How to pull off an upgrade

[cmonti]

Original plan was to keep my established 20H running and start a 30 Breeder. Now im thinking of upgrading the 20 to the 30. How do most affectively pull this off. I would think you would need to fill new tank with live sand, use most of the water from the 20 and live rock. Will I get a mini cycle again? probably.. Will this cause any harm to my frogspawn, chalice, open brain? Please let me know what's worked best for you when upgrading from one tank to another.

 

[spanko]

In this small of a system, get the new tank setup. Purchase new sand, not the live bagged stuff just the dry stuff and rinse it well to get all of the powder out of it. Take about 1/2 of the water from the existing tank and put it into the new tank. Take the rock from the old tank and place into the new trying to get the scape you want although no matter what you do you will probably rearrange it later. Then put the new sand in around the rock work filling in all of the areas where they can be under the rock. Use a piece of PVC tube with a large funnel on the end that you can dump the sand into and direct it where you want to from the other end, If you work slowly and keep the end of the PVC in the tank close to the floor of the tank you will minimize any sandstorm.
So now you have an old tank with some water, sand and coral in it. A new tank with some water sand and rock in it. Take a cup or two of the old sand from your tank and add it to your new tank. Fill the new tank with newly mixed, temperature adjusted saltwater. Then go ahead and move you coral. You will be good to go. You should get minimal if any ammonia spike this way, and whatever you do get your bio filter should be able to handle.
JMO

 

[cmonti]

cool. so my some of my current sand will seed the new dry sand.

 

[spanko]

Yup.Plus by not using the old sand you will help to avoid mixing up the accumulated detritus and possibly causing an ammonia spike.

 

[florida joe]

Cmonti you are in GOOD HANDS if anyone knows how to pull it of its HENRY

 

[deejeff442]

when i move .which seems like alot i will take the sand out and wash it in freshwater .then reuse it.never had an issue.

 

[yannifish]

Quote:
Originally Posted by deejeff442 http:///forum/thread/384923/how-to-pull-off-an-upgrade#post_3373909
when i move .which seems like alot i will take the sand out and wash it in freshwater .then reuse it.never had an issue.
+1.
When I moved, everything in my 55 had to live in a ten gallon for a year (just two clowns), and I left the ten gallon bare bottom. I just rinsed out the sand from the 55 really well with freshwater (I actually put it in a bucket, and took it outside and used the hose), and it sat in a 5 gallon bucket for a year. When the time came to use it again, I rinsed it a really well again, with freshwater this time as well. Haven't had any issues, and the tank has been fine for almost two years.

 

[cipher43]

Quote:
Originally Posted by spanko http:///forum/thread/384923/how-to-pull-off-an-upgrade#post_3373747
In this small of a system, get the new tank setup. Purchase new sand, not the live bagged stuff just the dry stuff and rinse it well to get all of the powder out of it.
JMO
Where is the best place to get the dry sand cause the places Ive been going have only had the bagged wet stuff. Of course tho its places like ***** cause I haven't found a better place in the area I just moved to.

 

[spanko]

That is strange that ***** doesn't have it. Most fish stores that carry saltwater supplies should have dry aragonite.

 

[saxman]

FWIW, I agree with everything Henry has to say except one thing...don't use any "old" water. The bacteria you're trying to encourage is demersal, and is not found in the water column in any appreciable numbers. When you add "old" water, all you're doing is adding NO3 to you new tank, and you'll be dealing with that soon enuff...JMHO.

 

[spanko]

I only say this when moving over established coral to lessen the potential shock from any chemical imbalance that may occur. If the existing tank is low in NO3 to start with, and heshe moves over the rockwork where most of the biofilter is anyway, I can't see there being much problem with any that may be in the water column.
Hey Greg, what' shakin!!!

 

[saxman]

Agreed Henry...as you know, Renee and I "live" in the "high NO3" neighborhood with all of our FOWLR setups, so we're of that "mindset".
Everything's going OK...waiting on the tax returns so we can get a few more things done.

 

[deejeff442]

i have always believed to use as much of the old water around 70-80% the fish are used to that water .like henry said it cuts down on the shock of different levels no matter if they are good or bad.