How to upgrade to a larger tank

[Dre619]

Hello fellow reefers. I have 40 gal breeder tank with soft corals and some inverts. I am planning on upgrading to a larger tank and need advice in how to transfer my current system into the new tank. Any ideas?

I will use all of the water in the tank plus as much needed to fill. I’ve read to just use a scoop or two of my existing sand bed into the new tank. Will also have to add more rock but how do I go about swapping it all??
Thanks in advance

 

[glb]

Hello fellow reefers. I have 40 gal breeder tank with soft corals and some inverts. I am planning on upgrading to a larger tank and need advice in how to transfer my current system into the new tank. Any ideas?

I will use all of the water in the tank plus as much needed to fill. I’ve read to just use a scoop or two of my existing sand bed into the new tank. Will also have to add more rock but how do I go about swapping it all??
Thanks in advance

Following. I’m going to upgrade at some point and have always wondered how!

 

[scrappy35]

I’m about a week away from going from my 75 to my 120. Plan is to move all Rock and livestock into my spare 55 and the rest of the water in buckets or bins. Slide old tank out of the way, slide new tank in, level, put in all new pre rinsed sand (maybe a scoop or 2 of rinsed sand from old) and start filling. I will have at least 50g of new water ready. In my case, I have the 120 all ready to run. New 40b sump, return pump and stand. That way I was able to plumb and run in my shop for a week to set everything and check for plumbing leaks. Once there is enough water, I will start moving the rock structures. I already built one more structure for the new tank. Once they are placed, then continue filling with old water. Move fish over and continue filling. The longest part is going to be rehanging the lights as they will no longer be centered, plus I am adding an aquatic life supplemental fixture. then I will start moving my apex over to the new stand. It will be a long day. All water will be preheated the night before. My hippo tang is the only one I worry about getting stressed out. I have known this was coming for a little while, so most of my corals are still on plugs just sitting in holes on my rockwork for easy rearranging.

The next day will be clean up and getting the 75 out of the fish room, cleaned up, and ready to sell.

I just hope it really goes that smooth. It has on all my freshwater tank switches.

 

[brandon429]

that plan above kills the reef about 5% of the time, move not any degree of unrinsed old sand.

Official Sand Rinse and Tank Transfer thread

If you are reading this thread to cure a tank invasion from a link I sent you, we do not need to identify your type of invasion here we do not need you to test anything at anytime regarding nitrate, phosphate etc Above all, we do not need to see a microscope slide picture of your invasion at...

www.reef2reef.com

specifically do not add a handful of old sand, that's dangerous.

you will read folks' advice saying they transferred sand without harm, but you won't read of them doing that in other's tanks for 1 page much less fifty. any plan that involves non rinsed sand transfer can kill your system, or the advisors would have a thread like that above for not rinsing.

if you want to take a chance with your reef, move any degree of old sand. If you want the 100% documented safe mode, copy what we've done there for seven years in the tank upgrade thread.

if you do decide to move your tank unrinsed or add a handful of sand from the old anyway, despite the warning, we have another running thread to log that outcome as well. You're more than likely to be safe, its only a 5%~ assessed risk, but you are about 80% likely to get cyano or GHA outbreak after the move due to nutrient carryover. you can see above, not anyone disliked the rinsed technique they had no such outbreaks due to the move, not one time.

 

[TCoach]

What @brandon429 posted. Tank upgrade is no different than a tank move. Do a RIP clean and you'll be fine. This is what I did to move my 92 corner and it's running great +8 months move (see build thread for info).

Just salinity match your extra water and you should be fine.

 

[brandon429]

it really is true that most reefs can move without following the rules, but they're doing that in error thinking that keeping sandbed waste is beneficial, its not.

sandbed waste is the source of senescence in reef tanks, its not good to keep it, its merely tolerated 95% of the time but not 100% and the 5% who luckily pull it off try and ascribe that method to 100% of tank transfers but they lack the work examples showing safety, only their tank is the report basis. a rinsed transfer job is sparking new, young again but with matured surfaces left intact

a transferred old sand system hyper-ages because stratified wastes are now cast all around the new tank and that's just what invaders like, even if the transfer goes smoothly. a reef upgrade is a critical intercept period to add months and years pf renewed life to the system

If we werent rinsing out old sandbeds there, there'd be death occasionally and full tank losses. on page one I have some examples of folks who mess with old sand and gain consequence...the 5%.

a second reason folks tend to skip rinse preps is they're under the impression we must retain the sandbed bacteria, we can see above that's not the case at all.

a third reason they won't rinse is they think its moving critical pods over to the new tank...so when this tank is disassembled, pick up a handful of old sand and take a macro pic on a cell phone of the lump and let's see if there are any gamarrids crawling around. there will be sand, mud, and invisible doom risk only lol. all the reasons people choose to skip rinse prep are unfounded.

