Upgrading this weekend

[tree]

I'll be upgrading from a 55 gallon to a 150 gallon this weekend. :jumping: The 150 is already running so I could make sure the parameters are good, test out all the equip. etc. I already know to cut the timing on the new tank lights back (going up to 250w MH). Here's my plan since many of the corals are attached to the rocks.
1. Make up some extra water just in case I splash some out while moving rocks.
2. For acclimation, I thought I would start moving water between the tanks. I figured to do that over a 3 hour time period so as not to shock anything.
3. When I pull a rock out of the old tank & put it in the new tank I plan to put some large chunks of pvc pipe in the old tank just to give critters a place to hide while I'm rockscaping the new tank.
4. Move over the rest of the critters and sift the old sand to find any snails I missed. The old sand is not moving over from the DT only from the fuge.
5. Sit back & admire the new tank ***)
Anything I missed or something else I shoudl consider for the move?

 

[snapperboy]

Originally Posted by tree
...Anything I missed or something else I shoudl consider for the move?
stiff drink

 

[tree]

Originally Posted by snapperboy
stiff drink

I'll keep the rum handy

good suggestion

 

[rslinger]

Whiskey............

 

[tree]

whiskey would require a run to the ABC store. But I've got some good scotch and I think we still have some tequila left.

So I'll be set. Just for grins here's a pic of the old tank and a pic of the new tank with the DIY rock in it.

 

[crox]

Good luck with it. Nice start.

 

[crox]

I also feel your pain in the upgrade process. I just did it 2 months ago and it was well worth it!!!

 

[tree]

Originally Posted by Crox
I also feel your pain in the upgrade process. I just did it 2 months ago and it was well worth it!!!
It's been a long road. The tanks got delayed and were delivered a few months late. We did a DIY stand and sump/fuge plus DIY rock. Thanks to Squidd & everyone else on recommendations. I can't wait to switch over this weekend. Is it Friday yet :joy:

 

[crox]

It's Saturday!!!!! How did the upgrade go? Any new pics?

 

[tree]

Originally Posted by Crox
It's Saturday!!!!! How did the upgrade go? Any new pics?

I'm just getting started

I'll post pics after I'm done & let everyone know how it went.

 

[crox]

Can't wait ***) ***)

 

[monalisa]

I'll definitely be watching this thread. I'm still in the process of planning a switch-over (on a much smaller scale than yours). My new tank will be going into the same spot as my current one...
My switch will taking place, hopefully shortly after the holidays.
Good luck with yours...can't wait to hear and see how things went!!
Lisa :happyfish

 

[tree]

Phew, finally finished :joy: It's been a long weekend. I forgot how long it takes to rockscape. Did discover one thing I should have had more coolers to hold the rock in while switching over. Hubby had to go to buy another one in the middle of the switchover. I'm too tired to take pics at the moment but I'll post tomorrow. I'm ready for another shot of rum at the moment :hilarious

 

[tree]

well I've had some time to recoup and here are some pictures as promised. Some tips:
1. Always make more water than you think you will need
2. Make sure you have enough food safe coolers, heaters, and powerheads to keep everything happy during the move.
3. Expect that person there to help you, to really throw your schedule off
4. Keep a mop and bucket handy and lots of spare towels.
and lastly:
5. Put on some good tunes and keep your sense of humor

Here's how the upgrade went.
10 am, started doing the water change between the old tank & the new
3 hours later - my water parameters are exactly the same between the 2 tanks.
Started breaking the old tank down - moved the rocks into coolers with water from the tanks. Put the fish in the QT tank with water. Located the remaining critters (snails, shrimp, etc) and put them in assorted coolers with the rocks.
it's now 4 pm and we are draining the rest of the water from the 55 gallon into 5 gallon buckets ( there wasn't much left). Took out all the equipment. And moved that tank out of the way. Cleaned all the gunky nasty sand out of the 55.
Another hour (or was it 2 ?) has passed
Drained the 150 into the 55 gallon, the 50 gallon fuge/sump for that tank, and a bunch of water conditioning salt containers ( they were free and food safe otherwise it would have been a big storage containers run.
By about 8pm we're mopping up water where it had overflowed one of the containers ( we lost track of time) but the floor needed mopping anyway
around 10pm we finally got the new tank in place after quite a bit of struggle, and we started putting the water back. Also started putting the largest rocks in.
by midnight all the rocks are in - just not where I want them and all the critters are in. - off to bed
Sunday was spent doing the rockscaping and more cleanup. A side trip to go look at some livestock at one of the LFS's and trade in a couple pencil urchins and a brittle star. The rest of Sunday was spent acclimating all the new critters, more rockscaping, rechecking the equipment, etc.. Most still have as yet to be placed in the tank, they are in the fuge at the moment.
Everything except my green stars ( I think I need to move them lower in the tank) seems really happy and the anemone has never looked better.

 

[crox]

Nice job!!

 

[crox]

Did you build the tank yourself?

 

[tree]

Thanks.
No we bought the display tank and sump tank from glasscages.
We built the stand and canopy and turned the sump tank into a sump/fuge

 

[daninct]

Your woodworking skills are excellent. You can be very proud of all that effort. Looks fantastic!

 

[tree]

Thanks for the compliments.

I have to say that I love my router and table saw since wood work is one of my other hobbies. Just wish there was more time for play and less needed for work.

 

[copernicus45]

Good job on the DIY rock, a year or so back i made my own Case rock, it was very cheap and i liked how i had control of the looks of the aquascape. You may also want to make a whole bunch of little rocks for Coral frags in the future.