
I did add bottle bac to tank 2 but experienced wierd ph and cloudy water swings.
I feel like bottle bac is not needed during transfer as long as your not exceeding bioload mature system is already cycling. At least that's what I found. May even do more harm than good.

Oh - In my example I added Seachem stability for 7 days BUT - I'm not at all sure that was necessary.