Help during a transition

[azzubr]

So, the time has come, I have planned an upcoming upgrade to my red sea max nano. I will be most likely moving into a reefer 450. The new tank will be going in a new spot but i have some questions.

1. I will be using my rock from the tank I have set up, but I will still have to buy some. Should I use the sand from my old system, or is it not worth it?
2. What would be the fastest way of getting the tank ready to handle the fish from my current system? Just 2 clowns and a 6-line wrasse.

Anything to help me get going would be appreciated!

 

[immortl]

My thoughts...

1. Some folks like to keep their sand, others prefer to replace it. If keeping it, rinsing it thoroughly is recommended to get rid of old nutrient and waste build up. Some prefer to rinse with fresh salt water, others with fresh rodi or tap. My understanding is the briefness of the rinsing doesn't actually harm much of the beneficial bacteria which is within and on the multi faceted surfaces of the individual grains. It's one of those, 'what I think in my head vs scientific reality/microscope' things.

2. By using some established rock, you still need to cycle the tank, but being that a bacterial population is already present, I would expect the cycle to be much shorter than starting with all new rock. This is based on reading and thought though, I have only set up a new tank from scratch and haven't migrated to a larger tank yet.

 

[Dierks]

I'm in the exact same boat... Following along for suggestions!

 

[azzubr]

I’ve been thinking about using Dr. Tim’s to maybe help the cycle process. Does anyone have good experience with it or have something better?

 

[motortrendz]

My friend just had to change tanks, he upgraded from a tank that mysteriously cracked. So.. upgrade lol. But when he did he set up a baby pool move all his rock into that and kept it submerged, put the fish in a totem with an air pump and a heater. He broke down the rank put the new one in place swapped the sand and added 2 bags of new sand(rinsed until clear) and mixed them together in the new tank. Starred adding his base rock filled the tank got the filtration running and tank up to temp, reinstalled the rock with all the coral. Reacclimated all the fish and lowered his lights a bit for th first week. He also added a bottle of live bacteria as well. The tank pulled a mini cycle about a week long diatom and algae outbreak but no readings of amonia so that was good. The diatoms and algae cleared up and the tank was good. He only lost one coral during the transition.

Hope this helps.

 

[azzubr]

My friend just had to change tanks, he upgraded from a tank that mysteriously cracked. So.. upgrade lol. But when he did he set up a baby pool move all his rock into that and kept it submerged, put the fish in a totem with an air pump and a heater. He broke down the rank put the new one in place swapped the sand and added 2 bags of new sand(rinsed until clear) and mixed them together in the new tank. Starred adding his base rock filled the tank got the filtration running and tank up to temp, reinstalled the rock with all the coral. Reacclimated all the fish and lowered his lights a bit for th first week. He also added a bottle of live bacteria as well. The tank pulled a mini cycle about a week long diatom and algae outbreak but no readings of amonia so that was good. The diatoms and algae cleared up and the tank was good. He only lost one coral during the transition.

Hope this helps.

That is a result that I’m hoping, I can’t really wait a couple of months like I’d want to, to get the cycle going. As long as it can sustain a couple of fish

 

[ducati1212]

Im not saying this is the right way so dont jump all over me but I just moved my nano into a reefer 350. I did not move sand I set the new tank up with rock and new live sand and seeded bacteria. waited 1 week checked levels all good. moved over my old rock and 2 fish, 5 hermits, 3 shrimp, snails a few frags... etc. everything still alive months later.

My concern at first was the new tank did not have enough algae and cleanup crew would all die but they made it. I think from water in the new tank to moving nano was about 1 week to the day.

I might have got lucky but its what I did

 

[azzubr]

Im not saying this is the right way so dont jump all over me but I just moved my nano into a reefer 350. I did not move sand I set the new tank up with rock and new live sand and seeded bacteria. waited 1 week checked levels all good. moved over my old rock and 2 fish, 5 hermits, 3 shrimp, snails a few frags... etc. everything still alive months later.

My concern at first was the new tank did not have enough algae and cleanup crew would all die but they made it. I think from water in the new tank to moving nano was about 1 week to the day.

I might have got lucky but its what I did

Yes I understand that, I just want to hear about how other people did it so I have some options to choose from. I think if I keep enough from the old tank, I will be able to grow populate bacteria in the tank in reasonable time

 

[Elegance Coral]

I work in the industry and have moved/upgraded countless tanks. This is how I do it.
Fill new tank about half way with new water. I try to avoid using the old tank water, but if it's needed, it's not a real big deal. Just transfer the amount of old tank water needed, before you start moving rocks. Make sure new water is the same salinity and temp as old tank. Move rocks into new tank. Drain most of the water out of old tank, making it easier to catch the fish. Trash old sand and nasty water from old tank. Move the fish over, and top off new tank. Crank it up and you're done.
With the above process, there will be no "cycle".
The tank will be bare bottom. I try to talk customers into running like this for a few weeks, or through several water changes. This helps a great deal to clean the old rocks, reduce algae outbreaks, and start the new tank off clean and healthy. Detritus is easily seen and removed during water changes.
After that, if you want to add sand, it's pretty easy. Siphon a little water out of the system, place un-opened bag of sand in bottom of tank. Cut slit along one side of the bag, grasp bag from other side, and pull the bag off the sand. This will minimize clouding the water.

