Moving 30g to 120g

[Jayhawker518]

Ok, my new tank is just about done. Its close to being plumbed and im getting ready to make the move.

My 30 gallon has about 50 lbs of rock and about a 2" sand bed.

I bought another 45lbs of rock that is currently curing and another 90lbs of sand.

Now Im trying to figure out the best way to move the tank over.
I plan on putting the 50lbs of rock and my livestock into a 50 gallon tub while i get the main tank filled.

Sooo do these steps make sense?
Fill the new tank with new salt water
Rinse the new sand
Put the sand in the tank along with some of the old sand from the 30 gal.
Put the new rock in the tank
put the old rock in the tank
make sure the levels are all correct
move the livestock into the tank

in order to not have a full cycle in the new tank, do i use the water from the old tank and put that in the main tank first? and use some of the old water for the tub with the livestock?

Thanks in advance.

 

[cmor1701d]

First you should get some base rock to bring your total rock to the 1½ pounds per gallon range.

Add the new sand to the bottom, cure the new LR in the new tank and after it has cycled move everytjing over. JMO.

The old water doesn't have much to add to the new tank other than volume. Bacteria are not free floating in the water column in any meaningful quantities. Bacteria coat the surface areas in the tank, mostly the rock and sand as they have the greatest surface area.

A few cups of sand are all you need to seed the new sand bed.

 

[melosu58]

I would cure the new LR first. After it is cured then start your tank up with everything added together. If you add the new LR to the tank you will get another cycle which your tankmates dont need.

 

[Jayhawker518]

I actually bought Cured LR for the tank instead. I have a vat of new salt water to clean it and let it sit for a day in it before i add it to my tank. My overflow is on its way as well. So i should have everything up and going before this weekend. Ill post pictures
to my other thread

 

[melosu58]

It`s been sitting in a sw tub or tank for a couple weeks.

 

[cmor1701d]

Where is the cured LR now?
Is it still at the lfs waiting for you to pick it up?
Is it sitting in a containter with no water, heater or ph?
Is it sitting in a containter with fresh sw, a heater and a ph?

Just trying to figure out how you are going about this.

 

[Jayhawker518]

The cured LR is probably on a truck on its way from Premium aquatics which i believe is in Cali. It has a nice warm fresh bin of saltwater waiting for it with a powerhead and heater in it at my house. So when it gets there they can become friends.

 

[cmor1701d]

It won't be cured by the time it gets to you. Even with overnight shipping the temp outisde is too cold. There will be some die off. Is the new tank setup and filled?

Put the new rock in the 120 and cycle it there. If it was fully cured then you will have a short cycle.