Tank upgrade in your future? Here are some tips for going bigger!

[habutti]

MOST of us at some point in time will go bigger or want to go bigger with our saltwater reef aquariums. When it comes to aquariums it's hard not to get sucked in to the belief that bigger is better. Is it better? Not always! That's why it's important to understand and plan before making the jump UP in gallons. So let's talk about it today!

1. When upgrading to a new tank what are some important things to plan for? Share a tip or two!

2. Do you have plans to go bigger and if so what size are you going up to?


Chingchai's 1000gal SPS Tank (Thailand)

Planning on going from my 60 cube to a 105 gallon in the next 3 months.

 

[DJ Lone1]

MOST of us at some point in time will go bigger or want to go bigger with our saltwater reef aquariums. When it comes to aquariums it's hard not to get sucked in to the belief that bigger is better. Is it better? Not always! That's why it's important to understand and plan before making the jump UP in gallons. So let's talk about it today!

1. When upgrading to a new tank what are some important things to plan for? Share a tip or two!

2. Do you have plans to go bigger and if so what size are you going up to?


Chingchai's 1000gal SPS Tank (Thailand)

65 gallon reef, going to 150. Have 125 freshwater for 15 years.

 

[jaihutcherson]

Lol… ho big or go home. Ouch! I started with a 75 then within a month wanted bigger. Got a 90. Within 3 months wanted predator huge tank. Got a 230g. Now I needed the reef bigger got a 125 bought new front glass and turned it on its side. Recently decided wanted a separate tank for my 3 eels. Bought a 400. Well, of course that made me want a much bigger tank for the reef. In process of cutting my newly acquired 420 up going to lay it on its side as well and put on a new starfire front glass.

biggest advise I would have. Stay small until you really have a firm grip on this hobby. I didn’t and it cost me a lot of time and money. Big mistakes. Little mistakes. And huge headaches. All could have been avoided taking it slower, learning about what I had, and gradually moving up.

my issue is I seal tanks for a living and almost everyday I get tanks in that I could buy fir super cheap. My last two; 400/430g coat me $200 total. Hard bot to move up! Lol

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

We collected fifty pages of transfer work here below and no losses.

tank upgrades happen two ways…first way is just move rocks and sand over and it usually works fine, but not so fine that you can do tank moves for fifty pages without recycle losses.


the other way involves rinsing your sand in tap water before the move new set up, even if it’s brand new sand wet in a bag, and installing total cloudless susbstrates in the new tank. That method works for any number of pages. There is zero benefit in skipping the rinse portion, because massive algae outbreaks and cyano problems tend to plague unrinsed tanks, yet rinsed systems have none of this.

Official Sand Rinse and Tank Transfer thread

If you are reading this thread to cure a tank invasion from a link I sent you, we do not need to identify your type of invasion here we do not need you to test anything at anytime regarding nitrate, phosphate etc Above all, we do not need to see a microscope slide picture of your invasion at...

www.reef2reef.com

do NOT use bottle bac, fight the sellers training that tempts you to doubt water bacteria in water-stuck just fine to your moved rocks





if you move cloudless substrates into the new tank, you will never get any cycle including a mini cycle.

if you want some risk, a likely safe move but not guaranteed and the least work, move unrinsed surfaces

if you want absolute protection for your investment and aren’t hesitant of work shown to be always safe, do a rinsed move

A couple questions...
1. Won't a tap water rinse kill off any mini/micro critters? That's half the fun of the tank for me -all the brittle stars, etc
2. Agree that adding a lot of bottled bacteria to a tank with true live rock is a waste, but why so adamant? Adding a small bottle seems like a good insurance policy to me.

Thanks for all the data collection

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I am still on the prowl for my 5 foot tank... It will be no more than 18"tall and I'm trying to decide between 24 and 30" wide. Might just have to split the diff and go 27, lol

 

[burningmime]

I'm surprised how many people want to go diving in their tanks. Seems like something that would be cool once but imagine having to slap on a wetsuit and fins every time you want to do maintenance.

I'd rather have a large, shallow tank. My 180 is 2 feet deep which is too deep for me (and I'm not even that short). I'd rather have like a 600 gallon lagoon-style tank I could walk around and reach down into. Like halfway between a real tank and a frag tank.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

How do you have a sump and not have your tank drilled??

