Tank Upgrade and Migration Best Practices?

[OmegaOmega]

I'm looking at migrating/upgrading from a BioCube 29g to a Red Sea Max 250 (65g).

I currently have about four fish (no bigger than an inch) and a sizable clean up crew (four emerald crabs, four hermits, one lightfoot crab, four nessa snails, four turbos, three big snails who have big mouths but I don't know what they're called). I have about 26lbs of coral live rock and a feather duster.

What is appropriate to bring over (if anything) and how do I do it? How much liverock do I need to 'seed' new rock, how long does it take, what do I risk as far as contamination...etc.

 

[dcantucson]

I would set up your new tank and let everything cycle. Then transfer your livestock and live rock over to the new tank. Just be sure your new tank is ready.

 

[yote]

+1 David
You gonna need a LOT more rock,so might as set up the new tank and cycle it.
I'd say try to go 50/50 on the rock.50% base,50% live.

 

[sen5241b]

Did an upgrade recently and we just put everything (fish, LR, etc) in 5G buckets and setup the new tank. Keeping salnity and temperature stable during the swtich over was not so easy and the fish were visibly stressed after being put into the new tank.

 

[winyfrog]

all of these are good ideas.

As yote mentioned you are going to need more rock so you would either need to cycle it out in a rubbermaid or purchase it cycled.