Any tips for tank transfer?

[Fishguy597]

Sometime in the very near future I will be taking down my tank . I plan on setting up a holding tank to hold my sps while I brace my floors for the new tank. I will use the existing tank water in the holding tank along with my lr. I would assume I will have to do many wc's and keep an eye on the tank cycling. I'm just wondering what people have done in the past to minimize losses. Thanks in advance.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

Rule #1Never move the sand

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Get all new sand or rinse you old sand really really well, have plenty of new saltwater mixed and ready to go. If you add more rock make sure you cook and cure it really well. Using your mature LR will help a lot withnthe new tank. I have done same day upgrades using all my rock from the old tank and had no cycle and no issues, corals browned out a bit but recovered in a few weeks.

 

[mknightryder]

Great advice given so far especially about having extra water on hand. When I transferred from a 90 to a 150 I temporarily housed everything in brute cans, totes, and a few smaller tanks. I ended up using way more water than I thought I would. I assumed I was going to be able to use almost all the water from my 90g, but after filling a few totes and putting my rockwork in them the tote water got really nasty. Stuff got real nasty when I pulled the rocks off the sanded and when I caught the fish... I decided to just toss most of that water after using it as a quick rinse...
It's easy to catch all the fish once most of the rockwork is out and the water is drained down. Just be mindful of any fish/shrimp that you may have that hide out inside rocks. If you have a lot of fish maybe make a check list as they are caught and placed in the holding tank. I had a rock out of the water for quite some time while mortaring another rock onto it while aquascaping. Well my tailspot blenny had hid in his usual hole in the rock and I had forgotten about it during the transfer. He fell out and I was trying to figure out what it was and then it hit me... I threw him in the tank and still have him today. The rock was outta water for a good 10 mins, but I guess the hole had enough water in it for him.
Try to give yourself an entire day and even on into the night to do the swap. If you have plans then postpone the swap until u have enough time. My swap took way longer than I had anticipated. If you could find a local reefer buddy that could come lend a hand that would really help the cause.
Good luck with it! Just make a good plan and be prepared for the big day. You'll be fine!!