Reef Tank Migration

[Nav]

I have a cycled 29gal mixed reef that has been running for a few months now & my 40gal just cycled and I want to come up with a good migration strategy in advance.

So the end goal is to move everything to the 40 & break down the 29. Here's some more info:

29 Gal

• Mixed reef (got LPS, shrooms, zoas & montis)
• A cleaner shrimp + few snails & hermits
• Kessil A350W light
• Not moving any rock/sand
• Target feeding coral once a week
• ReefOctopus BH100 HOB Skimmer
• Salt: Instant Ocean Reef Crystals

40 Gal Breeder

• 2 Clowns just added + small CUC coming this weekend
• Running currently on a cheap LED bar
• Salt: Kent Marine Reef Salt Mix
• Has refugium space that I'm going to add Cheato & pods this weekend
• No GFO/Carbon/Dosing yet.
• No Skimmer yet, but want to use the same BH100
• Going to check Alk/Cal/Mg soon and make sure its same as the 29gal

I do have a 48" dual T5 that I could use anywhere in the transition.

Lot of questions

Lighting

• I have a 48" dual T5 that I could use anywhere in the transition
• All coral have been happy under the Kessil
• A) Move all coral with light in one shot, so i can continue same lighting?
• B) Use T5 on 40gal, move coral slowly and then re-light-aclimate all coral to Kessil after full transition?
• C) Switch Kessil on 29gal with T5, light-aclimate in 29gal with the T5, use Kessil on 40gal and slowly move coral?
• D) Other methods?

Chemistry

• How to handle the salinity & other chemistry transition
• I heard changing salt could sometimes cause trouble to coral?
  
• I am going to dip and acclimate everything...

Skimmer

• Which water has more dissolved organics and where's the skimmer needed the most (in the transition)?
• Is it important for a fish-less-coral tank or for a coral-less fish-tank?

I would really appreciate any advise. Thank you.

 

[neuro]

Lighitng:
- By "dual" T5, how many bulbs is it? I'm assuming 2? I think your plan A and C are great. If you go with A, you can switch to the T5 eventually (and slowly). I think you'll need more than 2 bulbs though, but really depends on what you're keeping.
- Personal anecdote, I went from a 150w Skyblue Kessil to a straight 250w metal halide. All corals were fine.

Chemistry:
- I would personally just create a fresh batch of salt water, and use the water you take out from your current tank during your water changes to fill in the 40 gal breeder. I would do this in steps, and keep the heater and pump going in your 40 gallon until you have enough water in there so that when you move things over, it fills to the correct level (or at least near it, and fill the rest up with water from your old tank). Careful to watch for displacement with your sand and rock.
- I highly doubt you need to re-dip anything.
- Can you stick to using one kind of salt during this move? I've heard people mixing different salts when they switch to a new brand, until they mix only the new kind of salt they want to use 100%.

Skimmer:
- I would leave it on the tank that has the most coral in it during the move.
- Whatever is producing the most waste.

I think the point is to provide the least stressful environment during the transition.

 

[Nav]

Thanks Alfred. Some clarification:

Lighting:

• Yes its 2 bulbs, one 10k & other actinic. But I want to use the Kessil on the 40gal finally, not T5. I thought the T5 could help in the transition...

Chemistry

• Did u mean transfer water from 29 to 40? The 40 is cycled with dry rock & sand, should I really risk it? Is it better to do a 50-50 mix of both salts for next few weeks and then switch to 100 Kent after all the coral settles in the 40?

Skimmer

• 29 is fed coral frenzy once a week while I'm feeding pallets to fish in the 40 twice a day. Not sure which would have more organics?

Thx

 

[neuro]

- I would keep using the kessil in the new one. No point in changing over
- Totally sorry, I did not realize the tank was already cycled and using new salt (you've told me already, duh!!). Sorry, I don't have any suggestions in this case. I've never researched this situation before.
- Your pellets for fish in the 40 is definitely the one I would choose to use the skimmer. Not having a skimmer run for a day or two in a tank isn't going to matter a whole lot.

 

[Nav]

Thanks Alfred. Anyone else care to chime in?

