Moving livestock after upgrade

BJrReef21

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I’ve had my 90 set up and running for the past year and a half. Decided to upgrade to a 210. Have everything up and running with a little over 200lbs or rock. Cycle should finish up this week. Didn’t use any live sand or rock and won’t be adding any from my existing tank. Plan to just transfer fish and coral when ready. My question is should I slowly move everything over or would it be ok transfer everything in one shot. Fish include a blue hippo tang, yellow eye kole tang, yellow tang, one spot foxface, melanarus wrasse and a pair of ocs clowns. I also have a powder brown and copperband in QT at the moment. Not a lot of coral but have a few mini acro colonies along with a some LPS and softies
 

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I’ve had my 90 set up and running for the past year and a half. Decided to upgrade to a 210. Have everything up and running with a little over 200lbs or rock. Cycle should finish up this week. Didn’t use any live sand or rock and won’t be adding any from my existing tank. Plan to just transfer fish and coral when ready. My question is should I slowly move everything over or would it be ok transfer everything in one shot. Fish include a blue hippo tang, yellow eye kole tang, yellow tang, one spot foxface, melanarus wrasse and a pair of ocs clowns. I also have a powder brown and copperband in QT at the moment. Not a lot of coral but have a few mini acro colonies along with a some LPS and softies
Slowly. You need to let the cycle adjust to the bio load. Any reason you arnt moving existing rock?
 

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Yes. Haven't seen them touch them though. If they are they aren’t making a dent.
If you move your corals a complete inspection or qt them to make sure they dont hitchike into your new system.
 
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BJrReef21

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You should acclimate all your livestock to the new tank, you're asking for trouble otherwise.
Thinking about adding some of the lesser aggressive fish first. Maybe the pair of clowns, wrasse and foxface at first. Maybe wait a month or 2 and add the rest? corals to follow a month or so later?
 
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BJrReef21

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If you move your corals a complete inspection or qt them to make sure they dont hitchike into your new system.
Yes, plan on removing any plug and dipping the Corals prior to putting in new tank. will take all precautions to not infest the new tank. I hate those things.
 

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Thinking about adding some of the lesser aggressive fish first. Maybe the pair of clowns, wrasse and foxface at first. Maybe wait a month or 2 and add the rest? corals to follow a month or so later?
Your basically setting up a new tank and transferring everything over. You will deal with the same issues you first did with your first tank
 

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So I’ve been cycling my new 120g for 30 days with lights off to decrease algae and diatoms. I started filter socks 2 weeks ago and protein skimmer with a UV sterilizer last week. I’m doing a bare bottom and put in life rock. I’m moving over my fish this weekend to get them acclimated. I am not moving anything over other than fish and corals. The soft corals I will probably move in 2-4 weeks and my Acros I won’t even think about moving over for at least 6 mths just to make sure the tank is established. Patience is key so don’t rush things. I would wait on my Acros even longer but we are expecting in Nov so I have to get the old tank moved by then. I do a very rigorous dip (6 stage) for any coral transfers.
 
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BJrReef21

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Your basically setting up a new tank and transferring everything over. You will deal with the same issues you first did with your first tank
I am not in a hurry to transfer everything over. I understand there are stages that need to progress on there own in order for the system to get where it needs to be to support life at the highest level. looking For advice as to the best way to do this.
 
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BJrReef21

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So I’ve been cycling my new 120g for 30 days with lights off to decrease algae and diatoms. I started filter socks 2 weeks ago and protein skimmer with a UV sterilizer last week. I’m doing a bare bottom and put in life rock. I’m moving over my fish this weekend to get them acclimated. I am not moving anything over other than fish and corals. The soft corals I will probably move in 2-4 weeks and my Acros I won’t even think about moving over for at least 6 mths just to make sure the tank is established. Patience is key so don’t rush things. I would wait on my Acros even longer but we are expecting in Nov so I have to get the old tank moved by then. I do a very rigorous dip (6 stage) for any coral transfers.
how many and what type of fish will you be transferring. By biggest concern was the bioload of putting all fish into a newly cycled tank at the same time.
 

SR Reefing

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I am not in a hurry to transfer everything over. I understand there are stages that need to progress on there own in order for the system to get where it needs to be to support life at the highest level. looking For advice as to the best way to do this.
I would just sell everything, then shutdown the old tank. Buy whatever you want for the new tank. Transfer is very very tricky, most if not all tank transfers that i know didn't end up well.
 
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BJrReef21

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I would just sell everything, then shutdown the old tank. Buy whatever you want for the new tank. Transfer is very very tricky, most if not all tank transfers that i know didn't end up well.
Why would you sell off things to just buy them later? No different from buying and adding to a new tank. Not following how it makes any differenc especially if you have time to slowly move things over as your tank matures some. I could understand having problems if your limited on space and have to transfer everything in one day over after breaking down and setting up new.
 

SR Reefing

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Not trying to sell u anything. It might be the same as moving a frag a week after new tank cycle after 6 month. Even at that rate, hard to guarantee success.

Buying frag on the other hand, could be done a lot slower IMO. Keep up updated.
 

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how many and what type of fish will you be transferring. By biggest concern was the bioload of putting all fish into a newly cycled tank at the same time.
I only have a yellow tang, 2 long fin mocha clowns and a helfrichi fire fish. I’m going to add 5-6 Anthias in a couple weeks or so. Yea, your nitrates and phosphates are probably going to spike so test regularly. Your tank is a lot bigger so your curve Shouldn’t be too bad. I’ve been adding copeopds like crazy, have a sump and run a pax bellum with a carbon reactor as well. I would probably transfer the calmer fish first to let them get acclimated and then slowly add the more aggressive fish towards the end just to decrease stress.
 
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BJrReef21

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The biggest thing I wanted to do was be able to add all the tangs at the same time so they could all get use to the new environment at the same time to reduce aggression between them. My PBT and copperband still have about a month to go in qt. if I were to keep adding ammonia after cycle completes to keep the bacteria population up and growing, I would think it would be better than having a couple fish in the tank for a month. Theoretically being able to add more ammonia and have it process through quickly should simulate having a large fish load. Correct?
 

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The biggest thing I wanted to do was be able to add all the tangs at the same time so they could all get use to the new environment at the same time to reduce aggression between them. My PBT and copperband still have about a month to go in qt. if I were to keep adding ammonia after cycle completes to keep the bacteria population up and growing, I would think it would be better than having a couple fish in the tank for a month. Theoretically being able to add more ammonia and have it process through quickly should simulate having a large fish load. Correct?
Your plan of adding slowly makes a lot of sense. I agree adding all the tangs at the same time is wise. If you think the bio load is going to be a lot when adding the tangs add some bio spira at the same time. That’s what I would do. If you have room for both tanks take your time no need to see all live stick.
 

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I would just sell everything, then shutdown the old tank. Buy whatever you want for the new tank. Transfer is very very tricky, most if not all tank transfers that i know didn't end up well.
I just tore down a 75 and never all over to a 90 same day. I moved lr sand rinsed and added more sand. No problems no losses.
 

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