Moving and Into a New Tank-??

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dewilde2

Illinifish
Aug 8, 2006
253
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St Louis
Hi all- I have a plan and want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. Would appreciate any input and suggestions!!

I have a ten gallon nano with one clownfish- it has been up for about a year and a half. I am moving in a couple months, and am upgrading to a new 24 gallon nano cube. I hope to purchase it this week and get it started cycling at my new house, so that when I move with my clownfish I can just move her into the new tank (and not have to move the 10 gallon). A friend here is hoping to just take over my 10 gallon, so I won't be moving any of the rock, corals, etc.

I plan to cycle with fish food, and hopefully the store will give me a few cups of sand. I'm wanting to only use the Red Sea artificial live rock, so that won't be any help. My husband will be at the new house and able to monitor and test regularly. I'm hoping to cycle over the next two months.

Assuming the cycle goes ok....I will move the clownfish in a styrofoam container (3 hour drive) and acclimate her (still researching the best way to do this-drip?) and place her into the new tank.

Does this sound ok? Any advice or suggestions? I'm ridiculously attached to my fish, and want to make sure that she survives and is happy in her new home. Thanks!
 

fishboy93256

AC Members
Mar 19, 2008
141
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no... the only way to move in to a new tank is to dump all the water in the 10 gallon in to the 24 and add all the live rock and i would use a bottle of cycle to help not to send the tank in to a Minny cycle i gust did the same thing that your going to do......
But the only way to change the tanks will out waiting 2-6 months while the tank cycle it to guts drain the water in to the new tank and top off the new tank its gust like a big water tank good luck with the swap i know i was not able to sleep when it did Mn and you need to check your water 2-3 times a day for 2-3 weeks to make Sher that the tank don't go in to a cycle o and you will need to use all your old sand and add a bag of sand don't get rid of the old sand because all the bacteria is all ready growing in the tank that will help to.
 

ryanTEXAS

AC Members
Dec 5, 2008
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using water from an established tank does nothing. it only works with live rock and sand.

dewilde2, you seem to know what your talking about. it sounds like a good plan. sucks you have to leave everything behind though. i would just take some sand from your 10g to use in your new one and if possible, some live rock.
 

fishboy93256

AC Members
Mar 19, 2008
141
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no i wouldent do that becaus the water is all redy cycled so i would use ever thing to be safe i vather have cycled water with fish in it than not and risk the fish dying while its cycleing 2-6 MONTHES!
 

ryanTEXAS

AC Members
Dec 5, 2008
46
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fishboy93256, the water column does not contain any beneficial bacteria. the bacteria attach themselves to the live rock, sand, and filter media.

dewilde2 has a good idea of what shes doing. drip acclimation is the safest way to go. just make sure that the cycle is complete. using live rock, sand, and filter media does not instantly cycle the tank overnight. it simply speeds the process up.

maybe a more experienced member can chime in on this one? i would feel rather stupid if my information is incorrect because i would then have gone about doing things completely wrong...
 

michaeljr10wv

AC Members
Aug 12, 2008
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West Virginia
When I transfered from my 20g to my 55g I put on a extra HOB and let it run for a few weeks. I transfered all my sand and LR over and used all new water. Never got a raise in ammonia or nitritite. Nitrates did raise, but after a few days they went back to normal. I just ran the HOB's over night and transfered my fish over. I'm no expert though........but worked for me!

Michael
 

ryanTEXAS

AC Members
Dec 5, 2008
46
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were not talking about saving cash. we are talking about wether using water from the old tank to put into the new one will help cycle it faster.
 

ToeJam

MMORPG ADDICT!!
Jan 9, 2009
765
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Tacoma,WA
were not talking about saving cash. we are talking about wether using water from the old tank to put into the new one will help cycle it faster.
Yes I know you were specifically speaking in terms of cycling..I was just poking at the comment "does nothing for you at all".

No grief intended. But it does save cash =) and that is always good.
 

ryanTEXAS

AC Members
Dec 5, 2008
46
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thanks toejam. you have actually help me save a little cash on salt from your comment in another thread about having a lower salinity then i opted for in fowlr tank. i used to have it at 1.025 but now i am taking it down. 1 person said that 1.018 would be okay salinity for fowlr? i also have hermits and snails, is this fine for them also? im lowering it by .002 each water change.
 
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