Swapping Tanks

[GotZoom05]

Morning!

I am preparing for a large tank swap and am looking for recommendations. My current tank is a 125g mixed reef with mainly softy’s, 2 clowns, 3 yellow tail damsels and a large sail fin tang. Also have the basic crabs, snails, goby and pistol shrimp. It is a non drilled tank with a 3” sand bed and I only use a HOB Skimmer and the rock/SB for filtration. I have 3 Kessil 160’s and T5HO lamps, 2 Vortech MP40’s, heater, etc.

Current tank has been set up for approximately 7 years.

I picked up a “free” 125g drilled tank last night and trying to get a plan together for the change over. Being drilled I can now run a sump/fuge so pretty excited for that.

My questions are below and hope you all might have some do’s and dont’s for me. Nitrates and phosphates have always been a bit high for me in this tank. Never had issues with my 55g.

The new tank will be going in the same spot as the current one so planning ahead as much as possible.

1.) Should I replace the sand with new and seed it with old or keep it all old?

2.) Can I use a majority of the existing water and simply add new for the increased volume of the Sump or replace all water with new?

3.) Sump recommendations? I know this is probably a loaded question. Thought about a DIY 55g but not sure.

My plan is to make this a 1-2 day swap. Put rock, livestock and water into tubs, move the old tank and replace with the new one. Repeat the process into the new tank.

Biggest concern is keeping cycle, die off and spikes to a very bare minimum without harming any livestock.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ReeferReefer]

Replace the sand. You can rinse it as well and there is a huge thread here about sand rinsing. It's honestly easier to replace it.

You can re use your water.

 

[Fiesty]

You can reuse your sand but make sure u rinse it VERY well before goes into new tank. And i mean rinse till u think its good and then start over and rinse again. Be sure and stir around a lot as u rinse. It may be easier to get new sand and if u wanted to change kinds now would be the time of course.

If u want to save some of your water be sure and remove first before u start removing anything else from the tank. Once u start moving rocks, coral. Etc around u will stir everything up and water is going to get nasty. Id probably suggest at least 50% of your water be new. At least thats what i would do.

Good luck. Its a lot of work! Lol

 

[Katrina71]

I'd use new sand.

 

[Etmanning]

New sand. I'd use about 40/60 old/new water. It's really not too hard or a process once you get going, I've done it a bunch of times. Good luck!

 

[RichReef]

Are you using the same stand?

 

[GotZoom05]

Are you using the same stand?

Yes, I will be using the same stand. This will make things a bit more difficult but plan on using totes as garbage cans to house the rock, water and livestock.

Trying to plan for a same day swap basically.

Praying that I don’t have any plumbing issues with the sump. This will be the first one for me and I plan on having a fellow reefer whom knows what they are doing to help.

 

[RichReef]

I've swapped tanks 2x.

Both times I emptied the water from the old setup and moved the tank over with some help from a few friends. Refilled it. Set up the new tank, filled it, then plumbed them both together and started a slow drip to full flow over a weeks time. Then separated the plumbing and used the old tank as a swish tank and moved everything over. Even the sand. I used a steel kitchen strainer to rinse the sand. I ran a canister filter on the old setup up to clean up the water from the swishing. Once it cleared a bit I would swish the next piece(s). Once that was done cleaned and moved all the equipment over.

It WAS a pain but was also a flawless transfer. The coral and fish never missed a beat.