More questions So the 180 we set up had been up and running for 6 years before I purchaced it. All we did was move the tank, change out the water and add new sand. Last week I showed just a little color in the Ammonia test. This week Ammonia is 0. Nitrate is up just a hair. My question is do you think this tank will totally recycle? Or does it have enough established bio to continue with out a change? I added the 2 fish that came with the tank and have been feeding them. . I even see hitch hiker starfish, fan worms, bristleworms on the rocks. Seller said it was 600lbs of LR? It does seem like a lot of rock. Tank is full sump is full and I have some that i wanted to put in my 45 so it's recycling. I don't plan on adding anything, but a CUC....I would like to know where I stand. is this normal for moving an established tank?
When i purchased my 225 gallon tank, I tore it down saved all water and sand, moved tank, rock, coral, and all fish and inverts in one day and set it up and lost one fish. But remember, i saved all water and sand. I would say that if u replaced the water and sand then yes, it will cycle again!
most of your bb will be in the rock so moving an established tank and putting all the rock back in before it dries out will make a big difference as to the cycle. if you had an ammonia spike and it has leveled off and there is fish in there then you should be ok. i would wait for a few weeks and let the new sand bed establish some bacteria as well before adding anything else. i have broke down and moved several tanks without a spike at all but i am overfiltered for such reasons.
I would have liked to reuse the sand (I did save it) It is awesome, but so nasty. I can only tell you that it smells like a south american marina. And that's nicely put. Maybe some good bio but... I think everything likes fresh water and clean and happier... It was very neglected. What do you think about using some of the sand in my refuge? Clean it first or just throw it in?
i have read it can be a phosphate trap and bad to reuse sand so opinions on that are mixed. i personally would rinse it over and over in ro water until it is as clean as possible and then use it.
Reusing your substrate is a good idea, just be sure to rinse prior to placing it back in your aquarium. You will always go through some measure of repopulation of your aquarium by nitriying bacteria when you alter the conditions in your tank (i.e. remove or add live rock, add or remove animals, even doing a cleaning of your tank or changing carbon). To what degree will depend on the extent of the change, even expierenced aquarist like sbf_beanhead have neglectec to account for this when he removed several live rock pieces from his tank creating a bacterial repopulation event that severly stressed his corals with the rise of nitrogen cylce products. By reusing your sand you will also hasten the cyling as you will have plenty of bacteria left from the rinsing to put you well on the way to getting you nitifying bacteria levels back to where you need them to support the life you your tank.
