Moving fish and coral from multiple tanks. Help please!

[Stkef9]

So my 75 gallon is coming up on the end of its cycle and im going to be moving fish coral and LR from 2 other tanks into this one. So my questions are I want to be able to lay out my aquascape on a table outside the tank just before placing the rock in the 75. Only issue I see with this is I have 2 clowns, fairy wrasse, sailfin tang, spotted watchmen, and a pair of 3 stripe damsels. I know I cant move them all at once but how much stress would it be to have all the rock moved over and nothing for them to swim around? I want to completely move all my coral around too once I get the rockwork in so I was thinking of building a frag rack and moving my coral to frag plugs and placing it into my 2 other tanks. Any help would be awesome.

 

[trido]

I wouldn't lay the rock out and highly recommend aquascaping the new tank with the old rock (in the tank) as soon as possible. Laying the rock out will cause die off and a whole new cycle. By keeping the rock wet and transferring it very quickly from one tank to the other will reduce this and if you do it right you should be able to move all the rock, fish and coral the same day without problems.

What is in the new tank that you are cycling?

 

[Stkef9]

Ok I was under the assumption that moving a bunch of fish over would cause a spike due to low to high bioload. And I meant a matter of an hour tops on laying the rock out. Already have a pretty good idea just wanted to be able to set it out and see the whole thing. I guess I can just place the rock in and move it around before moving fish and corals over. Right now the tank just has live sand with probably 5 lbs from my current display, and 20-30lbs of LR from another tank. Used 22lbs of crushed coral and 40lbs of carib sea live sand. Also used water and filter pads to help give it a boost.

 

[N1Husker]

I moved from Renton to Olalla and I filled the new tank up with 1/2 with old tank water and 1/2 with fresh RODI saltwater. Then I moved the rock, fish and coral in one day. I had a couple of corals die off, but I think that was from not the right lighting. Didn't lose a fish. You should be okay.

 

[Stkef9]

Ok cool well ill just swap everything over once my levels drop. Sucks waiting but it will all be worth it soon

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I agree, arrange the rock in the tank only and move the fish all at once, that way you don't have any territorial battles. I don't know how much this really matters but if it were me I'd even consider adding a bunch of the water from the other two tanks into the new tank just to reduce stress to the fish

 

[xxkenny90xx]

When I moved I ended up only being able to save 40% of my old water but I filled up the tank and added everything at once and all the fish and corals made it

 

[IPisces]

All your bio filtration is in the rock. So as trido stated, you don't want to leave the rock out long, other wise you have die off of the bacteria for your bio filtration. Doesn't matter what water you use. New water or partial old tank water from your tank and some new, you are taking them from two different systems, you want to acclimate your fish to the new tank just like you would if you were adding them for the first time. And as everyone else said, yes you can move them all at the same time. The bioload on the system is already there and being managed by your filtration.

 

[Stkef9]

Ok very cool! Thanks a lot for all of the info! I've been adding some water from the display tank that's about 9 months old, to the 75 and just making sure everything else is alk, cal and all that are up to par. Going from 150watt mh to a 716watt mh/t5 setup hopefully I won't cook anything. Gonna run it 15" off the water level and slowly move it down. And I've already had some territory battles and don't want to deal with that again so I'll make sure to add everything all at once. Thanks again you guys are awesome!

 

[Stkef9]

I have a question for you guys I've been trying to get some ideas on good aquascape layouts and I'm not having the best of luck. I find plenty of pictures of tanks with rock work setup but I want to find drawings of some ideas like islands and placement as far as front to back of tank goes. I was kinda thinking maybe 3 islands with some shelf rock in between one of them. Also curious as far as how high to place my rock work with my new light as
its a lot stronger than anything I've used before. thanks in advance

 

[N1Husker]

When I arrange my rock work, I just place the rock all together, leaving passages from the front of the aquarium to the back. Just remember to use enough rock, so it can fulfill its purpose of filtration. It does need to be pleasing to the eye, but the rock work placement is totally up to you. My rocks go up about halfway to the top of the aquarium, and the fish swim in and out of the openings. My blenny has many places he can sit and watch the other fish. I guess what I am saying, there is no wrong way to aquascape, it whatever pleases you. Just make sure you use enough rock, so it can fulfill it filtration purpose.

 

[Stkef9]

Yeah that's what I was thinking. I have probably 40lbs of LR right not and will be getting another 30-40 tomorrow. I'm trying to figure out placement so I have a good variety of placement for stuff since right now everything is kinda bunched together. Got my feet wet with sps and I really enjoy it although I had a few water param hiccups along the way. Husker do you have a build thread on here?

 

[N1Husker]

Yeah that's what I was thinking. I have probably 40lbs of LR right not and will be getting another 30-40 tomorrow. I'm trying to figure out placement so I have a good variety of placement for stuff since right now everything is kinda bunched together. Got my feet wet with sps and I really enjoy it although I had a few water param hiccups along the way. Husker do you have a build thread on here?

No I don't have a build thread. I was member of the month, last month and my 50 gallon tank was on there. I now have a 90 gallon tank, looks pretty much the same. You can check that out.

 

[Stkef9]

Awesome ill have to check it out. Been busy with work this week but got it all set up and looking great. fish seem much happier although I have a pair of 3 stripe damsels being jerks. I will be posting my build thread probably by this weekend. Thanks again for all the help you guys have been awesome!