 

[scrappy35]

Brandon, if you are talking about my post, you will noticed I specifically said “rinsed sand” due to the post I have read of yours.

 

[brandon429]

Scrappy hey I see where it’s rinsed sand from the old agreed it’s a good call. Mainly was just planning for the common move many folks will do where they rinse the bulk of the sand but keep a handful just to seed the new, it’s a good plan you’ve got. Agreed I wouldnt even add any degree of unrinsed sand / not worth the risk agreed

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Build Thread - Finding Sauce (a lot of tanks in a little time) RSR 250 Nem tank

This quiet over here. Think maybe I need to drop a nem in here to get things going. Somebody say nem?

www.reef2reef.com

I actually did a Full on write up with pics and my checklist. It officially starts at the bottom of this page.

 

[muggle0981]

Moved my 7year old 120g to 180g

was going to cycle 180g but due to circumstances moves was a flip from 120g to 180g

moved all fish/water/corals over to storage bin with powerhead and heater

pulled 120g down

set up 180g, used all new sand-would not use old sand to seed, move rock over, water, coral, and fish. Filled in remaining water needs from my lfs

lost 2 toadstools in transition (after 3 months of not opening i pulled) and the. My largest one opened after 4.5 months after changeover and fine ever since

move done in 1 day

 

[jmichaelh7]

I would not keep any of the sand unless you thoroughly rinse it over and over again, and then rinse with RODI after. By time thats done, your better of buying new sand.

So like the guy posted ^ above, you need lots of tubs, and heaters maybe to keep fluctuations.

I upgraded 90 gallon to 150 gallon. I needed all the water chemistry to be the same. THE MORE HANDS THE BETTER

 

[muggle0981]

And powerheads to keep some water curculating whike you transition

 

[scrappy35]

Yea it’s going to be fun this Sunday. Can only prep so much the night before. I have 80lbs of new sand. Hope that’s enough for 1-2 “

 

[Sparkymarc]

I transferred a 90gal to a 270gal. I used all new sand. I kept all 80lbs of live rock and seeded another 110lbs in a tote. Never saw any ammonia. heck of a job but all my fish enjoy the room.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ive done this several times. Match the salinity and temp, ph and lighting to the old tank.
You will need a rubbermaid or similar tub. Place contents in that tub and add new tank water to it to perform an acclimation process. This should not be a lengthy process as yopu are actually adjusting and not fully acclimating. Keep lights lower upon introduction and ramp back to normal percentages over 2-4 days.

Ive moved:
90g >150g
150g > 240g
240g > 360g
360g > 660g

50g cube > 93 cube
93 cube > 70g drop off
70 DO > 135g

 

[CanuckReefer]

Moved my 7year old 120g to 180g

was going to cycle 180g but due to circumstances moves was a flip from 120g to 180g

moved all fish/water/corals over to storage bin with powerhead and heater

pulled 120g down

set up 180g, used all new sand-would not use old sand to seed, move rock over, water, coral, and fish. Filled in remaining water needs from my lfs

lost 2 toadstools in transition (after 3 months of not opening i pulled) and the. My largest one opened after 4.5 months after changeover and fine ever since

move done in 1 day

This was me today! Lol. Nice work

 

[CanuckReefer]

Hello fellow reefers. I have 40 gal breeder tank with soft corals and some inverts. I am planning on upgrading to a larger tank and need advice in how to transfer my current system into the new tank. Any ideas?

I will use all of the water in the tank plus as much needed to fill. I’ve read to just use a scoop or two of my existing sand bed into the new tank. Will also have to add more rock but how do I go about swapping it all??
Thanks in advance

I just transferred tanks today. It was 90 to 90 but different tank measurements. This one is taller. A standard size..... all new sand well rinsed. Move your rock as is, and I used about 60% of my old water, and the rest pre mixed new. IMO DON'T use all of the water in your old tank once you get down to the last 1/3 or so with the existing sand in there it's gonna be really mucky and a detritus festival. Dump it from there. Check out my build thread of you want to see today's move here. Best of luck with this upgrade. Will follow.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Yea it’s going to be fun this Sunday. Can only prep so much the night before. I have 80lbs of new sand. Hope that’s enough for 1-2 “

80 lbs should be good to go! I utilized 50 lbs in my transfer for 90. Gave me a 1 1/2" bed. Your 120 likely a 5ft length? If so you golden.... Best of luck on the move. Congrats.

 

[scrappy35]

Perfect, 48x24x24 should be more than enough then.