tank cycling

Were the sand and rock from your old system and were they kept alive during the move? If so you may not have a significant cycle.
If they need to stay in the bucket provide plenty of circulation and good water quality.

About two years ago I had to cook some live rock due to a Mojano anemone infestation. Some of the rocks had hard corals attached which would not come off and i was amazed at how well some survived 6 weeks in dark rubbermaid tubs with no lighting and few water changes.

 

How was your larger tank set up? LR/BR? LS/BS? If it was all base sand and base rock there will be a lot less of a cycle, but there will almost certainly be some cycle either way.

What type of corals do you have? It might do you well to set up you 5 gallon as a "hospital" tank ATM.

If that water is from the original smaller tank, keep it for the moment. You are going to have to do constant (every day, every other day) water changes depending on how many corals were in there.

man it's too bad you pulled the trigger on this already - if you could have posted pre-move I am sure people on this forum would have steered you in another direction other than your current one.

However, since it has been done, we need to minimize losses.

Unfort. you cannot really speed up the cycle on the larger tank.

it is likely going to need a min of 30 days to cycle.

Like I said, let's see what's in your bucket first and we can take it from there . . .

But you most basic care elements will be fresh saltwater changes, aeration, and light - this all depends on the corals you have . . .

 

Sorry didnt see that you had transferred all your rock and sand over to the new tank - if it was done in such a way to keep the live rock "live" - and same with the sand - then I agree with everyone that you would have minimal cycling and might be good to go in just a day or so when your temp and salinity are all good.

 

He doesn't say where the rock/sand in the new tank came from. That question needs to be answered.