Tank Upgrade / Same Spot

[Arcticfirefighter]

Hey everybody, question for you gurus that have experience moving tanks. I am upgrading my old tank (36 bowfront, no sump, all HOB equipment, flimsy stand) to a new tank (57 Deep Blue Rimless, Trigger Emerald Sump, Sicce Syncra 3.0 Return Pump custom, DIY reinforced stand). I have to put the new tank right where the old tank is now. Unfortunately, it is right next to the bookcase entertainment center and the other side is a hallway. I have a plan on how to do it, I just want to run it by someone who has experience doing this so I don't cause a catastrophe.

PLAN:
1. 1 - 40 gallon Brute container (All fish, shrimp, crabs, and snails) w/ heater and power head.
2. Transfer most of the water into the Brute can.
3. Put whatever live rock and coral I can in there, otherwise place in 5-gallon Homer buckets with
saltwater mix
4. Move out the old tank with substrate remaining.
5. Move in new tank
6. Transfer old substrate and add new IO Fiji Pink to the new tank.
7. Pump out half of old water into new tank (20 Gallons)
8. Add old live rock with coral and add new live rock
9. Add new saltwater mix (20 Gallons) let it mix and settle for a bit.
10 Add the rest of the tank capacity with saltwater.
11. Let it mix for a while and settle, then add live stock.
12. Add new saltwater to sump and move heater down.
13. turn on return pump and hope everything goes as planed.

What am I missing, and what should I change in the plan? Thanks in advance for the help with this, I have never done a tank upgrade or move before.

 

[James M]

Are you buying actual live rock or dry ?
How thick is your sand bed now ? If it’s under 2 inches then I would say transfer otherwise leave it behind.

 

[Arcticfirefighter]

Are you buying actual live rock or dry ?
How thick is your sand bed now ? If it’s under 2 inches then I would say transfer otherwise leave it behind.

I have about 35 lbs of live rock in my old tank, and I bought about 25 more lbs of dry life rock. My sand bed now is very shallow, so it won't take much to move it at all, I only have 20 lbs in my old tank.

 

[James M]

Your going to want cure the rock first, if you don’t cure your going to cause a cycle.

 

[Arcticfirefighter]

Your going to want cure the rock first, if you don’t cure your going to cause a cycle.

Should I throw it in the brute with new saltwater for a few weeks while the poly on the stand dries? Maybe add some bacteria? My wife will kill me if I bring it in the house smelling the way it does right now, so that gives me a few weeks.

 

[Todd A.]

I recently had to do a similar move. I purchased a 210 gal and had to place it where my existing 90 gal had sat for several years. More than anything I would suggest planning, planning and more planning. I spent 2 months mapping it out in my head, on paper and to anyone that would listen. Your plan seems sound but be sure to have plenty of extra saltwater at temp as you'll need more than you think. Be sure to move the coral and rock before trying to catch any fish. If you have access to a small (10 or 20) tank, I suggest putting all of your fish and inverts in it with pumps and a heater just as a precaution. It took me 5 hours to move my tank so having the fish somewhere I knew they'd be safe for hours on end helps. And be cautious with the old sand as I've heard stories of stirring up old sand creating a toxic environment. I ended up just replacing all of mine since it hadn't been vacuumed in 3 years (too much rock & coral) and I didn't want all that stuff in the new tank. However you deice to do it, good luck.

 

[brandon429]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/t...ead-aka-one-against-many.230281/#post-2681445

Work examples

Rinse your old sand in tap water to cloudless perfection before use, it's safe, twenty pages of apps. Or just replace with new (still pre rinsed sand) what you do with the sand doesn't matter, xferring no detritus on rocks or in old sand is the sole safety requirement. Your bacteria need no help nor boosting for the process, you're not increasing bioload past what current rocks support.
B

 

[Arcticfirefighter]

I recently had to do a similar move. I purchased a 210 gal and had to place it where my existing 90 gal had sat for several years. More than anything I would suggest planning, planning and more planning. I spent 2 months mapping it out in my head, on paper and to anyone that would listen. Your plan seems sound but be sure to have plenty of extra saltwater at temp as you'll need more than you think. Be sure to move the coral and rock before trying to catch any fish. If you have access to a small (10 or 20) tank, I suggest putting all of your fish and inverts in it with pumps and a heater just as a precaution. It took me 5 hours to move my tank so having the fish somewhere I knew they'd be safe for hours on end helps. And be cautious with the old sand as I've heard stories of stirring up old sand creating a toxic environment. I ended up just replacing all of mine since it hadn't been vacuumed in 3 years (too much rock & coral) and I didn't want all that stuff in the new tank. However you deice to do it, good luck.

Thanks I appreciate the info on the sand especially. Sounds like that may be a good idea because my filtration in the 36 with only a HOB was not very good. It's only 20 lbs so I will probably just replace it like you said. Much appreciated!!

 

[Arcticfirefighter]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/t...ead-aka-one-against-many.230281/#post-2681445

Work examples

Rinse your old sand in tap water to cloudless perfection before use, it's safe, twenty pages of apps. Or just replace with new (still pre rinsed sand) what you do with the sand doesn't matter, xferring no detritus on rocks or in old sand is the sole safety requirement. Your bacteria need no help nor boosting for the process, you're not increasing bioload past what current rocks support.
B

Yeah I think it would better to just replace the sand since my filter for the past 8 months has only been an HOB filter. I blow off the rocks and everything with a Turkey baster; however, I don't think my HOB is able to keep up with everything. Thanks for the info!