Changes to tank: mini-cycle in my future?

[UnusualSuspect]

I'm getting ready to change a lot of stuff in my 36-bow setup:


Critters & corals to a QT tank.
Rock & sand to buckets.
Ditch Eheim canister filter.
Ditch HOB fuge.
Ditch 3 Koralia Nano-425 powerheads.
Empty & clean the tank.
Drill back panel for a glass-holes overflow & return.
Paint back panel.
Modify stand to accept 10gal DIY sump/fuge with HOB skimmer.
Install sump/fuge.
Adventures in plumbing.
Move heater to sump.
Move HOB skimmer to sump.
Install Vortech MP10-ES.
Leak test the new setup.
Lug home 42gal saltwater from LFS, pour it in the tank & sump.
Rock & sand back to the tank.
Critters & corals back to the tank.

So - can I expect a cycle when I put it all back together? The tank was started 2.5 months ago (New Years weekend) and never had an ammonia spike on start-up due to using pre-cured rock and (biologically active) Arag-Alive sand.

Besides the benefits of a sump over a canister filter, one of the big reasons for doing this is to get everything that resembles "8th grade science fair" out of the tank and into the stand. When done, equipment in the tank should be reduced to an overflow, a return and the wet side of the Vortech pump.

Thoughts?

[jdyer88]

Nice upgrades. as long as the live rock stays wet you will have minimal die off. Your biggest issue is going to be disturbing the sand bed. Make sure you have some amquel or something like that around. I would assume that you will see some level of ammonia, hopefully your live rock will take care of it quickly. It's all an educated guess of course. When I re-aquascaped i saw a little ammonia pup up, but it dissipated quickly, like within 10 hours or less.

[jdyer88]

also, get some extra saltwater, maybe 5 or 10 gallons extra just in case, and if you don't need it you can have it on hand if the ammonia does spike.

[Sk8r]

If you set up a Remote Sandbed it could steady down the main tank while you do this and prevent a minicycle. Takes a little preparation, but one sandbed can work instead of the other and repair the other pdq. I've pulled my whole sump sandbed and let the dt handle it; and the converse, with not even a ripple in the readings. If you do this, be sure to wash the sand of the disturbed sandbed.

[UnusualSuspect]

Thanks. Critters/corals stay in the QT until the water in the display tank tests satisfactory, of course - but always good to have some extra saltwater hanging around.

Truthfully, my biggest worry right now is how I'm going to catch & move my shrimp/goby pair without stressing them too much.

Second on the worry list is drilling the tank, but everybody seems to say that's a piece of cake.

[Sk8r]

I'll bet your shrimp/goby set will find each other asap: give the shrimp an overturned conch shell or the like so he doesn't feel exposed and will behave himself toward other fish.

[UnusualSuspect]

I'm getting ready to change a lot of stuff in my 36-bow setup:


Critters & corals to a QT tank. DONE
Rock & sand to buckets. DONE
Ditch Eheim canister filter. Moved it to the QT
Ditch HOB fuge. DONE
Ditch 3 Koralia Nano-425 powerheads. DONE
Empty & clean the tank. DONE
Drill back panel for a glass-holes overflow & return. DONE - piece of cake just like everybody says
Paint back panel. DONE - used black window tint film instead of painting
Modify stand to accept 10gal DIY sump/fuge with HOB skimmer. IN PROGRESS
Install sump/fuge. Ready to go
Adventures in plumbing.
Move heater to sump. Ready to go
Move HOB skimmer to sump. Ready to go
Install Vortech MP10-ES. It was delivered last Saturday.
Leak test the new setup.
Lug home 42gal saltwater from LFS, pour it in the tank & sump.
Rock & sand back to the tank.
Critters & corals back to the tank.



It's coming along real nicely, I'm geeked! :spin1:

The rock/sand went into buckets yesterday (Monday). How long is too long in the bucket? I'm aiming for Friday to get it all put back together.

A tense moment or two yesterday - couldn't find the goby! I thought he'd been "raptured" or something. I finally found him in one of the buckets o' rock.

[UnusualSuspect]

News flash: one layer of black privacy window tint film (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100618512/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053) is not enough. The fuge light "leaks" onto the wall behind the tank and I could see my plumbing and Vortech cables thru the back of the tank.

I just added a 2nd layer. It's fine now.

[Sk8r]

aerate your buckets, if you haven't already. A simple air pump with a little splitter (manifold) will help keep the rock alive.

[UnusualSuspect]

Project is done. I didn't even see a blip in my water parameters, critters & corals are all happy. Shrimp & goby found each other again almost immediately.

In addition to the laundry list of changes, I decided to change out my sand bed while I had the tank torn down. I used Arag-Alive Fiji Pink. I like the new aquascape better as well - more open.

One thing that's always bugged me - light gray algae magnets. They stick out like a sore thumb in the tank. I painted my Mag-Float black with Krylon Fusion. It's in the tank in the "after" photo below, in the upper right corner next to the overflow, but you can't even see it.

Thought I'd post the before/after photos.

Before - the 8th grade science fair project:
http://www.pbase.com/mlandry/image/133720807.jpg

After - minimal equipment in the tank and nothing over the back wall:
http://www.pbase.com/mlandry/image/133720889.jpg

[duncantse]

Nice work! All your equipments are blending in the background.