Upgrading from 65g to 100g

[Yourlocalreefer]

Hello everyone I’m planning to upgrade my 65 gallon tank to a bigger 100g in the next couple months. I have anemones, fish, coral, and inverts in my 65g and was wondering what should I do? I’m debating if I should leave them in there till the cycle is complete or I’m not sure? Any help would be appreciated thank you in advance (the picture shows the 65g)

 

[ZombieEngineer]

It would be better to let at least part of a cycle complete before moving anything over to make sure the new rock is fully cured.

When I have done this in the past and was able to run both simultaneously, I setup the new tank, tested everything thoroughly, set up new aquascape and sand minus any rocks I was going to move over. Added a bottle of bacteria and about 10% of the rock from the existing tank and a couple scoops of sand. I let it cycle for 4 weeks, then moved the rest of the rock fish and corals.

All of that can be sped up, but the longer it cycles, the shorter the mini cycle when fish and corals are moved.

 

[Jedi1199]

Hello everyone I’m planning to upgrade my 65 gallon tank to a bigger 100g in the next couple months. I have anemones, fish, coral, and inverts in my 65g and was wondering what should I do? I’m debating if I should leave them in there till the cycle is complete or I’m not sure? Any help would be appreciated thank you in advance (the picture shows the 65g)

View attachment 2703411

I am having a similar discussion on another thread that relates here...

Are you going to replace the current tank with the new one, or are you going to keep them both running?

 

[Yourlocalreefer]

I am having a similar discussion on another thread that relates here...

Are you going to replace the current tank with the new one, or are you going to keep them both running?

My plan is to replace the old one with the new tank since I’ll have better sump accessibility. (My old one has only 1 inch of room till you hit the top)

 

[Yourlocalreefer]

It would be better to let at least part of a cycle complete before moving anything over to make sure the new rock is fully cured.

When I have done this in the past and was able to run both simultaneously, I setup the new tank, tested everything thoroughly, set up new aquascape and sand minus any rocks I was going to move over. Added a bottle of bacteria and about 10% of the rock from the existing tank and a couple scoops of sand. I let it cycle for 4 weeks, then moved the rest of the rock fish and corals.

All of that can be sped up, but the longer it cycles, the shorter the mini cycle when fish and corals are moved.

Should I get the bigger rocks or the most green/most life on it for the new tank?

 

[Freddy0144]

So, I would say that it really depends on the plan. If your plan is to setup the new tank and run it simultaneously with the other one with new rock, filter lights etc. Then I would wait for everything to cycle before moving any live stock. If the plan is to move the live rock from one tank to the other then that is going to change things, because your tank is already established you should be able to transfer all the live stock as long as the rock is moving too. so If you watch the Bulk Reef supply and WWC hybrid method it will cover this in depth.

 

[Jedi1199]

My plan is to replace the old one with the new tank since I’ll have better sump accessibility. (My old one has only 1 inch of room till you hit the top)

Ok. if you are going to completely replace the current tank, here is all you need.

Use EVERYTHING from the current tank. All the rocks and as much of the clear water as possible. Wash the sand completely and reuse. Add more sand as needed. The rocks have the bacterial colonies you need to instantly skip-cycle.

This is an upgrade, NOT a new build! As long as you do not add to the bio-load, you are simply increasing space and volume. what worked in your current tank will be enough for the new one.

 

[Jedi1199]

For what it's worth.. I am going to upgrade my 55g to a 135g in the next couple weeks. Since I plan to completely replace the 55 with the new 135, I am going to do exactly what I described above. Reuse as much of the clear water as I can, ALL of the rocks, and all of the sand which will be completely washed before transfer. Since I run canister filters on my 55, I will also squeeze out all of the foams into the new water to maximize the bacterial colonies. This step, in my opinion is overkill, but I feel it is more of a failsafe.

I have every confidence that the new build will sustain ALL of my stock seamlessly.

Honestly, I am more concerned about how everything will do in the holding tanks while I am doing the transfer.

 

[Fredrxn]

Hello everyone I’m planning to upgrade my 65 gallon tank to a bigger 100g in the next couple months. I have anemones, fish, coral, and inverts in my 65g and was wondering what should I do? I’m debating if I should leave them in there till the cycle is complete or I’m not sure? Any help would be appreciated thank you in advance (the picture shows the 65g)

View attachment 2703411

I just upgraded from a 65 aio to a waterbox reef 130.4... I used caribsea shapes rock and algeabarns cycle kit... Tank was cycled in 6 days moved over all corals and fish on day 7

 

[Yourlocalreefer]

Ok. if you are going to completely replace the current tank, here is all you need.

Use EVERYTHING from the current tank. All the rocks and as much of the clear water as possible. Wash the sand completely and reuse. Add more sand as needed. The rocks have the bacterial colonies you need to instantly skip-cycle.

This is an upgrade, NOT a new build! As long as you do not add to the bio-load, you are simply increasing space and volume. what worked in your current tank will be enough for the new one.

I have aptaisa in my sump on all the rocks down there with bristle worms in it (main display is clean of pests) should I still transfer those rocks to the new tanks sump or leave them? Some of the rocks are from what I was told real reef rock so there very old.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

I have aptaisa in my sump on all the rocks down there with bristle worms in it (main display is clean of pests) should I still transfer those rocks to the new tanks sump or leave them? Some of the rocks are from what I was told real reef rock so there very old.

No. You don't want to start a new tank with aptasia if you can help it.

 

[Yourlocalreefer]

No. You don't want to start a new tank with aptasia if you can help it.

So toss those rocks or make them into dry rock again? And thank you for helping I’m leaning a lot

 

[ZombieEngineer]

So toss those rocks or make them into dry rock again? And thank you for helping I’m leaning a lot

Make them into dry rock.

 

[Yourlocalreefer]

Make them into dry rock.

I will thank you

 

[Jedi1199]

I have aptaisa in my sump on all the rocks down there with bristle worms in it (main display is clean of pests) should I still transfer those rocks to the new tanks sump or leave them? Some of the rocks are from what I was told real reef rock so there very old.

Is this on your current tank, or the new one?

 

[Yourlocalreefer]

Is this on your current tank, or the new one?

It’s in my current tanks sump. Only the a couple rocks in there are affected some don’t have anything by the looks of it.