Moving to a new tank, same size advice

Prairiereefer · Feb 10, 2021

Hello everyone!

So I've posted a couple times and have gotten fantastic advice from this group so far, thank you all!

My question today is about a move I will be doing April 6th. So just bought our first house and are moving. We decided to build a new 120 gallon tank that fit our space better and am building it peninsula style. We are changing from the current 120 6' long sumpless mixed reef running a canister filter and hob skimmer and refugium to a 4' x 2' 120 gallon peninsula room divider tank with 30 gallon sump, 10 gallon refugium and 10 gallon ATO.

My question is in regards to the move itself, I have read mixed thoughts on doing 100% new water on the new system and 50/50. Was wanting to get your opinions and why or why not to do a 100% new water.

My current setup has been running for a year now and is doing well, nitrates and phos are high at 25 and 1 respectively and it's been a constant battle with running it without a sump and just a small hob fuge hence the upgrade. I did a large water change the other day and have yet to retest (downfalls of working nights shifts as a paramedic). So anyways with the new tank I was thinking of doing 100% new water, using all the same rock I currently have of course and rinsing the old sand and adding some new sand to do a DSB on the new tank. Splitting my current sand between the new fuge, new DT and a friend's new setup to help her get a cycle started as well as some of my live rock as I have too much to fit into the new tank. Obviously keeping some emergency fritz bacteria and ammonia and nitrate lock on hand.

The plan is to move the rock and sand one day and get it set up and then the fish and inverts the next day or two. What are your thoughts for those of you who have done tank moves before.

Pic is of my current tank taken just now.

xxkenny90xx · Feb 10, 2021

I like to use about half new water, half old. But you are fine going either way. If you end up doing mostly new water acclimate your critters slowly since the parameters will be different.

Super Fly · Feb 12, 2021

When I moved house, I did the same thing as u and upgraded the tank in the new house. As far as water, don't reuse the old water as it's essentially just dirty water esp if u have high NO3 & PO4 now. Good idea to rinse old sand clean, however keep 1-2 cups of old sand to help seed the cleaned/new sand esp in a DSB.

Here's how I did it w/o any livestock loss. I placed rocks and livestock in separate containers w tank water. Once in house, I put all livestock into same brute with LR and placed powerhead & heater. They survived a week like this while new tank was being set up. I didn't have much fish so if u have many, I'd highly recommend doing WC if u plan to keep them in brute for extended time. Once new tank was setup and running, I moved all the LR 1st then fish into tank. LR QTY and how much old equipment u reuse will go a long way to quickly establish the new tank as all the beneficial bacteria reside in these. GL

Super Fly · Feb 12, 2021

Oh also, I didn't acclimate fish prior to moving them into new tank since I used same salt and ensured water temps matched.

FishTruck · Feb 12, 2021

Your rock, buckets with fish and water, will be plenty to seed the new tank. Bacteria can divide quickly to consume available nutrients. I would start with new substrate and seed it with a small amount of what you have. I suspect that with fresh seeded substrate and rinsed live rock, your nitrate problems might be over.

I made a similar move and ditched by sand bed al together (converted to bare bottom)... and my live rock was able to maintain with no new nitrogen cycle.

If your fish are in the buckets for less than a few hours, just use the water. If they are in it over night - then don't (it will be polluted with ammonia).

Have some bottled bacteria on hand and test for ammonia.

I think you will love the peninsula setup! So much easier to clean the glass when you can get at it from three sides.

Prairiereefer · Feb 16, 2021

Awesome thanks everyone! Huge help!

brandon429 · Feb 16, 2021

Do not add any old sand, none, are we too late

don’t be a 1/100th

Upgrade disaster

Recently had a huge leak in our 90 gal reef which forced us to upgrade sooner than expected . The upgrade being a 230 gal with a 48 gal sump . Mistake #1 I added some of the old sand assuming it would be beneficial to have a little bacteria .. I was wrong . Nuked the whole tank killing all fish...

www.reef2reef.com

when relocating a reef of that $ nothing from the old comes over except live rock, carries all needed bac even bottle isn’t needed, corals fish and as you mentioned cloudless rinsed sand, even if it’s from a new bag. Half new half old water isn’t bad if the transfer is cloudless, no detritus riding over stuck to the bottom of rocks, or from partial rinsed sand, cloudless equals skip cycle you don’t even need sand, we could go instant bare bottom no bottle bac and it would still skip cycle.

not everyone agrees with me there, but they’re wrong heh.

here’s who doesn’t disagree: the post writer, the Op.

we need to 100% stop using old sand in tank transfers. To omit it makes them all work consistently, no posts like that, if skip cycle cloudless rinse is applied. That’s more than five thousand bucks (time included) of relocation I recommend to not stray from the pattern.