combining contents of two tanks

[m3drver]

Ok guys I have a question .

I am getting an existing 90 gal tank setup ( fish , rocks soft corals etc for FREE )and I currently have a 46 gal with some fish, rocks and coral frags.

so basically I have two tanks to combine into one, the 90. how should I deal with the water? do i keep some water from both tanks, combine that and add new SW water? or take the water from just ONE tank and combine that with new SW water?

my other option is to put all the fish and coral frags into a 29 gal setup I have thats already up and running and fill the 90 with new water new sand and all my cured rocks. let it run to see if a cycle happens then put all the fish and frags in the 90 after a drip acclimation?

I'm confused. need some advice..

thanks

 

[roka64]

I would add new sand to the 90G, seed it with a bout 2 cups from your old tank. Get some new water, premix and match the temp and SG to you old tank, add to new tank (leave some room for the rock and transfer. This way you will not need to acclimate your critters to the new tank since it will really be the same parameters of your old tank.
I do like the idea of adding a pinch of food to the new tank and waiting 3-4 days to see if ammonia shows up (which it really shouldn't).
Remember, there is VERY little beneficial bacteria in the water column.

 

[m3drver]

The 90 gal I'm getting has existing critters in it. I guess I will have to acclimate them to the new water parameters

I have 32 gal of fresh SW already mixed and starting to mix another 32.so as far as the critters from the existing 90 I would just acclimate them to the new water parameters.

I am also going to keep about 100lbs of LR from the existing 90 in addition to another 50lbs or so from my 46. so I'll have about 150 lbs of LR going into the 90 gal once I have it setup.

I'll be moving the 90 gal tank from a friends house that's about 40 miles away. The rocks will be placed in a Rubbermaid tote with some of its tank water. and the critters will be bagged and placed in a cooler with a heat pack

 

[melosu58]

When switched over in my tank I used as much of the old water as I could not for the beneficial bacteria as there is little if any in the water column as Scott stated but to try to keep the water as close to what it was before the changeover. You`ll need some new anyway but that`s what I did. Nothing wrong with what Scott said either.

 

[m3drver]

ok thanks, the water I'm mixing will be the same SG, temp and PH as to what i have in the 46 right now. I do not know the water parameters of the 90, so the fish from that system will have to go through an acclimation.

In the meantime, while i dismantle the 46 to make space for the 90, I have a 29 gal QT tank that the fish will be held in until the 90 is fully setup.

the whole process of moving an established 90 gal tank in combination with upgrading my 46 gal seems so overwhelming. I just want to make sure i'm not missing anything.