Upgrading from a 6g to 32g waterbox. Advice needed!

[Miemaes]

Hi everyone,

I will be upgrading from a small 6g tank to a 32g waterbox with stand. I recently bought a Fluval wing nano light which I’ve been very happy with. Would a 2nd similar light give me enough range for the 32g? Also, I would like to install an auto top off system for this new tank. Does anyone have any recommendations for this? I currently have a court jester goby, a clown and a few snails. I’m planning on adding a second clown… and perhaps some other small fish that might have a beneficial role in the tank? Feel free to give any advice as I want to set this tank up as properly as I can with the knowledge that I can gather. Thanks in advance!

 

[thefeds]

Hello and very nice upgrade! I am hoping to upgrade sometime soon. My 13.5 gallon is roughly 8 months old and doing ok for now. Here is what ATO I use and has been working well for me - ReefBreeders External ATO. I have a 5 Gallon plastic jug I use to hold the RO. https://www.walmart.com/ip/5-Gallon-Plastic-Hedpack-with-cap/180235982

 

[brandon429]

this is the right way to do a tank transfer without recycling:

use separate sand for the new tank. pre rinse the sand you buy for a long time in sections, in a bucket, using the tap water out of a hose. keep rinsing/stir/dump/refill over and over until that bucket was is absolutely clean, pure cloudless clean not 1% of clouding but 100% clean. do a final rinse of that wet lump of sand in saltwater, to jet out the tap water initially used.

set up the new tank with all new water matching current tank's salinity and temp. have that new sand already in it, all pumps/heaters installed. then you just lift your rocks, corals and fish over to the new tank and set them in for a cloudless skip cycle start. the only bacteria you needed were the ones attached to the rocks that were lifted over.

your old tank will have now just sand and dirty water/discard it.

 

[Miemaes]

Hello and very nice upgrade! I am hoping to upgrade sometime soon. My 13.5 gallon is roughly 8 months old and doing ok for now. Here is what ATO I use and has been working well for me - ReefBreeders External ATO. I have a 5 Gallon plastic jug I use to hold the RO. https://www.walmart.com/ip/5-Gallon-Plastic-Hedpack-with-cap/180235982

Thanks! I had a look at it and also has a lot of good reviews I’ll probably go for that

 

[Miemaes]

this is the right way to do a tank transfer without recycling:

use separate sand for the new tank. pre rinse the sand you buy for a long time in sections, in a bucket, using the tap water out of a hose. keep rinsing/stir/dump/refill over and over until that bucket was is absolutely clean, pure cloudless clean not 1% of clouding but 100% clean. do a final rinse of that wet lump of sand in saltwater, to jet out the tap water initially used.

set up the new tank with all new water matching current tank's salinity and temp. have that new sand already in it, all pumps/heaters installed. then you just lift your rocks, corals and fish over to the new tank and set them in for a cloudless skip cycle start. the only bacteria you needed were the ones attached to the rocks that were lifted over.

your old tank will have now just sand and dirty water/discard it.

Thanks so much for the info. I do want to change the aqua scape. Do you think I could just add the rocks in between the new ones and follow the same steps?

 

[brandon429]

It's true you can add inert rock among the same degree of ready rock in the display area moved over and still skip cycle. Then in 20 days or so the new rock is cycled just by being in the water with the aged rock

 

[Miemaes]

It's true you can add inert rock among the same degree of ready rock in the display area moved over and still skip cycle. Then in 20 days or so the new rock is cycled just by being in the water with the aged rock

Cool! I think I’ll do that. Thanks for explaining.

 

[nicowboy]

Amazing upgrade ! I’m also getting a bigger tank from waterbox soon.

For lights, I definitely recommend you the pixel Illumagic, they are fantastic, great par and can grow anything at a great price !!!!!! Here’s the link

Illumagic Pixel

A use case for anyone. The same silicone lenses that come with a lifetime warranty. Designed for versatility. The perfect circle, with a diameter of only 4.15" and paper thin at 1.06".

dalua.com

For an ATO you can you buy this one by innovative (if you have the budget) it’s very helpful to have the extension drawer to refill your RODI water

Auqa Gadget 5 Gallon Hydrofill Reservoir

The easiest top off reservoir to refill is now here. Just slide out the easy to access acrylic drawer and fill it with up to 5 gallons of fresh water. Just put your favorite ATO pump in the reservoir through the included 4" x 1" opening in the back and you are ready to top off. Dimension - 8.1"...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I would had a UV Light to control any kind of pest you will encounter.

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/green-killing-machine-internal-uv-sterilizer-with-power-head-1237020?store_code=1195&mr:device=m&mr:adType=plalocal&cm_mmc=PSH%7CGGL%7CCCY%7CCCO%7CPM%7C0%7CkUMWcWiLY5b1EHQjK6kSR6%7C%7C%7C0%7C0%7C%7C%7C18145199970&gbraid=0AAAAAD97F146N2trSiDXiB0U9-EVkwo48&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjt-oBhDKARIsABVRB0x1WJudRUui6E1aL5VYnv81QlhS1iRq8uln6cevyFYE0BDewRg-l1saAu7vEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Then for a wave pump it just depends on what kind of coral you want to keep and hows your current flow

 

[Miemaes]

Amazing upgrade ! I’m also getting a bigger tank from waterbox soon.

For lights, I definitely recommend you the pixel Illumagic, they are fantastic, great par and can grow anything at a great price !!!!!! Here’s the link

Illumagic Pixel

A use case for anyone. The same silicone lenses that come with a lifetime warranty. Designed for versatility. The perfect circle, with a diameter of only 4.15" and paper thin at 1.06".

dalua.com

For an ATO you can you buy this one by innovative (if you have the budget) it’s very helpful to have the extension drawer to refill your RODI water

Auqa Gadget 5 Gallon Hydrofill Reservoir

The easiest top off reservoir to refill is now here. Just slide out the easy to access acrylic drawer and fill it with up to 5 gallons of fresh water. Just put your favorite ATO pump in the reservoir through the included 4" x 1" opening in the back and you are ready to top off. Dimension - 8.1"...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I would had a UV Light to control any kind of pest you will encounter.

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/green-killing-machine-internal-uv-sterilizer-with-power-head-1237020?store_code=1195&mr:device=m&mr:adType=plalocal&cm_mmc=PSH%7CGGL%7CCCY%7CCCO%7CPM%7C0%7CkUMWcWiLY5b1EHQjK6kSR6%7C%7C%7C0%7C0%7C%7C%7C18145199970&gbraid=0AAAAAD97F146N2trSiDXiB0U9-EVkwo48&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjt-oBhDKARIsABVRB0x1WJudRUui6E1aL5VYnv81QlhS1iRq8uln6cevyFYE0BDewRg-l1saAu7vEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Then for a wave pump it just depends on what kind of coral you want to keep and hows your current flow

Thanks so much for sharing all this info! Much appreciated