screw up everything at once. i would take out all the rock and put in trash can with water and run your filter in it too, you don't want it to get dry. if it will get cold, then add a heater. you also want to syphon and save most of your water to put back in the tank. take out your CC and put the sand and lr back in, then water. that's basically what i did and it couldn't have went easier