Upgrading Tank - Feedback and My Thoughts.

[RaymondL]

First reef tank setup, and I am wanting to upgrade to a larger one, and I don't know what steps I should be doing, so hoping you all can help me here.

The existing tank is at a spot where I want to put the new tank, so that's my first problem I need to get around. It doesn't make sense to set up the new tank somewhere else, cycle it then take it down and move it to where I want it.

Do I take down the entire old tank and just put in the live rock from old tank into the new tank with new substrate and assume that it'll be cycle? I suppose I should keep as much of the old water and for the new tank?

Of course I want to minimize any fish and coral stress.

Here was my original thought:

1. drain old tank into bucket(s) - put in heater and put in existing fish and corals.
2. Remaining water goes into new tank
3. Take filter media, etc and put into new tank
4. Remove old live rock and do a quick clean off of Vermetid snails (I don't want these in my new tank, so that's another issue - I would prefer not to bring over the old live rock, but I think I should)

5. Move new tank to old tank's position, put in new substrate, fill with old and new water - same salinity as old tank
6. Put in live rock from old tank - ensure temperature is the same
7. Move corals and fish over


Does this sound about correct?

 

[lapin]

Sure. Don’t feel the need to use old water unless making all new will take too much time.
The rock will have plenty of bacteria.
The only filter bacteria you will loose is the sand. You could rinse the debris out of it and reuse it. It will still have bacteria in it.