Hello. If I put new or old water in an empty clean tank will it cycle? I'm thinking I want to set up a small tank ASAP in the new house. Transfer fish and corals. Then move everything. Will this work? Does anyone suggest anything different?
Moving help
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Ingy
Aquarium Advice Addict
Live rocks. If you can take some from the established tank and keep them in a cooler full of tank water, that will accelerate the cycle. The bacteria live on surfaces not in the water column so you want to move surfaces.
mr_X
Aquarium Advice Addict
Tank water alone will not cycle a new tank. I suggest moving everything at once, fully submerged in tank water- Rock, fish and all.
What I was thinking was moving say 20 g of water over to the new house ASAP. Then move the fish and corals over there . Then tear down the tank. Reset it up and then transfer fish and corals back when tank is back up and running. I'm going to be doing some changes after the move. New sand. New pumps. And setting up basement sump. Corals and fish may be in a temporary tank for a bit.. In planning on taking dsb out and maybe just use 2" live sand in display. And putting the dsb in the basement fuge.
mr_X
Aquarium Advice Addict
How much time do you have until you need to be out of the old house?
Holygral
Aquarium Advice FINatic
It will go thru a small cycle, you will have to keep a close watch on parameters, I would not got thru all the trouble of trying to move and save all the old water, it has very little bacteria in it. Start with 50% of more of new, I also would not use the old sand, just a scoop or to, best way is to set up new tank with you lr first first and then direct transfer. If not possible get a cheap kiddie pool and transfer everything into it and then set your new tank up. With free water, sand and old LR and let it run for 3-4 days while testing.
I was going to try and save as much water as possible. That was another question . How much to save.. I'm just worried that using all new I would go they a 6 month cycle again.. That's how long I waited until I added my first fish. But I waited until everything cycles. Cyano and all. Since in using new live sand. It will creat a few week cycle anyways won't it?
mr_X
Aquarium Advice Addict
I don't think using new sand will do this, but I think (depending on how old your existing sand bed is) using old sand can.
Holygral
Aquarium Advice FINatic
It may cause a mini cycle, I have upgraded/moved tanks several times, I set up a kiddie pool, with all old water, set up new tank with old live rock and test for a week. With all the stirring up of the old sand moving it, that is difinity going to cause a cycle and release all the nasties hidden in there (depending on how old it is) A mini cycle should be 1-2 weeks, most of your bacteria is in your live rock, (depending on how much you have and what size of tank) Used water is just that used depleted water, thats why we do water changes. It carries little to no beneficial bacteria.
Sand in there now is over a year old. But the problem of using this sand is. Is how I have it layered.. There is a 2+" layer of crushed coral under the aragonite. I want to separate that as much as I can and wash it out and reuse it in a new fuge in the basement
Ok. So just removing water in the very beginning to transfer the fish should be no big deal. When I get the tank set back up I will use just a little of old. In with the new water. I still want to fill up the tank with ro. Our town water is full of phosphates..
mr_X
Aquarium Advice Addict
I would not risk it. Use new sand. If you don't want to spend the money, wash out the sand extremely well. How are you going to separate the cc from the fine grains? A screen of some sort?
Just a FYI for both of you guys, according to this article-
Feature Article: Bacterial Counts in Reef Aquarium Water: Baseline Values and Modulation by Carbon Dosing, Protein Skimming, and Granular Activated Carbon Filtration — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
there is quite a bit of bacteria in the water column. Enough to not have to cycle a tank? I wouldn't trust there is, but there's a substantial amount.
Just a FYI for both of you guys, according to this article-
Feature Article: Bacterial Counts in Reef Aquarium Water: Baseline Values and Modulation by Carbon Dosing, Protein Skimming, and Granular Activated Carbon Filtration — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
there is quite a bit of bacteria in the water column. Enough to not have to cycle a tank? I wouldn't trust there is, but there's a substantial amount.
Holygral
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Mr X will post anything to get to that 15,000 post mark, lol
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