Transferring Fish to new Larger Tank

[pdade]

Hello,

I am transferring my fish (Yellow Tang and Maroon Clown) from a 30 Gal that I had temperarily set up until my 75 Gal Hex was built. It is now complete and I was wondering what the best way to do the transfer is. The new tank has new Filtration (30 Gal had Eclipse 3) and it also has 60 lbs live sand. Do I need to completely re-break in and wait a month or more to do the transfer. I was thinking of removing fish. Transferring All water from current tank into new tank then slowly adding additional water to the new tank until it is full.

Please let me know if this will work. Or better yet, let me know if you
have gone throught this and found a better way.

Thanks in advance.

Phil

[reefrunner69]

Unfortunately, because of the filter change, you will have to cycle the new aquarium. You can give this a jump start by adding some LS and some LR. If the sand and rock you add are cured, and you add enough, you might possibly skip the cycle altogether.

Here are a couple of links that explain how to fishless cycle and how you may set up an aquarium and skip the cycle....

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=9

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=101

HTH,

[pdade]

Thanks. Have 60 lbs live sand (+/- 2" Bed)

Additionally, have taken crushed coral substrate from 30 Gal tank and placed in bags and set in tank. Sand was fully cured and experienced no measurable die-off.

Also, if you recall, 50% of water volume will be from existing tank.

If tests remain clear in two days do you think I can do transfer? or is it best to wait a few weeks longer?

Phil

[reefrunner69]

The water will make little differenc, accept it will be the exact same water the fish came out of, thereby lessening stress, but the bacteria colonize porous surfaces, there will be some freefloating in the water, but not enough to make a difference. If you move the LS over and the CC, throw in a piece of table shrimp and wait for a week, test and if there is no ammonia or nitrite, I'd say it was safe to slowly move the fish over (maybe do a 50% water change on the small tank, using the water to help fill the larger aquarium) I wouldn't move more than 1 fish per 2 days. Keeping a close eye on the ammonia and nitrite, be ready to move the fish back to the smaller aquarium if it begins to rise......

[reefrunner69]

Oh....since you will be moving the fish to an aquarium with all together different water parameters, make sure you do a proper acclimation....

Instructions can be found here...
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=14

[pdade]

Thanks. sounds good.

[fishfreek]

Personally I would not put the CC in bags but I would rather put them in say a bowl. Put the CC in a small bowl and put that on the bottom of the tank for a period of time. Any life in the CC be it pods, worms, or just plain bactera will migrate to the sand bed. After a few weeks you could remove the CC and the bowls.

Since the fish are not in the tank yet I would as recommended by Kevin drop a raw shrimp in the tank and check for ammonia levels every few days to see the progress on the cycle. Once ammonia and nitrite are non existent you can just put the fish in. If the water conditions are different:

• SG
  PH
  ALK
  TEMP
  etc

I would follow the acclomation method oulined in the above link.