Upgrade to a larger tank - Suggestions

[pchromis]

I'm moving on up from a 37g reef tank to a 95g reef. My plan is to move inhabitants and anemones and polyps and existing live rock into new setup.
My question is what is the best way to go about it?
Some questions I have are:
Do I get new sand for the bed?
Do I get all live sand or mix it up with regular sand?
Do I get some live rock and mix it would some base rock and later on move current live rock into larger tank?
I know I need to cycle tank anew, but is there any way to jump start the process using my existing water, rock, sand, etc?
You can see what kind of suggestions I am asking for so any advice at all regarding moving to a larger tank will be most helpful.
Thanks.

 

[jas1]

Originally Posted by pchromis
http:///forum/post/3137137
I'm moving on up from a 37g reef tank to a 95g reef. My plan is to move inhabitants and anemones and polyps and existing live rock into new setup.
My question is what is the best way to go about it?
Some questions I have are:
Do I get new sand for the bed?use your existing sand then add LS
Do I get all live sand or mix it up with regular sand?
Do I get some live rock and mix it would some base rock and later on move current live rock into larger tank?BR is cheaper and your existing LR will seed the BR
I know I need to cycle tank anew, but is there any way to jump start the process using my existing water, rock, sand, etc?using your existing SW, LR, LS will greatly reduce the cycle time
You can see what I am asking for suggestions on so any advice at all regarding moving to a larger tank will be most helpful.
Thanks.
Are you going to have a sump/refuge? If so, use some of your existing LS & LR in there as well. That is what I plan to do. Hope I made sense and helped.

 

[abeandlulu]

When we upgraded from a 200 to 265. We took out all the rock and fish and corals put them in big tubs with water from the fish tank. Then we pumped out the rest of the water into a big vat removed the old tank, put in the new tank. We also bought about 100 lbs of new live rock. We put all the rock back in the new tank (new and old) put new sand in and filled it up with the water from the vat plus new salt water we had just madeup. The next day I put the fish and coral back in the tank after the water had cleared up and the temp was back normal. OF course we had the owner from our LFS come out and help. That is what we did. Hope this helps, maybe someone will give more advise.

 

[jas1]

Originally Posted by abeandlulu
http:///forum/post/3137143
When we upgraded from a 200 to 265. We took out all the rock and fish and corals put them in big tubs with water from the fish tank. Then we pumped out the rest of the water into a big vat removed the old tank, put in the new tank. We also bought about 100 lbs of new live rock. We put all the rock back in the new tank (new and old) put new sand in and filled it up with the water from the vat plus new salt water we had just madeup. The next day I put the fish and coral back in the tank after the water had cleared up and the temp was back normal. OF course we had the owner from our LFS come out and help. That is what we did. Hope this helps, maybe someone will give more advise.
So u did not reuse the "old" sand from the 200?

 

[pchromis]

Yes, all advice helps. But I have heard that using existing sand might destabilize the new setup. Frankly, I can see how using sand which has been in my tank for 5 years would this, but I'm sure someone can explain it.
Basically I thought I need to cycle the new tank as original.

 

[jas1]

Originally Posted by pchromis
http:///forum/post/3137156
Yes, all advice helps. But I have heard that using existing sand might destabilize the new setup. Frankly, I can see how using sand which has been in my tank for 5 years would this, but I'm sure someone can explain it.
Basically I thought I need to cycle the new tank as original.
ur right about stirring up the old sand releasing contaminants. That's why I was thinking a "mini" cycle would take place. But what about all of the good things in a LSB copepods etc...?

 

[fraggle rock]

Using the old sand could be a problem, since overtime the sand build up toxins, even with sifting critters, so new sand old and new cured rock, QT the livestock with tank water, use the reamining water and new water to fill the old tank, after say 24 hours to stabilize you can transfer your critters, but test your water first of course incase you get a mini cycle.

 

[jas1]

Dang-it

So what about the larger pebble sized aragonite substrate?

 

[fraggle rock]

the larger the grain size the harder for alot of sifters to borrow, but there isnt really anything arong with larger size.

 

[jas1]

Sorry I should've been more specific

I already have the larger size aragonite in my 55. I was asking if it traps contaminants the same as sand does. I would like to take some of that to put in the sump when I transfer the 55 to the 125, so as to "harvest" the good stuff, copepods etc...
Didn't mean to steal ur thread pchromis, sorry...

 

[fraggle rock]

out on limb little answer but since its alittle harder for it t be cleaned and stirred by your CUC i would think it traps probably more over time than finer sand

 

[jas1]

Originally Posted by fraggle rock
http:///forum/post/3137186
out on limb little answer but since its alittle harder for it t be cleaned and stirred by your CUC i would think it traps probably more over time than finer sand
I agree. BUT... lol, sorry pchromis!!! Although it is not being sifted and stirred as much as sand would be by sand sifters. The top layer is being turned over by hermits and the inner layers are being cleaned by bristle worms and copepods. What do you think?

 

[fraggle rock]

Youre right about the top layer, but a detritus decays, turned or not if decends into the bed, which is where the stirring comes in the turning helps the bacteria in or LSB break down the wastes. If it cn be turned it breaks down slower and toxifies.
Think of this have you ever stirred your substrate while claening or moving something, all that brownish looking dust that come up is the unbroken waste, it can be toxic, and buy moving you substrate from one tank to another( or sump) it will be strirred fairly radically, it can be used buut you will need to wait for the water chemistry to restore( rycycly) and destroy the eastes and any toxins.

 

[jas1]

I knew that was the case

I was going against my better judgement by thinking I could salvage the 100's or possibly 1,000's of copepods already established in the substrate.
So... moral of the story, "always stick with your first instinct"

 

[pchromis]

Thanks for the help all.
So let's say I just get new sand for new tank, use some of current sand to "seed" it.
Same thing with rock, get some base rock and use some current live rock....
So am I basically starting new with the cycle process?
I do understand the importance of being patient, but if I use evertything from current tank except for sand but seeded with old....are we talking waiting the weeks it takes when starting a new tank?

 

[fraggle rock]

you might be able to salvage the pods by a fit of hand sifting after all but say a couple of inches of water and the substrate. just dont use any of theat small bit of water for transfer

 

[fraggle rock]

just buy new "live sand" and move all your rock, if you add new rock ake sure its cured, and use as much of your water as you can, do not use your old sand at all and you coljd pull of a move in a couple of days, of course paying attention to your parameters.
The biggest factor is the amount of your bio load versos bio filtration if you rush to get in done in hours your bio filter will be stressed and take awhile to catch up, plus livestock will be stressed the combo of both can be bad.

 

[jas1]

No. It's best not to use any of the old sand as we discussed. So if you do have a cycle it will be minimal and shortlived. Just use the already cycled water from your smaller tank and in essence it's like doing a water change. Base Rock is already "dead" so there is no new die-off happening. Just drop it in along with your LR.
2 min b4 me FR LOL

 

[pchromis]

thanks all...The cycling process was my biggest concern...
So new live sand...ill move some live rock from my current tank....wait a day or too to stabilize...then start the move. I have already been saving my current water change water to fill the new tank.

 

[fraggle rock]

Good point on the rock I meant to say if you add new Live rock make sure its cured, see what happens when you type fast...
What I meant about using the old sand is it is possible but it could cause problems. I would not use it myself.