Order of operations in livestock transfer from old to new tank?

[Coelli]

My 65g has been filled for 9 days - yay! It's still cycling and I'm still tweaking things (I have a love/hate with the skimmer) and the plumbing has been re-done twice but I think it's good now. I'm adding ammonia, fish food, and bacteria to cycle it. There's a foam/rock wall in the back and a few pieces of LR but the bulk of the LR will be coming from the 29g so I can't use it for the initial cycle since it's in use.

Once the tank is cycled I was planning to transfer the LR from the 29g (man, the pistol shrimp is going to be PISSED). Wait a day or two to make sure there's no ammonia spike, then start transferring livestock. Unless removing the LR will cause a huge problem and I need to transfer everything at once? I'm a little afraid to see what's under the rock... if anything, the pistol may have dug it all out and kept it clean down there.

Here's the list -

Inverts & fish:
Misc. snails
About 10 blue-leg hermits
1 emerald crab
1 red-banded pistol
1 YWG
1 Royal Gramma

Coral (most are frags or small):
GSP
Xenia
4 duncans (5, 12+, 15+, 15+ heads)
2 green birdsnest frags
2 purple monti caps
1 red monti cap
1 blue stag
1 plating acro
1 sunset monti
1 toadstool
1 torch (2 heads)
1 frogspawn (4 heads)
Various zoas/palys from 3-20 polyps

What's the best order to transfer everything over if done in stages? I can leave the 29g set up for at least a couple of weeks if necessary.

Inverts first, then fish, then coral? Suggested order on the coral? Should I transfer the xenia first and let it be the canary?

Any advice would be appreciated...

 

[djam]

Are you using one of the starter bacteria products? I did that and transferred my fish and rocks right away.

One thought on moving the rocks and then waiting, the fish will not have a place to hide and may get stressed from the combination of no hidy places and the move. I'd do it all at once, have some AmQuel available, use a starter culture and do it. You have two fish into 65g, you should not get a spike if nothing dies..or that is my opinion.

 

[LAreefguy]

Personally I would do fish and your Xenia first. Any water problems you'll know. The fish can do well with bad quality as the coral can't. Give it a week or so test every day to see how your water quality is and if Xenia is good and water quality permits finish the transfer. That's just me though, I'm sure others will have diff ideas on how to go about it. Goodluck!!!!!!


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[BeanMachine]

If you know for sure your new tank is cycled I would transfer everything at once. Also make sure your salinity alk cal and mag are the same in both tanks. Best to raise the alk cal and mag to match your current display before you move stuff over. Not waiting until the corals are in the new tank then realize after u moved them over that your alk is low for instance then raise that parameter too quickly.

 

[Smite]

I moved my 20g mixed reef to my 65 a week after I set it up. Base rock and dead sand with Dr Tims bacteria added the day before the transfer. 1 clown, yellow tang and rainfords goby. Coral from zoas to acros to anemone. Never had a ammonia spike and all was happy. I did buy a larger bottle than needed and added 2 caps a day until it was gone. Stuff is expensive but worth it for me as I was trying to get the transfer done before my daughter was born. Might be good to have some on hand.

 

[Coelli]

Thanks guys. I've been dosing Bacter Gen-M almost every day and even had to cut back a little when I got a bloom. I added Reef Chili, Mysis, and some pellets the first couple of days and they're almost gone; I also rinsed some poly filter from the Biocube into the new tank. I added ammonia yesterday so I'll test in a couple of days and if everything looks good I'll transfer everything (and raise/lower alk etc if necessary). I'm anxious to get my Apex off the old tank and onto the new one, and the way I have the lights set up on the old tank isn't working right so that's another incentive. I just want to make sure as much makes it safely through the transfer as possible.