Upgrading tank process

[Nht]

Hey guys. I currently am running a 50 gallon mixed reef cube tank at the moment. Everything is flourishing and thriving and I am running out of room really quick with about 30 sps frags on the frag rack.

So I think it's time to upgrade to 100-120 gallon tank. Only thing that's holding me back is the whole process of upgrading. My sps are doing so well that I'd hate to upset them during their time of growth with changing tanks.

Looking for advice on how to do this with MINIMAL stress and NO loss of corals.

Do I reuse my sand or just start fresh with new sand and new rock? Do I just throw everything in a large plastic tub and let them sit in there with a light over it or do I remove the tank water, move the new tank in its place and then put all livestock back into the old tank in a temporary spot?

Please give me some insight on how to plan this ordeal. Thanks!

 

[jsker]

@john.m.cole3 could help you with that.

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

So I am staying a new tank and want to transfer all my current sps frags over as well. I used all of my cured and current coralline algae rocks from my other tank, and filed it up with 50% of my larger tanks water as well. In am going bare bottom. So how stable is my new tank to transfer to? I've used everything from a well established tank.

 

[TinyChocobo]

I'm curious as well as I plan on doing this in the next 6 months or so from a 29 to a 75~150.

 

[Diesel]

Transfer SPS to a new tank can be tricky and in most cases never turn out positive.
IMO it has to to with a well matured tank that swings are minimal and some swings you just can't control cause the tank isn't matured well.
I suggest as I have done may times to move your existing tank slowly to another spot, of course drain enough that it is movable and when done put existing water back in.
In that case you have the spot open to setup your new tank and you can take enough time in the cycling and let the tank settle in for at least 6 months before transferring any SPS.
If you can't do that I'm pretty sure you going to havr to calculate in the move some loss on your corals.
In my case I move everything to some frag tanks that I will set up 6 to eight months before the move.
My upgrade will take place next year and to move back the SPS colonies will take up to another year.

 

[TinyChocobo]

A curious question from a newbie here... But if it's so incredibly hard to move SPS corals - how does anybody ever frag them and then get those frags home and then get those frags to live in their tank?

 

[Diesel]

Cause their tank been running for a while.

 

[maroun.c]

Unfortunately only way to know is actually moving stuff in. Would be best to move couple of frags and observe for couple of weeks. Anything can go wrong and unnoticed in a new setup till corals or fish are there. Had 2 rushed complete moves of livestock go without a single loss (coral and fish) my third move which was the best planned went the worse.

 

[TinyChocobo]

I guess it's a good thing that when I plan on getting the bigger tank it's going in a new location in the house. Will be replacing the old tank just not in the old position.