i could set up my 58 gal......but

[smaug]

I got a good stand this week that will allow me to set up my 58 for my new sw fowlr (eventual easy reef) the dilemna is this. I do not have the moolah to buy anything but another bag of sand right now. The question is this. My 20 gal fowler has 25 to 30 lbs of lr and an inch of 3 yrs old arag sand. It is home to a big amount of cuc and 1 mantis shrimp. The fish have been in ht due toan ich issue,the dt has about another 2 to 3 wks of fallow to wipe out any ich. Would it be wise to transfer all lr,sand and inhabs of the 20 gal dt to the 58? I have lights a heater and an ac70 hob to start this with and when I can fianlly add the 4 small fish ,cherub angel,2 firefish and a mcloskers fairy wrasse. That would be the bioload till I can add more filter. I also have 3 small powerheads. Would a 58 gal with the stated stock be ok for a month or 2 without extraordinary maintance? The deal is I have no room to set up the 58 with the 20 still going and if I did try it,I would have to rearrange in a month or 2 anyway.
Secondary question....how much live rock would be needed for a well stocked 58 gal tank?

[MCHRKiller]

You dont have to have 100% LR, you can buy some dry rock and mix it with your live...in time it will also become live. I have around 80lbs of rock in my 55G...it could use a little more. I would say no less than 75lbs total...Id go for atleast 40-50lbs of it being live. The rest fill in with some dry rock...checkout www.getliverock.com You wont beat their prices and for the price it is decent rock, def. better than any LFS live I have seen.

If you have the necessary pumps and sand I would move forward on switching over to the 58G...you can always cure your new rock in a tote or something before adding it to the tank later.

[Cliff]

If the live rock supports the fish when they were all in the 20, it should be OK in the 58 as well. I would not be too concerned about moving it all over

As Jenn suggested, you can easily add some dry rock to grow even more BB, or live rock and cure it outside of the tank before adding it.

[smaug]

My biggest worry anymore is another ich outbreak. I assume I would have to let lr set in fishless qt for 2 months before adding it to the dt to avoid ich? I do believe I am ok with the tiny bioload and my existing lr and sand. It will propbably happen this weekend. Thx Jenn and Cliff

[MCHRKiller]

I would cure your new live rock for at the least 3weeks before adding it to the tank, your only concern with live rock is decaying matter causing a spike. Ich would not survive on live rock which was shipped(if you went that route) and most LFS keep their rock in a seperate tank. Plus you have the couple of weeks of curing it.

[smaug]

If I stocked the remaining fish slowly I like the idea and cost of using dry rock for some of it as well. The big fish shop close to me has lots of that.

[Trillianne]

Is this at the new house?

[smaug]

No I have lived here for 8 yrs.

[gem]

I looked at that getliverock site. Prices are pretty good but he can get more for his money and really nice looking rock at Marcorocks.com. 50lbs of dry rock for $119 no tax no shipping.

With such a small bio load right now, you shouldn't have any problem just transferring all the sand, rock, water, and livestock over to the 58 gal. Honestly though....I would rinse the sand really well when you move it. The rock and old water should be plenty of bacteria to keep it from going through any cycle.

Are you keeping the Mantis?

[Trillianne]

No I have lived here for 8 yrs.

This is what happens when old ladies get confused. (I was thinking of Scrup and his larger ponds...nvm me!)