Cycle

[dan_k]

In 2 weeks I will be picking up a 120RR deep that has been running for a couple year it's well stocked mostly with all my stuff that came from my old tank (brother inlaw) of course I did not get a brother inlaw price but he needed to sell it and I need a tank so I have a couple of questions

1st I really don't want to use his rock I have 2 boxes of cooked clean rock from reef rocks and 2 really nice show pieces and want to use my plan was to keep some of his rock to seed the new and as base rock and then add mine good idea?

2nd the rock I will be adding I still have to clean its been a box for a couple months and it could us a clean off so my plan here was to power wash the crap out of it and soak it a couple days in vinegar then some ro water for a couple days then some salt water sound good?

3rd once I get all the above done when I go and pick up the tank and get it all here spend 10 hours messing with the rock scape adding new substrate I will be saving as much water as I can from the tank and bring it with me to add in when I set it up I'm sure I will have a cycle so my plan was to add DR Tim's or bio spira to stop that from happening how long until I can add all the fish and coral after I add that? I'm sure all my levels will be all over the place for a couple hours how long can the fish and coral hold on to I think I should have at least 24 hours with them in rubber maid tubes?

Thanks for the info everyone

 

[mnat]

Moving tanks is always a ton of work, but if you can plan it out well it will help. My first piece of advice is to be patient and don't rush. If you rush it, you are going to have problems for a long time. Just a couple of points for you with our experience of moving tanks multiple times.

1. If there is sand, throw it out and but new sand.
2. As far as the rocks go, you can absolutely introduce new rock and chuck his. Keeping a couple of pieces his is fine, just make sure they have nothing bad on them at all (bad algae, aipstaia, mojanos, button palys, etc). They will help seed your new rock but they will not do it quickly enough if you are setting the tank back up. That is where the Dr. Tims will come in handy, which will help colonize the new rock you are putting in. Once that is done you can add fish and inverts pretty quickly after that.
3. I have not cleaned rock the way you have described, but I know others who have. Again just make sure there is nothing bad on it. Another thing to do, and this might be overkill, it make up some fresh salt water and put the rock in it with a power head and heater. Wait a couple of days and check for phosphates to make sure the rock is not leaching serious phosphate back into the water. I know some people who have had some issues with that and again now is the time to check and prevent these things.
4. Be patient with the fish and corals. Fish in a rubber maid container with a power head and heater (HOB skimmer if you can find one) can last for a while. As long as it is not overstocked, the fish will live quite happily in there. Another pro tip: go get some egg crate to put over the rubber maid so you don't get any jumpers. The corals can be treated the same way. If you have a light you can rig over the container, even better. If not they can still go 3 days or so without light.
5. As far as water goes, moving roughly 120g of water is just about impossible if you don't have the right equipment (a large container on the back of a pickup). The beneficial bacteria is in the rock and sand, not out in the water column. You can bring some over but it is not necessary to use all his old water. I would start mixing water now and have it ready to go at your place for when the move happens. You can also start doing water changes on his tank and bringing the old water over now. This will help break up the water movement and make things less stressful on moving day.

 

[dan_k]

Matt thanks for all the info you saved my back from alot of bucket lugging
If I start making water now will it still be good in a couple weeks? As for the rock I think I will be throwing most of it out and just looking for some small pieces to seed my tank that are pest free and problem free
Thank again

 

[mnat]

If the mixing bucket has a heater and something to keep it aerated (powerhead or a bubbler) then yeah it will be fine.

 

[dan_k]

Matt you said something about not using that way to clean rock if I just wash it off with some RO water place it in a trash can with some salt water and a heater and power head and watch my phosphates would that be just as good

 

[redfishbluefish]

I never understood those that soaked their rock in vinegar. The rock is calcium carbonate….the same stuff we clean off our powerheads and other equipment using vinegar. You put rock in vinegar and you are dissolving the rock. It will continue until you remove the rock or the acid is consumed. Leaving rock in vinegar for three days will result in all the vinegar (acid) being consumed.

 

[dan_k]

I never understood those that soaked their rock in vinegar. The rock is calcium carbonate….the same stuff we clean off our powerheads and other equipment using vinegar. You put rock in vinegar and you are dissolving the rock. It will continue until you remove the rock or the acid is consumed. Leaving rock in vinegar for three days will result in all the vinegar (acid) being consumed.

Did not know that Paul good point so then just the plan from above RO bath then some salt water with a heater and power head until the tank gets to my place