Will my tank cycle?

[Stray32]

Soon I will be upgrading to my 75 gallon from a 55 gallon. Once the tank is drained and livestock is cozy in their rubbermaids, I will be keeping all of water, plus will have an additional 30-40 gallons of fresh mixed and ready to go.

I am going to clean my sand real well before putting it back in, and will seed it with a few cups of uncleaned to replace the critters.

So my question is should I expect the tank to cycle? If so, how long should I wait before putting my livestock in the new tank?

[Stray32]

Hmmm, 26 views and no responses. Was this a dumb question? I mean, all of my live rock is well-cured, and I will keep it in the right conditions to make sure it stays that way, but I was wondering if cleaning the detritus from the sand would cause a cycle?

[masharp1126]

I've done this before and had no problem. There was a slight cycle, but not much and almost everything pulled through. Are you going to use salt or fresh water to clean you sand with. I'd stick to saltwater and try to preserve as much life in it as possible. Be sure to monitor your water temps throughout the process and don't let them get too high or low.

[Stray32]

Thanks Mark, I posted my response before I saw your answer.

[liz3]

Well from past experience, any time you add, remove, or disturb a lot you will have a cycle. Just depends on how much of one. Test the water and do water change accordingly.

Sounds like you are pre planning and thinking it out though.