Switching tanks!!! HELP!!!

[Hackney]

In about a week i will be upgrading from my current 29 biocube to a 55 gallon with a 20 gallon sump. I will be switching over all of the water, LR, and sand from the biocube over to the new tank. My question is, "Will my cycle restart when i do this?" because i will be adding more rock, sand, and water that were never in my system.

Here are the things you should probably know:
I will be moving over 30 lbs of LR and 30 lbs of Live Sand from the biocube to the 55

I will be adding 30 lbs of base rock and 50 lbs of aragonite sand to the 55 (none of this will be live)

The tank is a fowlr, so no corals.

Stock consists of 2 clowns, a 6 line wrasse, and some crabs/snails

So, given my situation, what do you guys think? Will the cycle restart?

Thanks
Adam

 

[nonstophoops]

In about a week i will be upgrading from my current 29 biocube to a 55 gallon with a 20 gallon sump. I will be switching over all of the water, LR, and sand from the biocube over to the new tank. My question is, "Will my cycle restart when i do this?" because i will be adding more rock, sand, and water that were never in my system.

Here are the things you should probably know:
I will be moving over 30 lbs of LR and 30 lbs of Live Sand from the biocube to the 55

I will be adding 30 lbs of base rock and 50 lbs of aragonite sand to the 55 (none of this will be live)

The tank is a fowlr, so no corals.

Stock consists of 2 clowns, a 6 line wrasse, and some crabs/snails

So, given my situation, what do you guys think? Will the cycle restart?

Thanks
Adam

A few points that will help this go smoothly.

1. Try to remove as much water as possible before moving anything else. Don't start pulling rock first, because you will end up with some dirty water that you won't want to transfer over.
2. Remove the rock next, and shake it in some clean water. It can be fresh water, but mixed saltwater would be better. This will get all the settled junk off it before placing the rock in the new tank.
3. Take the "used" sand from the biocube and put in a bucket with some water. Stir it and you will end up with most of the waste on the top. You can then dump/scoop this out and throw it away so those wastes don't end up in the new tank.
4. Put down plastic bags or something that you can poor the water into the new tank on so that you don't create a sandstorm. The less cloudy/dirty you make the water the better for the fish.

You will end up with a small cycle, but not starting over the cycle. Since you don't have a lot of fish you shouldn't have any problems. Just make sure you feed lightly for the first couple days to weeks so the biological filter has time to build up.

Good Luck!

 

[Hackney]

Thanks, i really appreciate the advice! It wont go to waste!

 

[insanesquirle]

I'm kind of in the same situation.... I've got a 30 gallon tank right now that is fully cycled and has been going strong for about a year. I'm moving to a different home, and also moving up to a 75 gallon aquarium. I don't plan on moving over any of the rock, but I read that if you use the filter media from an older tank it will kickstart the cycle process... So given that about 30% of the water in the new tank will be from the old cycled tank... How long do you think it should take to cycle this tank? Any tips for making this go smoother? Will different water effect the cycle? I've never moved to a bigger tank before, so I am a little scared at this point. Also, the fish are red belly paranha... I've read that you're supposed to introduce the fish a little at a time, but i'm afraid that if I introduce them at different times they are going to fight and kill eachother. There are 5 of them, they're about an inch long a piece.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Hackney]

^^ Idk if this really makes much of a difference, but with you having a FW tank the cycle is not as big of an issue. This is the Saltwater section of the forum btw.

 

[nonstophoops]

^^ Idk if this really makes much of a difference, but with you having a FW tank the cycle is not as big of an issue. This is the Saltwater section of the forum btw.

Good point.

I will answer the question anyway. With it being freshwater and the fish being small I would not worry about switching them over. Adding as much established water as possible is a good idea. It will help some, but some of the established rock and filter media would be better. There is a lot more bacteria because of the surface area than in the water itself.

 

[insanesquirle]

Sorry guys, I didn't realize this was the saltwater section. I stumbled onto this thread by a google search and didn't look at what section it was in. Anyway, thank you for your advice.