Hang-on back overflow box

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I'm surprised how many people want to go diving in their tanks. Seems like something that would be cool once but imagine having to slap on a wetsuit and fins every time you want to do maintenance.

I'd rather have a large, shallow tank. My 180 is 2 feet deep which is too deep for me (and I'm not even that short). I'd rather have like a 600 gallon lagoon-style tank I could walk around and reach down into. Like halfway between a real tank and a frag tank.

Ditto on the depth issue

 

[Russell G]

I just did my last upgrade from a 135 to my 180. There’s not really anywhere to fit a larger tank in the house so this is the end of the line unless we move.

 

[Drewbacca]

I'm upgrading 1 gallon! Go Big OR GO HOME!
MY 90gal with megaflow overflow couldnt be rid of briopsis because it rooted on the overflow and scraping only appeared to remove it.. so drilled a new one and put a Fuji cube 1600 external on. My living room is currently in shambles & coral dying in 40 breeder on floor... I'm stuck cuz I want to fill & just get it going but I need to clean my rock & sump cuz why upgrade just to reintroduce bryiopsis.. corals were already h202 dipped.
And also.. nows my chance to fix up behind the tank and mount lighting better while I can easily access.
Should I put plywood & neoprene layer on stand? Was just frame before because it had tank bottom plumbing from internal tower.

 

[Stang67]

Going from a 65 low boy to. 180g 6x2x2. A few things I have already learned. There is no such thing as too much planning. You may need to have an intermediate place to put things while you do the transfer. And there is no reason to rush things unless the current tank is leaking. Oh and measure twice cut once

 

[Gedxin]

I've got a 22 cube right now and am itching for another tank. I'm space restricted though, and the 'ideal' open spot is 25" wide, which can only fit roughly a 35gal. Not the biggest upgrade but more tanks is still better!

 

[Drewbacca]

I just did my last upgrade from a 135 to my 180. There’s not really anywhere to fit a larger tank in the house so this is the end of the line unless we move.

Riiight... be honest.. how many times have you looked around and thought... 'we don't even use the stove that much really' or.. looked at that main door & thought 'honestly, we come through the garage entrance 90g of the time, it's really just for guests & they would aappreciate a 300 gal reef Wayy more than a front entrance' did I say that outloud?
Wife ... : l

 

[jiffyjhn]

Currently have a 75G(5 year old) and a 32G(2 month old). Both are not big enough to keep tangs anyway, so I'm breaking down the 75G and getting a 20G lagoon to replace it.

In the future I will move to a bigger house where I can have a QT/sump room, and a large open area in the house to build a 300G+ lagoon DT.

 

[Drewbacca]

Currently have a 75G(5 year old) and a 32G(2 month old). Both are not big enough to keep tangs anyway, so I'm breaking down the 75G and getting a 20G lagoon to replace it.

In the future I will move to a bigger house where I can have a QT/sump room, and a large open area in the house to build a 300G+ lagoon DT.

Just made me think what terrible distracted Realtors we would be! "Oohh look!.. this closet is huge and the main living room wall is right on the other side! Do you reef?.. what do mean what do I mean?!.. WHAT?.. NOO NOT Pot.. Fish! & CORALS! ... forget it.. you wouldn't like this place anyway... i think i saw a rat... hold on.. I have to call my wife...

 

[smithdsl]

I got a 40g now on my second floor. Plan to get a 200g in the basement in about 2 years.

 

[James_O]

Hang-on back overflow box

I’ve heard these don’t work very well, and it’s better to just get a drilled tank with a sump, so you can do it right the first time.

(NOOOO, stop giving me reasons to upgrade… ;Muted;Penguin)

 

[McPuff]

Right now I've got a 300 so it'll be a while before I upgrade, if ever. Besides that, I can't physically FIT a bigger tank down my basement steps as they turn 90 deg in the middle. I'd have to build one in place and even then I'm going to be limited with the size of the viewing panel. Ideally, I'd love to get an 8' x 4' x 27"H tank. Loads of swimming space for several tangs, angels, triggers, wrasses, and whatever else I fancy. Probably wouldn't add any more rockwork than I currently have... just more open space for swimmers.

 

[Johnson]

Started with a 55 went to a 125 long then a 150 tall added another 150 halfmoon then combined those 2 to a custom 400

 

[tigre44]

Looking to go from a 52 gal to something like 75 to 90 gal. I’m space limited with my sump in the basement