 

[bluprntguy]

I'd move one or two corals as a test, then move all the corals, lighting and skimmer a day or two later if all looks well.

If you have your salinity, alkalinity and temperature between the two tanks pretty close, you probably won't need to do anything special. Dip, rinse and put them in the new tank.

 

[rygh]

How close together are the tanks?
Mixing the water between them eliminates acclimation issues.
Best case: Can you run the old 29G using the sump in the new 40G.
Otherwise, pump water back and forth manually for a bit.
Alternately, large water changes to both, from the same batch,
pushes the water parameters together also.

In general, it is pretty easy. Key though : Do not disturb the sand bed in the old tank!
Lots of crud in there.
Very gently and slowly remove rocks/corals.

 

[Nav]

Thanks for the inputs guys. The tanks are 20 feet apart so no chance of mixing water or switching sump.

Also I feel it's better not to mix water cos it could potentially bring any bad hitchhikers to the new system.

I guess based on all thoughts, might make sense to use 50/50 fresh salt mix for a few weeks and also try to exactly match Alk/Cal/Mg/Sal/Tmp and slowly acclimate and move coral.

I'll first try on a few frags and see how it goes before I move all of it...

 

[F6553066]

When I set my 38 gal reef aquarium in Feb I took everything from my 150 tank, rock and water. In your case you would have to add 11 or so of new Kent salt but that is like doing a water change. If everything was fine in the 29 gal why not the 40 gal. Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see a problem.

 

[Nav]

I'm only planning on moving coral. Problem is the old tank has reef crystals & new one kent salt. Also corals have been under the Kessil A350 so I could either move all in a few hours and continue Kessil or acclimate each piece to a T5 and move slowly and after moving everythin, I have to re-acclimate again to Kessil...

 

[aqua-nut]

I'm gonna vote with F6550366. If corals were super sensitive to the salt or any other environment change, I don't think we'd be able to keep any alive. We don't ask the LFS what kind of salt they use. Same for swaps.

Match temp and salinity and GO FOR IT!

 

[Nav]

@aqua-nut @F6553066, very good point Yup, I'll match temp, salinity & move a few to see how well they do. Thanks

 

[Hondo]

I agree with aqua-nut your over-analyzing everything..

No different than when you purchase/acquire corals, fish, etc. from others. You don't try to match your tanks parameters to where you acquired your livestock. Your 40B is not your 29g no use trying to match parameters, it won't happen because they are their own systems.

Just move over the Kessil, dip your corals, and drip acclimate if your really concerned.

 

[Nav]

Could Cyanno or Bubble algae transfer via Coral?

Also will slight brushing of the frag plugs & dip in Coral Revive avoid it?

 

[rygh]

Could Cyanno or Bubble algae transfer via Coral?

Also will slight brushing of the frag plugs & dip in Coral Revive avoid it?

You might be able to specifically limit bubble algae transfer, but to be really effective, you would need an algaecide.
And since coral have symbiotic algae .... well ...

For Cyano and regular algae, forget it. Basically everywhere.

 

[BAYMAC]

Thanks Alfred. Some clarification:

Skimmer

• 29 is fed coral frenzy once a week while I'm feeding pallets to fish in the 40 twice a day. Not sure which would have more organics?

Thx

Tell me more about these pallets... wood, plastic... if wood, which kind?

It really depends on the size of the fish relative to their adult size. Once fish reach maturity/adulthood, input nearly equals output, so you'll see more waste in aquaria from adult fish (and not only from them eating more).

 

[Nav]

Oops, meant Pellets

My big clown eats & poops a lot. I'm moving my HOB skimmer this weekend.

Nitrates was 40 after cycle, went up to 50 and after two major water changes, got it down to 20 yesterday. Will do one more this weekend...

 

[aqua-nut]

Could Cyanno or Bubble algae transfer via Coral?

Also will slight brushing of the frag plugs & dip in Coral Revive avoid it?

There is a thread on Reef Central, IIRC, about dipping frag plugs in Hydrogen Peroxide to kill algae. Seems it works for some but not others.

I don't think Revive will have any effect.

 

[BAYMAC]

IIRC there is a thread here on H202 as well. Works for me and those I know. Works great for zoas and palys when first getting a wild specimen.