Tank transfer advice.

[Ann Enomy]

I have an 120 gallon reef tank in my office waiting room and will be getting a 220 gallon tank. I have the luxury of space so my plan is to set up the new tank on a different wall. I have back up return pumps and heaters and can get basic circulation going on the new tank while keeping the old fully functional. Few questions:
1. Is a full new tank cycle needed or preferred? everything except substrate is eventually going into the new.
2. if no, should I just transfer everything in one day?
3. Should I use "old" water from water changes to fill new tank tank to ensure parameters are the same between tanks
4. Any advice from those who have lived through this. I'm planning on it being a whole big messy day but if anybody can offer pointers on making it go smoother i would appreciate it.
Thanks

 

[get-salty]

I did a 65 to 120gal

i replaced the sand and rocks with new ones.
threw few old rocks into the sump and let it run w/out lights for a week.
Parameters were ready and cycled within a week.

Going to be a ton of work.
Good luck and happy reefing !

 

[reefmaster70]

I have an 120 gallon reef tank in my office waiting room and will be getting a 220 gallon tank. I have the luxury of space so my plan is to set up the new tank on a different wall. I have back up return pumps and heaters and can get basic circulation going on the new tank while keeping the old fully functional. Few questions:
1. Is a full new tank cycle needed or preferred? everything except substrate is eventually going into the new.
2. if no, should I just transfer everything in one day?
3. Should I use "old" water from water changes to fill new tank tank to ensure parameters are the same between tanks
4. Any advice from those who have lived through this. I'm planning on it being a whole big messy day but if anybody can offer pointers on making it go smoother i would appreciate it.
Thanks

I am doing the same thing. The hardest part is actually moving the corals and fish. I used ALL new sand (wet sand with live bacteria) and 50% new (dead/dry rock) and then I filled the new tank with 50% new saltwater, and then I started pumping in my old tank water from my 75g tank, once I had half the water from the 75g transferred, I double checked Temp and Salinity in the new 180g tank and verified it was exactly the same..I then moved my live rock with attached corals, etc over to the new tank. Once all the rock and coral were moved I just had fish and inverts remaining to catch and move, again that was one of the hardest parts. Otherwise, I am putting some of my old sand bed from the 75g tank into the sump of my new 180g, along with 3 Polyp Lab Bio Bricks I had in the sump of the 75g as well. I am expecting to see no cycle or issues at all.

 

[BryanM]

I have an 120 gallon reef tank in my office waiting room and will be getting a 220 gallon tank. I have the luxury of space so my plan is to set up the new tank on a different wall. I have back up return pumps and heaters and can get basic circulation going on the new tank while keeping the old fully functional. Few questions:
1. Is a full new tank cycle needed or preferred? everything except substrate is eventually going into the new.
2. if no, should I just transfer everything in one day?
3. Should I use "old" water from water changes to fill new tank tank to ensure parameters are the same between tanks
4. Any advice from those who have lived through this. I'm planning on it being a whole big messy day but if anybody can offer pointers on making it go smoother i would appreciate it.
Thanks

If the rock is moving then there's no need for a new cycle, you've got all the good bacteria in the current tank. Move old rock, insta cycle.

I would move everything in one day.

Use old/make new water, using the same salt mix, match alk/sailnity from old to new tank.

I am jealous, I did not have the room, so I had to transfer fish and corals and rocks to temp holding, tear down remove old tank, setup new tank, etc, etc.

If you get the new tank set up completely before moving things, just be ready to have to remove some water when you start adding rocks :) ... But I would do this. Get the new tank all set up and ready to go, and I'd transfer rock, remove water, transfer more rock, remove more water, and when you're done fish dont have a place to hide anymore so they are quite a bit easier to catch :)

Will new sand go in the new tank? If so, I would rinse until it runs clean before I put it in the new tank, and for *ME*, the last rinse would be with RODI water.... Some say this is not necessary

 

[exnisstech]

I recently moved from a 65g to a 100. Almost all coral were acro that I grew for 3 years so I was a bit nervous. I bought 35 lbs of gulf live rock. Let it soak in water and flow for a week to remove die off then cleaned it off and added it to the new tank with new water and got it all running smooth. Then I worked on matching alkalinity, NO3 and PO4 to the new tank levels hoping to reduce stress on the coral. I moved a few tester coral over for a week then brought over all the other rock, coral and fish at once. Maybe I was overthinking it but so far it's been smooth sailing.