How did you transfer your tank?

[rja]

Hey all,
I am upgrading tanks. I want to know what you guys did to transfer your tank. I would be using a few pounds of ocean rock, some dried out old rock from the new tank, and most all my current rock. I figured I can set the tank up after making my modifications (this is a FB marketplace buy) using brand new sand. Then, after drying the rock from the old tank, (THEY HAD DINOS, should I bleach it?) scape the tank with that old rock. Add in a couple pounds of ocean rock from the LFS and some TurboStart, and call it good for a few weeks. Then, add my fish, coral, and rock from my other tank.

Somewhere in the middle, should I add a fish to the new tank to feed the bacteria on the ocean rock and turbostart?

I also think maybe it would be a good idea do dip the ocean rock as well as all the coral and rocks from my old tank as I do the transfer in Coral Rx. Just because I have a shot at doing it and I do have some flatworms.

Lighting will be different. Going from a single Kessil A160WE to a pair of Hydra 26HDs. Should I just run them at the same time frame, color spectrum, (full blues for me) and like 30% intensity?

Interested in hearing any thoughts.

 

[Timfish]

That will work fine if you're more comfortable spreading out the moving process. I'd move everything all at once into your new system personally. Every system always has the various nuisance algae ready to rear their ugly head when systems are disrupted so all I'd do is brush off the rock in some aquarium water. I would make up enough new saltwater to top off the new system along with most (90%) of the water from your existing system and age it at least a couple days. Using a little sand and/or rock from your exisitng system would be beneficial and it certainly won't hurt to add bacteria but persoanlly I'd just use stuff from your current system. Read through my thread here where I had to move a system twice in 8 days for some ideas

Large Build - Skimmerless since 1997

Hi Tim I have one question. Are you using natural light to light your reef? I didn't notice any lights hanging in the video you posted in top down thread. Hey, the system does get sunlight filtered through bronze tinted windows mid morning. Depending on time of year it varies from about half...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[rja]

That will work fine if you're more comfortable spreading out the moving process. I'd move everything all at once into your new system personally. Every system always has the various nuisance algae ready to rear their ugly head when systems are disrupted so all I'd do is brush off the rock in some aquarium water. I would make up enough new saltwater to top off the new system along with most (90%) of the water from your existing system and age it at least a couple days. Using a little sand and/or rock from your exisitng system would be beneficial and it certainly won't hurt to add bacteria but persoanlly I'd just use stuff from your current system. Read through my thread here where I had to move a system twice in 8 days for some ideas

Large Build - Skimmerless since 1997

Hi Tim I have one question. Are you using natural light to light your reef? I didn't notice any lights hanging in the video you posted in top down thread. Hey, the system does get sunlight filtered through bronze tinted windows mid morning. Depending on time of year it varies from about half...

www.reef2reef.com

I really appreciate the advice. Doing things quickly like that has always scared me. Especially with something so delicate as my reef. Personally, I would be most comfortable running the tanks as two separate systems for as long as it takes. Perhaps I can assess once things are truly in motion. Afterall, it’s the same experience as buying a bulk order of coral and fish except this order is coming from 10 feet across the room. I feel like everything should be okay no matter what way I do things as long as I retain my current rock and ensure the new tank has proper temperature, salinity, and big 3 elements. If my current rock sustains my tank, then it should do so in any tank given I have the same bioload.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey all,
I am upgrading tanks. I want to know what you guys did to transfer your tank. I would be using a few pounds of ocean rock, some dried out old rock from the new tank, and most all my current rock. I figured I can set the tank up after making my modifications (this is a FB marketplace buy) using brand new sand. Then, after drying the rock from the old tank, (THEY HAD DINOS, should I bleach it?) scape the tank with that old rock. Add in a couple pounds of ocean rock from the LFS and some TurboStart, and call it good for a few weeks. Then, add my fish, coral, and rock from my other tank.

Somewhere in the middle, should I add a fish to the new tank to feed the bacteria on the ocean rock and turbostart?

I also think maybe it would be a good idea do dip the ocean rock as well as all the coral and rocks from my old tank as I do the transfer in Coral Rx. Just because I have a shot at doing it and I do have some flatworms.

Lighting will be different. Going from a single Kessil A160WE to a pair of Hydra 26HDs. Should I just run them at the same time frame, color spectrum, (full blues for me) and like 30% intensity?

Interested in hearing any thoughts.

As I did in my recent transfer, move everything over and add denitrifiing bacteria such as MicroBacter XLM. It took about 4 days for the tank to fully clear but feed sparingly and as I did. Keep the white intensity down the first few days to alleviate the support of any residual dino which I doubt is an issue at this point. Its been 7 months and I never has din0-cyano or algae issues, in fact have none.