Hey guys so I'm currently running a 20g reef tank and my 40B stand is ready the tank is drilled and plumbed so far the 40b is dry and empty my question is how should I go about moving from 20g to 40g should I use the same sand, the same tank water? Any help is appreciated thanks guys
Doing a Tank Transfer
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pastelball
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I moved from one tank to another just recently. I bought new sand for mine as i did not want to cause a cycle. With the water I made up enough water for the new tank. You can use your water from the old tank if you would like. Take out as much as you can before you start moving stuff around as it will stir stuff up. Most of the good stuff is in the rocks.
Zaxsaid
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I'm trying to avoid a cycle haha, though nitrate I do stir up my sand during water changes just to remove nitrate but even if I do stir it up it's always reading 0 ammonia is zero nitrite is 0 and nitrate is 0 at this point I feel like I'm only doing water changes to replace trace elements. That's why I wasn't too concerned about using the same sand, I want to move everything over without causing any kind of die off or anything that can set off another cycle
Hi Bud. you can always tag me @saltyfilmfolks
Here's what I do.
Get several clean buckets and containers (small tanks etc )ready. Depending on temp you may need a heater and a couple power-heads.
Yea you have a new tank so itll be a bit easier.
Drain the tank water into the buckets.
Drain it down to where you can catch the fish
remove livestock into the buckets containers
gently swish the rock to get any funk off. you can also use rodi if you have any to spare
remove rock.
put some rock into containers with the fish.
make sure you put powerheads in all containers with rock and fish(some folks recommend a hob filter with a sponge soaked in your tank like a qt but I believe from research and experience the rock is fine
drain the tank down to the level of the sand bed.the water is probably gonna be a bit funky there so dump it.
remove the sand into a buckets and rinse with old tank water or new or rodi. (we are in SD so we have ocean water free)and no it wont kill the bacteria.
put the clean sand in the new tank, add new live if you need too(some dry is fine but I would not ad more than 25%)
put rock in tank. put old clean water in tank put fish in tank
top off with clean fresh salt water.After the transfer monitor Ammonia and ph. Have an airstone(for PH) and bottled bacteria(for Am) standing by.
Keeping good flow in the containers will help the bacteria to breathe, it would be best let the head ripple the surface for gas exchange and this will stop a bacterial dieoff.
Have fresh salt water standing by and a qt/hospital in case of emergency is always advised. (I keep a funky sponge in my sump and a hob in the garage just for this)
The only reason I advise ph is I had a funny thing happen for no reason on my last transfer, but i did clean several of my rocks with peroxide as they were pretty funky.
Fwiw IMO the only way you can cause a cycle is to let a shrimp rot in the tank and begin the nitrogen cycle or to add Dt and small doses of ammona.
Stirring up poop and detritus and toxic gunk from a dirty sand bed causing algae blooms is not causing a cycle or a mini cycle
mad
et peeve word).It is simply is stirring up funk and causing an alge bloom.By slowly draining the water down to the bottom the before removing the rock, youlll minimize the funk you stir up and can avoid putting it in the new tank.
Zaxsaid
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Thanks haha I actually didn't know how to tag someone in, a lot to read but everything I read is very valuable, since I'm moving to a larger tank should I get more live rocks or should I leave as is for now?Hi Bud. you can always tag me @saltyfilmfolks
Here's what I do.
Get several clean buckets and containers (small tanks etc )ready. Depending on temp you may need a heater and a couple power-heads.
Yea you have a new tank so itll be a bit easier.
Drain the tank water into the buckets.
Drain it down to where you can catch the fish
remove livestock into the buckets containers
gently swish the rock to get any funk off. you can also use rodi if you have any to spare
remove rock.
put some rock into containers with the fish.
make sure you put powerheads in all containers with rock and fish(some folks recommend a hob filter with a sponge soaked in your tank like a qt but I believe from research and experience the rock is fine
drain the tank down to the level of the sand bed.the water is probably gonna be a bit funky there so dump it.
remove the sand into a buckets and rinse with old tank water or new or rodi. (we are in SD so we have ocean water free)and no it wont kill the bacteria.
put the clean sand in the new tank, add new live if you need too(some dry is fine but I would not ad more than 25%)
put rock in tank. put old clean water in tank put fish in tank
After the transfer monitor Ammonia and ph. Have an airstone(for PH) and bottled bacteria(for Am) standing by.
Keeping good flow in the containers will help the bacteria to breathe, it would be best let the head ripple the surface for gas exchange and this will stop a bacterial dieoff.
Have fresh salt water standing by and a qt/hospital in case of emergency is always advised. (I keep a funky sponge in my sump and a hob in the garage just for this)
The only reason I advise ph is I had a funny thing happen for no reason on my last transfer, but i did clean several of my rocks with peroxide as they were pretty funky.
Fwiw IMO the only way you can cause a cycle is to let a shrimp rot in the tank and begin the nitrogen cycle or to add Dt and small doses of ammona.
Stirring up poop and detritus and toxic gunk from a dirty sand bed causing algae blooms is not causing a cycle or a mini cycle
By slowly draining the water down to the bottom the before removing the rock, youlll minimize the funk you stir up and can avoid putting it in the new tank.
I dont know how much live rock you have
Yea you do need an appropriate amount.If you do get more rock cure it in a bucket for a while with a power head till its clean so you dont add funk.
Yea re read it a bit. Its kinda step by step. But youll need to work out the physical steps in your head first.
Drain, remove clean then fill.
Zaxsaid
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I've got a few in a bucket that's been curing for 2 months now I do water changes in there once a week same time I do for my DT when I bought the 40 I was planning on keeping the 20 that's why I have extra rocks might still be short but I'll send pictures hopefully this Saturday or Sunday
SeaDweller
2500 Club Member
Honestly, at that size, I'd just buy new sand. Not worth the hassle of rinsing and rinsing and drying and then possibly causing nutrient issues.
If the sand is really old, then I'd toss it and definitely buy new.
Most people re use it, some of us don't. Not a money issue, more of a time and less of a headache issue with using new sand.
If the sand is really old, then I'd toss it and definitely buy new.
Most people re use it, some of us don't. Not a money issue, more of a time and less of a headache issue with using new sand.
SeaDweller
2500 Club Member
Id take the top half at least. If it's indeed that new, I'd be inclined to reuse it. Just rinse with salt water to remove all the crap, really really well, and then you keep all the fauna basically.
SeaDweller
2500 Club Member
Just re use it all. Should be fairly easy to rinse, just make sure it runs clear. Like I said, really old SB I would have tossed.
Do a new build thread!
