Transfer to new tank - Help

[crabbydan]

I have a 40 gallon cube and am upgrading to a 105 gallon. I plan to run both tanks for a few months as the new is set up / cycling. I have 40 lbs of rock in the old tank established for over 1.5 years. The new 105 gallon has 57 pounds of new reef saver rock cured in the garage for the past two months but not necessarily cycled. Here is my question...

Can I move some of my old established rock into the new tank as it cycles?

Should I only move so much at a time like 20%? I think I will lose filteration in the old tank with this harm that tank?

Should I expect any sponge or die off from the established tank rock that I do move into the new cycling tank. Will try to add a picture of old tank and new to make this entry a little less boring

[crabbydan]

306344

[crabbydan]

306345

[julie180]

I would say 20% rock would be ok to remove, unless you have a crazy bio-load in the cube. I have become a huge fan of the seachem ammonia alert. Its a great way to stay on top of ammonia creep.

[Mishri]

You could. But since you plan on having both setup I'd probably run the 57 new rock in the new tank, let it cycle, then add the other. Unless you have some reason not to. During that cycle you could get a nasty algae bloom and you don't want that on your good rocks.

[crabbydan]

No crazy bio load. 40 gallon cube has 2 shrimp a peppermint and a cleaner. 1 baby snowflake clown and 1 maybe 1 inch blue green chromis. And a boat load of snails. 3 turbo, maybe 6 nassarus and a handful of cerith and another handful of dwarf cerith.

The real reason I want to add some of the established rock is to fit it into the aqua scape I am still creating as I set up.

Thank you!

[Mishri]

I'd probably just toss that old rock in there in any random direction, spread it out and let it do it's thing, aquascape once its done cycling in that case.