75 to 300 gallon upgrade advice needed

[shelley293]

Ok people, crack your nuckles and let's get to work.... A little elf told us that we are getting a 300 gallon tank for Xmas! We are now getting down to details on how to transition.

Current set up is a 75 display plumbed to a 55 sump in the basement. We plan to use the sump in the basement for the new tank as well.

How do we set up/cycle the new tank while still keeping the fish in the current tank alive?

To make things more complicated, I have worries that the water in the current tank is no good because I simply cannot grow xenon in that tank, and I could easily in our old tank like 10 years ago.

Probably not necessary, but I would like to not put any water from the current tank in to the new tank. Ok more details to come, toddler just came in the room.
The main problem that I see is a limit to the equipment like powerjheads and heaters to get the new tank cycled while keeping the current tank alive. We also need the sump in the new tank while cycling, and maybe need to disconnect

 

[shelley293]

Xenia... Not xenon as spell check would like...

 

[Wicked Color]

Hehe, fill it up and transfer, the 75 should be enough of a seed to transition smoothly between with little or no loss of life.

 

[Boogie]

Is the 300 going in the same spot as the 75?

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[shelley293]

Good question! They are going in different spots so it is possible to have both tanks up at once. Thank you for the vote on seeding the new tank with the current one. If I wanted to keep current tank water out of the new tank, how might that cycle go?

 

[Boogie]

New sand (or at least dead sand) in the 300. Pre plumb as much as possible. Fill tank 3/4 with new water. Set to temp and salinity. Transfer rock and livestock but keep below overflows. Make sure tank has circulation. Shut down 75 and swap. Least that how I'd do it...course...its probably the wrong way.lol

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[Wicked Color]

I dont understand why you wouldn't want the old water, is there copper or some other contaminate?
Almost any contaminate will leach into and out of the rock and substrate, ergo- isolating the water will not exclude anything as the rock and substrate will carry it in anyway.

 

[Cake_Boss]

Xenia... Not xenon as spell check would like...

Dang that spell checker, someone should make a thread about that.

I'm super interested in how you're going to do this, following along.

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[Tripple T]

If it were me and my tank couldn't grow Xenia I would start fresh and new. No sand from old tank. No sand from old fuge. I would really think long and hard about my live rock as well. Nothing worse than setting up the new tank only to tear down in 6 months because u realize it was the sand or rock after all.

 

[Mini T]

None of my tanks can grow it. Water is too clean.

 

[shelley293]

Ok so regarding current water... I am paranoid that there is something in the water that causes the xenia to die. Probably not but I just LOVE xenia! My theory at the point is.... The current hood is made of pressed wood and is about 12 years old. It is kind of disintegrating and dust from it is falling in the tank. The is formaldehyde in that wood right? So I was thinking to keep current water out of the new tank to avoid any possible contamination. But it does make it harder for the transition/cycling .... When we first set up this tank again about 2 years go, xenia would live for awhile, but now they just melt away quickly.

 

[shelley293]

Ok so the thought of the day... We bought a nice sized colony of xenia to see if it will live or die. If it lives then we don't have a problem and can just move everything over. If it dies, then back to the drawing board! Probably silly, but we will see!

 

[Cake_Boss]

It could be that your water is too clean, give it some food

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[shelley293]

Ok I was actually thinking along those lines today as well. Let's say that is the problem, how often and what would you feed? We do quite a lot of water changes and feed lightly. Not extreme I don't think but...

 

[Cake_Boss]

Realistically, I'd rather move on to a coral that likes clean water. If you have coral that likes less than pristine water...well they can learn to like cleaner water it'll just take some acclimation.

What kind of system did this latest batch come from? How closely does your system match theirs?

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