Help cycling please

[lovemyfish79]

I currently have a 10 gallon nano that I'm getting ready to transfer over to a 20 gallon long aio I've been building. My question in when I get my twenty wet can I just take the filter media out of my 10 and transfer it to the 20 with new sand and base rock in it? I would then put new media in my 10 until the 20 is done cycling? My 10 has been established for about 8 months

 

[Frankie_Garcia]

When you mean filter media what are you referring too?

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

It would be better if you used a piece or 2 of your lr and use that to seed the new tank

 

[lovemyfish79]

My lr in my tank now has coral on it. As for filter media I was going to put my bio bag and sponge in the new tank. Here's a picture of my ten

 

[lovemyfish79]

Sorry, here it is

Sent from my EVO using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[lovemyfish79]

Could I possibly take a spoonful of my old sand bed in my 10 to help seed it?

Sent from my EVO using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Ya but your LR is where most of your bb is. As stated above I would either transfer a piece or just cycle the new tank normally and switch when it's complete

 

[Frankie_Garcia]

I agree with above! If all your rock has coral on it, do not take the chance in losing it. Let it cycle. Waiting several weeks. That's probably your best bet!

 

[lovemyfish79]

Cool, thanks everyone! My pulsing xenia is still on a plug so I could move that to a different spot in my 10 and put that piece of lr in there. Is there any benefit in using my bio bag/foam filter and a spoonful of my sand bed from my 10?

Sent from my EVO using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

I personally wouldn't recommend using sponges or bio balls at all for sw because they tend to trap nitrates and do more harm than good but that's JMO. Scooping some sand in will help seed your new sand bed so I'd go ahead and do that

 

[lovemyfish79]

What I was planning on doing was building a media chamber for sponge, ceramic bio balls, and carbon, second chamber would be for my heater, third a nano cube protien skimmer, then the fourth for my return pump. Good idea, bad idea, am I over thinking it, to much filtration? My media basket would be the same as an aquaclear 30 basket, water from overflow would hit the sponge first then the activated carbon then the ceramic bio balls. Any input would be appreciated as this is my first aio build and I'm just copying plans from the web

 

[Frankie_Garcia]

Why don't you go buy some live sand?

 

[Frankie_Garcia]

I don't understand what you're trying to do with the 20L

 

[mr_X]

Use dry rock (you will definitely need more rock total than what you have) and put your existing tank in right away. Then wait a month or so before adding any new fish. There will be no cycle if there is nothing on the new rock to decompose, and bacteria will colonize it slowly, with your clown fish eating and pooping.


In addition, I just saw page two and that stuff is fine if you want it, but I don't suggest using ceramic rings or any bio balls or anything- just use stuff you can remove and rinse thoroughly, because you are going to want to do this weekly, so your nitrate levels do not build up.

 

[melosu58]

Ya but your LR is where most of your bb is. As stated above I would either transfer a piece or just cycle the new tank normally and switch when it's complete

Very good advice

 

[lovemyfish79]

Frankie, pretty much just like a bio cube, build a false wall and put baffles in to flow the water through and make it flow through whatever media you want or lr rubble etc. Hides all your equipment. Ands thanks Mr. X

 

[Frankie_Garcia]

Oh wow that is awesome. Impressive I must say and very innovative! I thought bout doing that to my 20L just didn't have the time. Or have the know how

 

[Frankie_Garcia]

In the first chamber you could have like a filter pad, then chaetomorpha in 2nd, then like a bag of carbon or chemipure elite in the 3rd, and does your powerhead come with like a sponge around it?

 

[lovemyfish79]

No, but I could easily put one around it if needed

Sent from my EVO using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[carey]

If you transfer your filter media it will in fact help the cycle on the new tank. Just like freshwater, you have beneficial bacteria in the sponges and whatnot.