Upgrading and need some advice

Nanofishy · Apr 19, 2013

Just picked up a 56 gallon tank tonight :smile: Going to be upgrading from the 20 gallon. This is our first tank upgrade. We have had the 20 for a little over a year now. Used it as a learning experience with no problems, so we figured we are ready to take on a bigger tank! Need suggestions on what to. I figured I would use the 20 as a sump after I get the bigger one set up. I wont be able to set up sump until after its all cycled and everything is moved over. Also I cant drill the 56 because its tempered so I'm not sure what its going to take to get this project started. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Nanofishy · Apr 19, 2013

I am planning on a all new sand bed probably will use some of the old to seed the new bed. My main concern is the live rock in my old tank. I want to use it in my new one I know Im going to need more than what I have now. Just not sure how to go about setting it all up so I dont have a lot of die off from the established rock and still have a nice aquascape. When I set up the first tank I did all the aquascape before I added water.

Should I leave room in the new tank to use the old water when I add all the livestock from the old tank to the new. Or will they all be fine as long as my parameters are the same as the old tank?

SeymourDuncan · Apr 19, 2013

When I upgrade here is what I do:
First I set up the new tank I possible with the sand bed and additional rock work and as much equipment as you can use without taking down the old tank/future sump.

With the new tank setup just blast it with actinic lighting for a couple weeks and then when that time is over I will start swapping water back and forth from the 2 tanks until I'm certain that they are the same water. Once they are testing as close as humanly possible you can literally just run back and forth between tanks catchin and dumping critters and rocks.

Once you are Down to your old sand you can empty the tank, deep clean it, then design the sump how ou want it.

Baffles are cheap and hard to mess up. They don't even have to be 100% water tight, although that is the goal.

So now ou have a bigger tank an a new sump.
You will need a hang on overflow box to connect the 2.
Overkill is always the way to go.
Get a box that can handle as much as you can afford because your return pump should be 1500ish in my opinion and experience.

After ou are plumbed up just have 15-20 gallons of new mixed saltwater and full the sump. Crank it on and be prepared not to pee your pants over your completed awesomeness on a tank.