Tank...rebuild?

thegrimreefer · Oct 29, 2020

About to have to transfer a tank that is cracking because of a chip that occurred ~4 months ago. Wanted to rinse my sand in the process because I have been dealing with cyano as well and want to get into a new maintenance habit after learning more about nutrient balance. I had left the sand bed undisturbed until I siphoned a bit too much off of the top layer, might have been a “nitrate zone” that released a lot of bad stuff into the tank it was clouded for sometime. Been dealing with cyano issues since. I wanted to document this process but also ask a few questions before I start.

I am transferring everything into the same exact tank model. Nuvo 40 to Nuvo 40. The original tank has been running for almost 2 years now. Few SPS (montipora cap) mostly LPS (acan and Euphyilla) an anemone and a variety of zoas. 2 clownfish I think that have bonded, a frostbite and a black snowflake. A carpenter’s wrasse in a Nuvo 10 QT.

Plan to remove everything and rinse sand until clear, drop sand in new tank. And a 50% water change mixing old water with new and dumping it into the tank with rinsed sand. Putting the same rocks in after blowing off excess detritus in separate buckets. Then putting fish and corals back in.

Should I use any old tank water? Or do a 100% water change?

Blow off the rocks in separate containers than the fish and coral, but do I separate fish and coral?

What is the recommended maintenance routine after rinsing sand to keep up with its cleanliness?

I’ve read a lot of threads linked in the sand rinse article. Any additional info you all
could help me out with my “case” would be tremendous help. Thank you!

MERKEY · Oct 29, 2020

Sounds like you have a solid plan and should go pretty smooth.

With the live rock and sand you have doing a full water change would be fine but if you are slightly concerned leave what makes you feel comfortable. We swapped a 32g and 75g into a 220 at the same time and only used half the water from each tank and everything was fine.

If possible yes use a different container to blow off the rocks than the ones the fish and corals are in. Most likely won't hurt them but thats a lot of nasties floating around...you got this and it will be a great swap over!

Post some pics of it before and after

TriggersAmuck · Oct 29, 2020

Regards sand maintenance, just do regular (even daily) stirring of the sand bed to kick the detritus into the column to be collected by your skimmer and mechanical filtration (socks, etc). Depending on the size of the tank, you don't have to do the whole bed every day, but you will be amazed after a week of stirring how clean that water column will remain. (There is the implicit assumption that one has good means of mechanical filtration/removal).

TriggersAmuck · Oct 29, 2020

Second implicit assumption is that you do very regular cleaning of your mechanical materials and skimmer. Ideally you would change out socks/rinse sponges/clean skimmer daily to minimize the contact time of any detritus or skimmer scum (in the neck of the skimmer) with the water column.