Transfer from IM40 to Reefer 350 or 425

[AZReef13]

Hello,

I have an IM40, set up for over 4 years, its a mix reef with established fish, Captive breed mandarin 3.10 years, Blue star leopard wrasse, Randalls assessor,lYello wrasse, pink streak wrasse and court jester goby.. Those are over year in this tank. I am now looking now to upgrade to a larger tank Red Sea reefer, 350 or 425? I am back and forth on what would be the best way to do this? Option a Move the 40 as is and keep running as is. Or Option 2 as I have read save everything I can, set up new tan then add new and old rock, what water I can save then top off? My concern is how risky is option 2? for both coral and fish? If I went with Option one how long would on wait before moving rock/coral in IM40 to new tank?

Are there any other things I have considered?

Thanks for all the advice

 

[blaxsun]

The short version is that you can insta-cycle your new tank using the existing rock from your old tank, and depending on how organized you are the transfer can take as little as an hour. Basically you setup your new tank with new sand and saltwater, get everything running, add some bacteria like Bio-Spira (optional) to the new tank, move the rocks and corals across, then the fish and finally any inverts. And you're good to go.

I transferred the contents of a pair of IM Fusion 25 Lagoon tanks to a new Red Sea 750XXL and it took me a few hours to move everything (some of those fish really didn't want to go!) The easiest way to do this is to keep the old tank going as it gives you the option of doing it in stages, ie: move the rocks and corals and pick off any parasites, catch all the fish and inverts and then sift through the sand for any stragglers.

 

[ReeferSamster]

I am now looking now to upgrade to a larger tank Red Sea reefer, 350 or 425?

I can vouch for Redsea in the fact that they are honorable in terms of warranty accountability. No hassle. Just 1 photo. I had a recent silicone failure last week that they have approved under warranty:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/b...r-right-front-glass-red-sea-reefer350.891012/

However, I would recommend you go for the 425 and get the plywood version. All Reefers 350 and below are MDF. Not saying any reefers 350 and under are inferior, as they weigh less and the laminated stand seems pretty water resistant, but I would go for the bigger version for piece of mind and in case you are the clumsy type that spills a lot of water all over the place.

I am the paranoid type to not let water spill, and even paranoid enough to go nowhere near the silicone with algae scraping, but if I did better research I would have gone plywood (Reefer 425 and above), given the choice. Unfortunately, my excitement for upgrading my tank was as spontaneous as my coral purchases when I see a brightly colored zoanthid on sale, and didn't practice due diligence.

EDIT: From redsea's email reply a few minutes ago, it seems they have made some upgrades to the new tank and I have more confidence. I have just posted in thread above.

 

[Finn450]

Have done this multiple times. Never an issue and all livestock was fine. First thing is to plan each step...and actually write it down...make a check sheet. Your tank is established. So is your sand bed...if any...and that's your biggest risk.
I start with new live sand. Then add as much of your water and rock as possible. Have premade saltwater on hand. Move your livestock to the new tank...have heater and powerhead in the tank going. Add additional remaining water from your old tank...leaving only about 2-3 inches from your sanded. All remaining water should be new.

 

[AZReef13]

I can vouch for Redsea in the fact that they are honorable in terms of warranty accountability. No hassle. Just 1 photo. I had a recent silicone failure last week that they have approved under warranty:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/b...r-right-front-glass-red-sea-reefer350.891012/

However, I would recommend you go for the 425 and get the plywood version. All Reefers 350 and below are MDF. Not saying any reefers 350 and under are inferior, as they weigh less and the laminated stand seems pretty water resistant, but I would go for the bigger version for piece of mind and in case you are the clumsy type that spills a lot of water all over the place.

I am the paranoid type to not let water spill, and even paranoid enough to go nowhere near the silicone with algae scraping, but if I did better research I would have gone plywood (Reefer 425 and above), given the choice. Unfortunately, my excitement for upgrading my tank was as spontaneous as my coral purchases when I see a brightly colored zoanthid on sale, and didn't practice due diligence.

EDIT: From redsea's email reply a few minutes ago, it seems they have made some upgrades to the new tank and I have more confidence. I have just posted in thread above.

Thank you so much for replying..... I really helps in my decision making.... I had been lean toward 425, after looking a specs. Now need to speak with LFS about the cost difference

 

[AZReef13]

Have done this multiple times. Never an issue and all livestock was fine. First thing is to plan each step...and actually write it down...make a check sheet. Your tank is established. So is your sand bed...if any...and that's your biggest risk.
I start with new live sand. Then add as much of your water and rock as possible. Have premade saltwater on hand. Move your livestock to the new tank...have heater and powerhead in the tank going. Add additional remaining water from your old tank...leaving only about 2-3 inches from your sanded. All remaining water should be new.

Thank you very much for your recommendations will keep everyone updated on my decision