Setting up new tank question

[PufferMe!]

Okay, so here's what I need to understand/know before I put my puffer in his new tank (68 gal). I've purchased a bunch of dead rock, and rinsed it well. I also have put in crushed coral substrate (also used, but rinsed well). I've put both in the new tank, and it's now running with a filter (emperor 400) that has new filter pads in it. I've matched the salinity to what my other tank is at, and plan on bringing over to the new tank, the Fluval 305 as a second filter. That filter has been running on that tank, with salinity slowly increasing to 1.012 for about 2 months. It's been in a freshwater tank for much longer than that, but with salinity, I'm say at least 2 months (when I bought the puffer). I have no plans of putting over the sand substrate from the first tank, which is 28 gallons. So beside a couple pourous rocks in the first tank, only the filter would be coming over to the new tank.

So, will I have a completely or partial cycle if I put the fluval on the new tank when I move GSP over? I do know I can get some substrate from a SW tank to add some good bacteria, but I'm not sure this will work, and need to know before I move my little guy!!

Thanks for the help!

Gwen

[bertie 83]

The filter will hold his bio load, but keep a close eye on your parameters for a couple of weeks to be safe. What rock did you buy? If its base rock then it's fine. If its dead live rock (if that makes sense) it needs to be cured before adding your puffer

[bertie 83]

If its dead live rock do not add it at that salinity, just spotted you are at 1.012

[scpion]

U would have a partially cycled tank. All the bacterial in your old tank (Media, sand etc) is sufficient to support only the GSP. So when u move the one filter over, u would be only moving a small part of the bacterial that is needed to support the fish. But with that filter seeding, to get it fully ready wouldnt take a long time. The numbers from testing is your best answer.

Using the substrate from a SW tank would not help at all unless the sg is the same or very close.

[Pufferpunk]

I have easily moved only a filter over & had enough bacteria to support the bioload of the fish I moved. Just don't rinse the media. I'm not a fan of CC substrate anymore. It can easily trap detritus. Aragonite sand is better.

How log has that rock been dead? Does it have any smell at all?

[scpion]

The amount of nitrifying bacterial in a tank is directly proportional to the amount of bioload of all the stocking. A similar filter in a tank with more fish(higher bioload) holds more bacterial than another with one/lesser fish. But, having said all this, having moved to a much bigger tank, it will take longer to pollute the water. I would even say there may be a tiny bit of ammonia spike for the first few day but the good bacterial will reproduce and soon catch up. Extra dose of prime wouldnt hurt.. IMO.

[PufferMe!]

Thanks, this has helped, but now I need to understand why I can't put "dead" rock in at that salinity, and was does curing involve? I suspect it's been out of water longer than one month, and I don't smell anything from the rock, that is noticeable.

Gwen

[PufferMe!]

Just tested the ammonia level, and surprising it's at 0.25. I've put nothing in the tank, but the dead rock and substrate. So, I obviously can't put my GSP in now, until this tank cycles. I'm guessing I can cure the rock during the cycling process? Because I don't have a circulation pump or protein skimmer yet, I'd rather go slow on going to full marine. I'm assuming I can set this tank up as brackish, and still slowly go full marine when I'm ready.

[Pufferpunk]

Live rock has TONS of bacteria &creatures living in it. Even after months out of water, some can still be living & dying, deep inside of it.

[Pufferpunk]

Live rock has TONS of bacteria &creatures living in it. Even after months out of water, some can still be living & dying, deep inside of it. Good thing you tested!

[RTR]

+1 to PP's comments. But those bacteria/creatures cannot live and reproduce at BW levels, only in full marine conditions, so will not be of much use to you. You can try fishless cycling the unoccupied tank, but woll have to monitor the water quality closely.

Circulation is an absolute requirement for cycling IMHO & IME.

[Pufferpunk]

I'm thinking you are using the "dead" rock just for decoration, not for bacterial support? 1 month out of water, may not have dried that rock to the core. If you had placed that rock into a SW tank, there is a chance that some of the life that may have been left deep inside the rock could come back. By putting this rock into BW, all that could happen is more death & it may take some time.

I do know I can get some substrate from a SW tank to add some good bacteria, but I'm not sure this will work

All you would be doing is adding SW bacteria that has no chance of surviving in BW, hence causing more die-off = ammonia.

I also hope you plan on changing out that CC for sand, before you upgrade to SW.

[PufferMe!]

Okay, that makes sense. I guess I can put the salinity up to marine, and let it cycle that way is what you suggest? I guess until I get the right equipment things will be okay? When I put my existing filter on the tank (once I move my fish over) I hope I won't have another mini-cycle, because that filter will not be yet used to that level of salniity?

Here are my readings this morning. Please let me know what this means for my tank.

ph 8.2
ammonia 0.25ppm
nitrite 0
nitrate 10ppm

Thanks!!

[Pufferpunk]

I would add some real live rock from an established SW tank then, to start some good bacteria & LR creatures in there. Are you going to go with sand then?

[PufferMe!]

I'm pretty sure I do have the sand you're referring to, I just don't know how to spell it that is why I didn't list it that way - figuring it doesn't really matter for the purpose of my question. So I just wrote crushed coral It's very sandy, has tiny little shells etc., so whole, some broken. Crushed coral I believe is white, and this isn't white. If putting pics up wasn't so hard, I'd post a picture. I found a guy who is getting out of the business of selling coral etc, so I got plenty of the substrate that was in tanks he had, and it was free! I like the look of it, because it is very sandy, just a bit coarser than regular playsand that I use in my FW tank.

Gwen