Help with logistical problems..........

Okay, I currently have a 37 gal FOWLR. I'm in the process of setting up my 90 w/ built in overflow. I have a 29 gal that's been cycling for 2 weeks (with 40 lbs LR & a rancid piece of shrimp in it :-X). Problem is that I have to put the 90 gal in the same place as the 37. After testing and adjusting water, can I put the water from the 37 and the 29 in the 90? How do I transfer the current occupants of the 37 gal into the 90 and will I kill them in the process? Do I slowly add more water, or treat it as a huge water change? Thanks

 

I would think 'treat" those fish no diffrent from bringing home any new one from the LFS ,
set them in bags/holding tank and use a drip method , then add them .

 

When I transfered from my old 45g to my current 90g, I transfered all the water, sand and LR over and just added more water and sand. At that time, I only had three fish, so I waited 1 month before adding anything else. I would use the same water that you have now and add the remaining. Wait to see if your new tank goes through a small cycle. Luna

 

Thanks for the responses. Luna, did you rinse your sand before transfering it or leave it as is?

 

This is where your gonna get different answers. I didnt rinse it, but alot of the debris stayed in the 45 after taking most of the sand out. Make any sense?

 

yea i wished now i had rinsed mine' but each to his own here. ya know

 

Well, some ppl say that you should and some dont.
do's-- you clean out all that debris thats been sitting there a while.
dont's-- your getting rid of beneficial bacteria by rinsing it.

 

Thanks. Someone else posted a 55-90 gal transfer and I got some good ideas as well. I have a plenum under my current set-up (which was done 4 yrs ago when they were "hip", insert head shake here), so I'm kind of afraid what's going on under there. My concern is that the snails keep to the sand and not the rock, so would I be depriving them nutrients with new sand? I've also seen bristle worms in there, but not so much since my aiptasia outbreak. What if I "rinsed" it in a bucket with the tank water?

 

Thats what I meant, I wouldnt do it with FW.