Tank downgrade help

Tyreef2016 · Nov 5, 2018

I am looking for some help here.

in the process of breaking down a Red Sea 525xl and moving everything to a Red Sea 250.

I will be moving all my live rock, using all new water, ditching my sand bed for BB and cutting my livestock down to 1/3.

I moved Half my live rock over Sunday morning to the new tank. left half my rock so my livestock will be able to manage in the meantime. (shouldn't have any die off as it was just a quick walk across the room)

I started seachem stability just to give a bit of an extra boost also.

My concerns:

what are the chances the new tank needs to cycle again?

should I move everything over at the end of the week or give it more time?

Hitman · Nov 5, 2018

If your using your established live rock you should be fine. At worst a small mini cycle.

Tyreef2016 · Nov 5, 2018

Hitman said:
If your using your established live rock you should be fine. At worst a small mini cycle.

so best to let it ride out for a few more days and test? or go for full transfer?

thought about ghost feeding to see what happens also but it may not be needed..

Hitman · Nov 5, 2018

When I moved tanks I moved half my rock on day one and on day two everything else and I only lost one coral and that was my fault as I forgot it in a bucket in my garage for 2 days when it was over 100 outside. So don’t pull a me and recount everything as you put it in your tank and double check your buckets

cromag27 · Nov 5, 2018

if there was no die off (sounds like there wasn’t) then you’re good to transfer everything over.

Tyreef2016 · Nov 5, 2018

thanks guys! I just have a gem tang I would hate to loose so I've been cautious.

ReeferReefer · May 28, 2019

How did the tank transfer work for you? I am about to do the same thing.

Tyreef2016 · May 28, 2019

Worked like a charm. Ditched the old sand. Filled up tank with water already mixed water and got it to temperature, picked up rocks and walked 10 feet and in they went.

I went bare bottom so hardest part was creating a nice aquascape on the go.

Everything did great with no losses, just try to put your coral in similar spots as the old tank.