Help With Substrate Removal

[doug21]

The substrate in my tank has turned into a "slab." I need to get it out and either replace it or I may go barebottom for now. I just don't know how to go about it without crashing the tank. I do know I'm gonna have to take all the rock and corals out and put them in a spare tank to get the old substrate out. Can I just syphon all the water out and use it in the spare tank? Am i gonna have any kind of spike or cycle? Any help would be appreciated as I'm lost trying to do this.

 

[ritter6788]

Your plan sounds fine. As long as you aren't adding new sand or rock you shouldn't have any cycle. There will be a period for the bacteria to stabilize again but it should be minimal. Just make sure not to disturb the sand until your livestock is out.

 

[Quinn123]

I did this on my 144 gallon, I remove all the coral put them in a separate container, then I siphon out all my water in large plastic trash cans, I also had about 50 gallons of premix salt ready. Once the water empty I then remove the rock. Took out all my crush coral substrates then wipe the tank bottom clean, once the bottom is clean put all the rocks back, water then coral. All my corals was fine, it took about a week or two for the coral to settle and open back up.

 

[doug21]

Thanks Ritter And Quinn. I appreciate the quick responses. Just what I needed to know. Now for the really fun part, lol!!!

 

[Steelerfan747]

You will be fine. Is the other tank the same size, larger or smaller? if its larger you will just need to add a little bit of fresh saltwater as if doing a water change

 

[AliciaP]

I did almost the same exact thing! I think the only difference is that I was upgrading from 55 and 25 to a 120 (gallons). I wanted some nice new sand, because I didn't like what I had. I moved all the water I could without disturbing the sand, and rocks and fish. The tank stayed bare bottom for a month, then it grew on me, and it's still bare bottom. The coraline growing on it looks great! Easy clean up. No worries about too much water flow throwing sand up into the water column. I love it.

You may see a small cycle, but i doubt it. I saw a very small one, but I think it was because I had a DSB and I irritated the sand too much before getting all the water out, and added a little extra rock. I would watch for any little cycle, just so you know what's what in your tank, but it will be just fine.