Hi, here is a question for all the nano reefers out there. I currently have a 7.5 gallon bowfront nano reef. It is 4 years old and started with live sand, live rock.
Filtration: Live rock and live sand (about 2'')
Lighting: 32 watt 50/50 smart lamp from a DIY kit, bulbs changed every 6-8 months.
Circulation: HOB filter; no media and small powerhead in tank.
Livestock: Pygmy angel, 3 hermit crabs, pulsing xenia, quite a bit of macro algea of various types that needs frequent triming, coraline algea abounds.
Levels Nitrate 0 , Nitrite 0, total alkalinity 130, pH 8.0
1.0 gallon water change with premade R/O salt water every 2 weeks.
Fish has always done well, hermits as well. Tried some zooanthids but they are 2 years old, shriveled, rarely open yet look alive still, oddly.
I want to move to a bigger tank, get MH lights, add a protein skimmer. I am looking at some of the nano cubes that are out there that come complete.
Question; How do I move my current live rock, sand and livestock to a new tank without disrupting the entire life cycle of the sand and rocks during the move. is this possible or do I need to set up 2 systems and run them side by side for a week or so?
I dont have a lot of space and do no mixing of water in my house. I buy water premad from my LFS. Quite cheaply I might add.
Rich Welcome to TR.
what size tank are you going to upgrade to.
the reality is if you go to anything over a 15 (maybe 20) gallon system the cycle might be too strong for your livestock.
i would suggest setting up the new tank with some LS and LR, let is cycle, then transfer the LS and LR from the old tank. it might be a "little" rough on the fish, but should be ok if you go that route.
i know i have done a few shows on replacing tanks, or in place upgrades, so those might be a place to start.
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Rich,
I have multiple nano tanks & I try to just move the rocks, but have not tried any LS transfer. As far as the fish as long as you acclimate them properly on the new larger tank, it should be OK. Rob's advise should work well. Good luck & Welcome to TR!
Thanks guys for the replies. What do you think about transferring a cup or 2 of the live sand into the new tank along with the rocks. Will it require a full cycle or will the bacteria on the LR and LS just take off?
Rob, wondering if you might comment on my question regarding my closed zooanthids. they are like 3 years old, plump, closed polyps, never open. I can kind of see inside the polpys at times. They closed up when I had an algea bloom 2 years ago. Algea is gone, xoanthids are like dormant.
If you are using the same rock and sand from the first tank and not adding anything else, then you will be fine. I would put everything in a rubbermaid with a powerhead and heater, get the new tank setup, add back the sand, LR, and all the water, and then add your critters. You can do it within a matter of hours. Now, when you want to add more LR- be sure to find the most cured LR you can get and add one small piece at a time. This will cause small cycles, but if you do it slow and over time, you will be ok. Just add one small rock every 2 months or so.
temp 78 Levels Nitrate 0 , Nitrite 0, total alkalinity 130, pH 8.0, salinity 1.028
1.0 gallon water change with premade R/O salt water every 2 weeks.
since the tank is small and I do weekly 1 gal water changes, I have never had any issues but a few algea blooms that I thought were just a normal complication. Interstingly, I have never been able to keep emerald crabs alive for more than 1-2 days in my tank even with careful acclimation.
im not sure about the zoathids, they can be finicky corals sometimes.
i have some that are temperamental, sometimes they open sometimes they dont, im not sure what causes it.
lets see the water reading, and maybe we will see something
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130 what for alk? I'm familar with the 2 types of readings *meq/l and dkh/l* and maybe you have another reading I'm not familar with? What means did you use to test *brand of test kit, how often, part of day u tested* ?
What do you keep your temp at? How do you do water changes? Are you dosing additives? Was your tank previously used for freshwater? How are you testing salinity? What is the temp of the tank while you are testing salinity? How are you replacing evaporated water? What is your photoperiod? How are you doing water changes?
I do agree that your salinity is high, however if you are measuring with a hydrometer, your salinity could be much higher than the actual reading.
yes, good point gwen...
especially with a nano tank, you should look at getting a refractometer, since salinity changes are much more likely. its important to maintain constant and correct levels.
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Hi and thanks. Just bought a refractometer on line. :-) seriously.
My tank usually runs 1.024-1.026 not 1.028 sorry. I do 1 gallon water changes with R0 salt water, every 2 weeks. I top off with R0 water. I keep temp between 76-78 degrees. Lights are on 12 hours (32 watt 50/50). I really like the smaller tank and dont think its that hard to maintain once you get it up and running and find the routine. I was adding Iodine and Calcium but with the frequent water changes I didnt feel it was necessary.
hmmm maybe softie competition *chemical warfare*? Here is what I would try: do water changes every week, and run carbon. Do you have a tank full of xenia? How does your xenia look? Usually if xenia is happy, then your zoas should be as well.
How close to the lights are your zoas? What kind of flow are they getting? Do you target feed them?
Want a larger tank..... 
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