Lukinrats

As far as cycling or seeding your new tank, I don't think using water from your old tank will do much. There might be, say a million or so bacteria in a cup of water. This is really nothing at all compared to the trillions and trillions of bacteria that are in a cup of live sand or are on live rock, but you are doing barebottom so I'm not sure what to suggest there. You could use ammonia or a couple hardy damsels to start your cycle.
You could try washing or soaking your rocks in kalkwasser, that should get rid of most living things in them.
I think there's a pretty good possibility that you will still see various algae blooms right after your tank is cycled, but I'm not sure bc I've never used dry rock before.
As for the corals, there are various dips you can do to remove certain pests. Marc should have some good information there.
Good luck and hope this helps some :-)

I don't guess it is so much about not having any algae. That is unavoidable in my experience. The Aptaisia is what I am concerned with. The bubble algae is, to say the least, tricky!
I dont think that if we were to start a tank, and then keep Fish and say dry rock, or some really good cured rock, that the bubble algae would all of a sudden start to grow. I firmly believe that it came form somewhere. I would say that it came on a rock that i bought at the LFS or a rock that I got back when I first started out, and did not lookk it over very well.

I think that if I dont introduce the bubble algae to my new tank, then I should not have it. My big question is whether or not Corals that are not attached to rocks, will transfer it.

Also, I think it should help the corals transfer well if I use some of the water that they are currently in to cycle the new tank with. The whole idea being that, it will not be a cup or even a bucket of water. It would be many many gallons, as my current tank will be up the whole time that I am cycling the new tank. I will no doubt make many water changes during that time.
The only question is whether aptaisia can be transferred by way of just water

"The only question is whether aptaisia can be transferred by way of just water"
It is my understanding one way of reproduction is the release of planula larva. So yes it would be possible to suck up some and transfer them to the new tank.

While I understand your pain when it comes to aiptasia, they are simply a pest that you have to want to nuke. My own tank has a few, but not a ton. I've had more in the past. If you've started your system with all new rock, you've got a perfect canvas. However, they can come in tiny on anything, including in a patch of zoanthids. Nature of the hobby, and why quarantine is a good way to watch for pests and work on them before introducing them to your reef.

Bubble algae isn't that big a deal. Some fish eat it (Naso, Rabbitfish), and Emerald crabs will as well.

I wouldn't bother with the water from the current system for the new one, since you want a clean start. For a simple cycle, just drop in one or two raw shrimp from the deli and let them rot for three days. Pull them out and throw them away. The cycle has commenced. That wouldn't be a good time to run a skimmer since you want the A-N-N cycle to process completely and without excessive delays.

I've got a DIY article on burning aiptasia with a 12v cattle prod, and I just put up a method using lye. There are a number of commercial products you can use instead, like what you have. The hurdle is usually our laziness to pursue it. We get aggravated and nuke everything in sight to feel good about it, and then rest on our laurels. Instead, you need to be meticulous about them day after day until you can't find any more. I'm talking about myself as well when I state that we don't do this day in and day out - it's something I need to work on myself if I want to see my tank pest-free.

Originally Posted by oldsaint

"The only question is whether aptaisia can be transferred by way of just water"
It is my understanding one way of reproduction is the release of planula larva. So yes it would be possible to suck up some and transfer them to the new tank.

That is what I figured! It does give me hope though. Hope that I will be able to move my corals without the aptaisia. I will just have to put each one thru a series of water dips, and maybe that will remove any of the "planula larva"

Originally Posted by melev

While I understand your pain when it comes to aiptasia, they are simply a pest that you have to want to nuke. My own tank has a few, but not a ton. I've had more in the past. If you've started your system with all new rock, you've got a perfect canvas. However, they can come in tiny on anything, including in a patch of zoanthids. Nature of the hobby, and why quarantine is a good way to watch for pests and work on them before introducing them to your reef.

Well that is just it. I had a few, but not a ton too! I also found a pair of PEPPS that I thought had wiped them out. I mean they tore them up, but I think that my Twin Spot Wrasse was just about the right size to eat them, at the same time they were eating aptaisia. I have tried a couple of times since then, and the Pepps I have gotten did not want to eat the anemones. A good quarantine station is in my plans for the new fish room. I want to set it up just next to the tank. That way, its always on my mind, and I can empty water from the big tank, into the quarantine when I do water changes. I also have a very nice way of magnifying things, and now that I am more experieneced, I will definitely inspect things very well before I put them in the main tank

Originally Posted by melev

Bubble algae isn't that big a deal. Some fish eat it (Naso, Rabbitfish), and Emerald crabs will as well.

Well, I hate it. That crap just gets in my way, and it ends up in my powerhead screens, etc. I have thought about getting some things to eat it, but as you will read in another one of my comments. I do not have room for fish right now, until I get into my new tank. I did not know about the Emeral crabs though. I am not a big fan of crabs. They always do everything, but what they are supposed to IME. Its been a long time since I had an emerald, so I might try one

Originally Posted by melev

I wouldn't bother with the water from the current system for the new one, since you want a clean start. For a simple cycle, just drop in one or two raw shrimp from the deli and let them rot for three days. Pull them out and throw them away. The cycle has commenced. That wouldn't be a good time to run a skimmer since you want the A-N-N cycle to process completely and without excessive delays.

That's what I figured I would do. Just thought it might help in diversity

Originally Posted by melev

I've got a DIY article on burning aiptasia with a 12v cattle prod, and I just put up a method using lye. There are a number of commercial products you can use instead, like what you have. The hurdle is usually our laziness to pursue it. We get aggravated and nuke everything in sight to feel good about it, and then rest on our laurels. Instead, you need to be meticulous about them day after day until you can't find any more. I'm talking about myself as well when I state that we don't do this day in and day out - it's something I need to work on myself if I want to see my tank pest-free.

Yes, I have read them. Great work!!! I think I will have the most fun with the prod if it comes to that. I am currently going to try the Berghia. As a matter of fact, i just went home at lunch and introduced them to my anemone collection

Thanks for all the comments though

Later,
Nathan

I put three emerald crabs in my 20g angled tank last year, and they devoured all the valonia, and then decimated some nuisance caularpa that had got in there as well. That was a huge surprise and a happy one at that.

If you are going to start a new tank, why not get rid of the fish(theWrasse) that has been eating all your other specimens & throw in a half dozen Peppermint shrimp.
They will absolutely do the trick.
They also will spawn & provide food when their eggs hatch.
Don`t try & nuke your aptaisia with store bought chemicals or home remedies. That`s not how they`re controlled in the ocean.
A cattle prod does work, but only if you have trouble with feral cows grazing in your tank.
Do make sure that what you buy as peppermint shrimp, are in fact Peppermint shrimp.

Originally Posted by Knucklehead

If you are going to start a new tank, why not get rid of the fish(theWrasse) that has been eating all your other specimens & throw in a half dozen Peppermint shrimp.
They will absolutely do the trick.
They also will spawn & provide food when their eggs hatch.
Don`t try & nuke your aptaisia with store bought chemicals or home remedies. That`s not how they`re controlled in the ocean.
A cattle prod does work, but only if you have trouble with feral cows grazing in your tank.
Do make sure that what you buy as peppermint shrimp, are in fact Peppermint shrimp.

Well, I guess what I got last time were not peppermint shrimp. I finally found a couple of them hiding in my rocks, and they are not doing a thing. Except, I think they ate my Berghia nudis.
I have already gotten rid of the wrasse, so he will not be a problem in my tank anymore