Upgrading to a larger Aquarium ?Any experience

[Wildblue4]

im switching from my 125 to a new 250. I have moved SWFO aquariums many times and hours away but have always left water covering the substrate and then used the same aquarium when I got it moved.
I am going to move my existing tank and place the new one in its place. I know I will have to add more Reef Arag-Alive sand to build my bed up but can I clean the existing sand in SW and reuse it? Anyone do this or did you start back with all new sand? I do have a Magnificent Anemone and some LPS in the tank. Any experiences from you guys would ease my mind!
Thanks for any help.

 

[maroun.c]

I'd start with new sand as old sabd would have sucked many nastie and is hard to clean. Might cause u many algae blooms of u go with the old sand.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

The best way (and most expensive) is probably to get all new dry sand. Personally i've just cleaned my old sand in some tank water and added some extra dry sand.

 

[Billdogg]

I would use mostly new sand as well, especially if the tank has been up for any length of time. It will be funky and difficult to clean. I certainly wouldn't waste my $$$ on "live" sand however. You can easily seed new sand using a couple cups of the old.

 

[LAReefer4Life]

Yes, you can absolutely clean existing sand and use it in your new aquarium. I like to mix the 1/2 of my old sand with majority of new. It helps when taking established good bacteria for cycling purposes. Good luck!

 

[Wildblue4]

When I say sand it is actually more like crushed coral, just not real corse.
What else can you use for your substrate if not true sand or crushed coral? Crushed coral that’s just not wet in the bag?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Correct, you can use that same stuff but it will be dry in the bag and it should be cheaper. Adding live sand/crushed coral to an already cycled tank will only cause problems

 

[PatW]

You can clean old sand with saltwater. Unless it has a really nasty buildup you should be ok. If you can’t get it reasonably clean, it would be best to go new.

 

[o2manyfish]

You are going to need more sand to give you the same coverage on your bigger tank. Depending how long your 125 has been setup and the depth of your sand, there may (should be) big pockets that are anaerobic will be toxic when disturbed.

If you have time before the move I would go pick up 2/3 of the sand you think you need for the new tank. I would rinse it all. Then go buy some panty hose and stuff the panty hose with sand. Lay the panty hose in your sump, in your overflows, in the back of your tank. Don't put them all in at the same time - Put one leg in, wait 4-7 days then add another one in. This will give you a bunch of new sand that is seeded by your old tank.

When you are ready to make the actual move, pull the panty hose and put them in a bucket of tank water - Keep the buckets in the house (stable temp) and the sand will be fine for over a week. Then use a large siphon hose (1") and use it to suck the top layer of sand out of your existing tank. Keep the siphon a few inches above the surface of the sand. The top sand will easily get sucked up. When the top layer comes off you will find the sand underneath is clumped, packed, or solidified -- This is the sand YOU DO NOT WANT TO move/keep.

Once the new tank is in place - just mix the New Sand / Panty Hose Sand / and siphoned sand all over the tank.

While this seems like some effort. It's going to minimize any drastic changes in the tank biology.

Beaware - You are dealing with Mother Nature -- When I added a new glass frag tank to my existing 1000g+ system it turned into a hair algae machine for 5 weeks -- Same water flowing thru the tank next to it 24/7 and yet it was just an algae machine. And then one day it stopped. So no matter how much you try to make nature conform to your needs - Mother Nature might find away to still make a mess.

Dave B

 

[Wildblue4]

This new aquarium is an Marineland 250. I filled it up for the first time outside and it has a few small leaks at the bottom. I drained it and after looking real close I can see the caulk is split in a few places. It sat outside all winter in a garage. The caulk looks like it may not be 100% silicone. I bought it used. I have watched a lot of videos about resealing aquariums.
Has anyone done this by just sealing the seams inside the aquarium on one this large? Is it worth fixing and having confidence it won’t leak a few months from now? The tank runs about 2200$ so I would like to reseal it if it will work. Any suggestions?