Like I said, this is just the way I do it.
HTH
Peace
EC

 

[azzubr]

I work in the industry and have moved/upgraded countless tanks. This is how I do it.
Fill new tank about half way with new water. I try to avoid using the old tank water, but if it's needed, it's not a real big deal. Just transfer the amount of old tank water needed, before you start moving rocks. Make sure new water is the same salinity and temp as old tank. Move rocks into new tank. Drain most of the water out of old tank, making it easier to catch the fish. Trash old sand and nasty water from old tank. Move the fish over, and top off new tank. Crank it up and you're done.
With the above process, there will be no "cycle".
The tank will be bare bottom. I try to talk customers into running like this for a few weeks, or through several water changes. This helps a great deal to clean the old rocks, reduce algae outbreaks, and start the new tank off clean and healthy. Detritus is easily seen and removed during water changes.
After that, if you want to add sand, it's pretty easy. Siphon a little water out of the system, place un-opened bag of sand in bottom of tank. Cut slit along one side of the bag, grasp bag from other side, and pull the bag off the sand. This will minimize clouding the water.

Like I said, this is just the way I do it.
HTH
Peace
EC

How long do you keep the tank as a bare bottom before adding the sand?

 

[Elegance Coral]

How long do you keep the tank as a bare bottom before adding the sand?

That really depends on the condition of the old rocks. Running BB for a while is an attempt to clean the old rocks. The dirtier they are, the longer that will take.

After the change over, with lots of new clean water, and no sand, the rocks may produce quite a bit of detritus. If the old system was a high nutrient system, meaning it grew algae, and supported a large population of detritivores, like pods and worms, then the rocks will likely drop lots of detritus. As the rocks become cleaner, the amount of detritus they produce is reduced. At some point, it becomes a judgement call.

After all this, if the customer still wants sand, I replace it when the rocks stop producing large amounts of detritus.

The reason I wait to replace the sand, is because the rocks are likely to produce a great deal of detritus in the new, cleaner, system. If sand is in it from day one, all that detritus will simply hide in the sand and rot. Polluting the water. If the sand isn't there, the detritus is easily seen, and removed during water changes.

Peace
EC

 

[Kbrow0810]

I transitioned from a non drilled 75 to a drilled 75 to a drilled 150 tank. I suffered no losses with any transition. Each time I used fresh sand and my previously established live rock.

For the 75 to 75 transfer, I had the luxury of letting my new tank run for 2weeks with about 80% of my live rock in the tank while dosing microbacter7.

For the 75 to 150 transfer, the new tank was replacing the old. My fish and coral lived overnight in two storage containers with 10% or so of my live rock. Again, I dosed microbacter7 and used new sand in the new tank. After about 24 hours, no ammonia was detected, and I introduced the inhabitants to their new home.

I had no loses either time, but maybe I was just lucky!

 

[azzubr]

I transitioned from a non drilled 75 to a drilled 75 to a drilled 150 tank. I suffered no losses with any transition. Each time I used fresh sand and my previously established live rock.

For the 75 to 75 transfer, I had the luxury of letting my new tank run for 2weeks with about 80% of my live rock in the tank while dosing microbacter7.

For the 75 to 150 transfer, the new tank was replacing the old. My fish and coral lived overnight in two storage containers with 10% or so of my live rock. Again, I dosed microbacter7 and used new sand in the new tank. After about 24 hours, no ammonia was detected, and I introduced the inhabitants to their new home.

I had no loses either time, but maybe I was just lucky!

I transitioned from a non drilled 75 to a drilled 75 to a drilled 150 tank. I suffered no losses with any transition. Each time I used fresh sand and my previously established live rock.

For the 75 to 75 transfer, I had the luxury of letting my new tank run for 2weeks with about 80% of my live rock in the tank while dosing microbacter7.

For the 75 to 150 transfer, the new tank was replacing the old. My fish and coral lived overnight in two storage containers with 10% or so of my live rock. Again, I dosed microbacter7 and used new sand in the new tank. After about 24 hours, no ammonia was detected, and I introduced the inhabitants to their new home.

I had no loses either time, but maybe I was just lucky!

This sounds like what I’ll most likely end up doing due to the situation I’ll be in. I know it’s not the most ideal and there is lots of room for error

 

[Kbrow0810]

This sounds like what I’ll most likely end up doing due to the situation I’ll be in. I know it’s not the most ideal and there is lots of room for error

Unfortunately, there is risk with just about any tank transition. Try to expose your live rock to air as little as possible. Do you run a biopellet reactor or anything else that would have a large colony of bacteria to help it along?

 

[azzubr]

Yes I know to keep them in water as long as possible. I wasn’t able to run a bio pellet reactor. All I have is my rock that holds any bacteria

 

[Kbrow0810]

I didn’t for either of my swaps, and things turned out well. On the off chance you did, it could have helped, but not having one shouldn’t hurt you.