Suggestions

[goodbalance046]

I’ve had small tanks and set up brand new tanks but I am doing my first real upgrade and need some suggestions on how to move everything safely/least amount of stress on me and the fish.

I currently have a 75 gal with a canister filter and just bought a used 180 gal bow front tank with a sump.

The 180 gal will be going in the same place that the 75 gal currently resides so everything will have to be removed from the tank before anything can happen.

I’m sure how long the previous owner had owned the tank, but they said that they had never resealed it so it would probably be a good idea to reseal the tank before placing anything in its permanent place (tips on that would be helpful as well).

Pics included of the current setup and the “new” tank. The current setup has 2 clowns, coral beauty, tomini tang, cleaner shrimp, pistol shrimp/goby pair, and a rainbow BTA

 

[Kmst80]

Do not reseal the tank unless you know what you are doing. You virtually have to take the whole tank apart, clean every bit of silicone of each panel, leave no trace of silicone on the glass, and finally put it back together with the right type of silicone. Silicone does not stick to silicone, so unless your surface is 100% clean you will not seal the tank.
I would test the new tank outside for a week filled to the top.
For swapping the tanks, have the new water standing bye,plenty of big drums, empty rocks and water in drums, put fish and corals in other drums, get rid of old sand and use new. Switch tanks.
Put everything in new tank.
Have plenty of towels, buckets...etc.
Last but not least, stay calm and don't rush.
When I swapped my 100 gal for the 200 gal it took me the whole day. I think I write about it in my tank thread.

 

[UncommonSense]

I’m sure how long the previous owner had owned the tank, but they said that they had never resealed it so it would probably be a good idea to reseal the tank before placing anything in its permanent place (tips on that would be helpful as well).

Try to get a look at the seams of the tank anywhere you can see them; the silicone inside the tank is less relevant here than the silicone between panes of glass…

Look for bubbles forming; ideally, viewing from both sides of each glass:glass silicone bond…

This photo is an example: front right corner seam of a 5ft long rimless Red Sea tank, as viewed from opposite the direction you would normally be viewing your tank… — you can see the silicone has peeled away from the glass substantially!

 

[goodbalance046]

Do not reseal the tank unless you know what you are doing. You virtually have to take the whole tank apart, clean every bit of silicone of each panel, leave no trace of silicone on the glass, and finally put it back together with the right type of silicone. Silicone does not stick to silicone, so unless your surface is 100% clean you will not seal the tank.
I would test the new tank outside for a week filled to the top.
For swapping the tanks, have the new water standing bye,plenty of big drums, empty rocks and water in drums, put fish and corals in other drums, get rid of old sand and use new. Switch tanks.
Put everything in new tank.
Have plenty of towels, buckets...etc.
Last but not least, stay calm and don't rush.
When I swapped my 100 gal for the 200 gal it took me the whole day. I think I write about it in my tank thread.

Would you recommend dosing the tank like you would with a fish in cycle since I’m upgrading over 100gal more than what I have currently? Or will the rocks from the current tank be enough to jump start the nitrogen cycle in the new tank?

 

[goodbalance046]

I’m sure how long the previous owner had owned the tank, but they said that they had never resealed it so it would probably be a good idea to reseal the tank before placing anything in its permanent place (tips on that would be helpful as well).

Try to get a look at the seams of the tank anywhere you can see them; the silicone inside the tank is less relevant here than the silicone between panes of glass…

Look for bubbles forming; ideally, viewing from both sides of each glass:glass silicone bond…

This photo is an example: front right corner seam of a 5ft long rimless Red Sea tank, as viewed from opposite the direction you would normally be viewing your tank… — you can see the silicone has peeled away from the glass substantially!

I’ll have to take a picture of the tank tomorrow when I can get better lighting in the garage where the tank’s at right now. There’s a couple of spots where it look like there’s little bubbling going on and there’s some salt creep going on

 

[UncommonSense]

I’ll have to take a picture of the tank tomorrow when I can get better lighting in the garage where the tank’s at right now. There’s a couple of spots where it look like there’s little bubbling going on and there’s some salt creep going on

Use a flashlight, or careful camera angling and good sunlight to help to mitigate reflection in your photo; that will help us help you better!

 

[Kmst80]

Would you recommend dosing the tank like you would with a fish in cycle since I’m upgrading over 100gal more than what I have currently? Or will the rocks from the current tank be enough to jump start the nitrogen cycle in the new tank?

Since you will be just adding new water there is no need to dose bacteria. The nitrogen cycle from the old tank will just continue. If you plan on adding more fish do so slowly as usual so the bacteria can populate.

 

[goodbalance046]

I’ll have to take a picture of the tank tomorrow when I can get better lighting in the garage where the tank’s at right now. There’s a couple of spots where it look like there’s little bubbling going on and there’s some salt creep going on

Use a flashlight, or careful camera angling and good sunlight to help to mitigate reflection in your photo; that will help us help you better!

Video 1: back right corner
Video 2: back left corner
Video 3: front left corner
Video 4: front right corner
Pic: bottom of the front right corner

I still need to deep clean the entire inside of the tank so the inside doesn’t look great right now. The guy I got the tank from said it was holding water until about 15 mins before we picked it up.