FishyFarr
Active Member
(advice from another poster)When you upgrade:
Obviously, prep your new tank with all of the fun stuff and get it plumbed. It's much easier to make changes and adjustments with an empty tank. Trust me, I had to empty out my new 95 gallon after tranferring over 50 gallons from my old tank because the fuge wouldn't fit in the door or in the back. Had to empty the tank and place the fuge through the top of the stand...lol
Two days before: Mix some fresh SW and make sure the SG and temp match your tank water.
Transfer over as much of the clean water from the upper half of the tank as possible. Avoid taking water after the sand has been stirred up because it's full of nasty stinky stuff.
1st: Take out the rock and corals first and place them in 5 gallon buckets with some of your tank water.
2nd: Get your fish,CUC, and inverts out: Place them in a separate bucket
3rd: Place your rock in the new tank prior to adding the sand. Placing the rocks on the sand will cause die off underneath the rocks
4th: When removing the sand I use a strainer and rinse the sand with the remaining tank water. You'll still have beneficial bacteria in there, but you want to remove as much of the detritus as possible.
5th: Add the sand around the rocks
6th: You'll get some displacement of the water, so it should be about 30-40% full of water. Maybe less because your upgrading, but just add your freshly mixed saltwater.
7th: Add your livestock and leave the lights off for a few hours, so they have time to adjust.
in my situation I was thinking.
I am upgrading from a 55 to a 120 drilled (woohooo)
anyways at the end of this week I would like to set up the 120
because I am increasing in size I was going to add new sand plus and extra 50 lbs of live rock. it is the dry type very cheap stark white.
I have 60+lbs of very cycled rock in my 55 gallon tank
I was reading your post above and wondering if I should set up the new tank with all new water +new sand +new rock and wait a few days.
I can make sure the water params of new= water params of old.(or close)
If I follow your procedure above for only the existing tank since one tank is literally around the corner would I not just put the rock in a 5 gallon bucket of water walk it over to new tank and set it in carefully until all the new rock is moved.(after acclimation with new tank water say over 30 mins ?)
(yes I will remember to cyphon out say 20 gallons of water off the top first.)
anyways then catch fish + CUC put them in another 5 gallon bucket walk them over and
acclimate them by dropping in some of teh new tanks water say 1 cup at a time(remember they are in a 5 gallon bucket of old tank water)
I have been advised to use old sand very sparingly and only after sifting it as you suggested above (thanks to those from this site who suggested using 5 cups?)
I am setting up a new sump as well so was hoping to have the whole new tank up and runnning for a few days then just slide stuff from one room to the next
acclimating corals and fish of course.
thanks
