My Ideas for tank transfer. Will it work?

[Reefer Brent]

So I am in the idea phase of tank transfer. This is what I am thinking so far. I want to do this with no life loss if at all possible. I believe this can be achieved by making the water in my old system somewhat match my new system before moving the inhabitants.

I am going from my 40 AIO to around 80 - 125 gal with sump

Ideas.

Add more ceramic biomedia to my current aquarium now to use to help seed my new system

Once new system arrives add some the media from my current system and live rubble to the sump and fill just the sump with water change water from my old system.

Use a fuge light and a canister filter to run the sump. Intake in the return section of the sump and return line in the filter sock section.

Do a 10 gallon water change on the old system running the water into the new system every 2 or 3 days. Also adding 5-10 gallons fresh mix to the new system each time.

Use powerhead to circulate the water in the new system until it is full and I can activate the sump.

If the new tank tests properly then I move the rock over and slowly catch and release the fish into the new tank.

Questions

Do I slowly add my old sand to the new sand as well? I have a sand star that would miss the microfauna.

Will any of these ideas create more issues than they solve or just flat out not work?

If I do these water changes over a 2 week period will the water parameters in my old system change too much for it's inhabitants?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I would just build the new tank, get it up and running, and match the salinity and temperature perfectly. Then pick a day and make a towel path from the old tank to the new tank, first you transfer the rocks, then the fish.

Even though your adding some new rock, the current rock will be sufficient to support your existing livestock. Take a few cups of sand from the old tank to seed the new tank. You can't transfer a full sandbed without rinsing it thoroughly (you will kill your tank), but a few cups is fine.

I've done this a few times, never had any loss. Once the new tank is prepared, the change over takes less than an hour, its very fast. Then just give the new system a few weeks before adding any new livestock.

Your way will work fine too, but there's no reason or benefit to make it last several weeks. Changing over water doesn't really provide much benefit either, its really the rocks that matter the most.

 

[Semper.Reefing]

When I upgraded from a 20 cube to my 50, I did it in one shot. Had some fresh salt made for the 30g difference, transferred live rock and added some more dry rock, used all the water from my previous tank, new sand, same filter media then acclimated fish and coral. Had a small diatom bloom but that was it! Much easier and you can enjoy the new tank sooner

 

[vcnt]

You can't transfer a full sandbed without rinsing it thoroughly (you will kill your tank), but a few cups is fine.

Why not?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Why not?

It will have fish poop and uneaten food and dead critters stored in the sand. The older the tank is, and the thicker the sandbed is, the more nastiness that will be locked in the sand. Its basically trapped ammonia that will harm or kill livestock if released into the water.

 

[vcnt]

It will have fish poop and uneaten food and dead critters stored in the sand. The older the tank is, and the thicker the sandbed is, the more nastiness that will be locked in the sand. Its basically trapped ammonia that will harm or kill livestock if released into the water.

Oh darn i didnt know that thanks for the info, so do people just get new sand when transfering?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Either get new sand, or need to thoroughly rinse the sand before transferring. You place the sand in a bucket and run water, stir it up, empty it out, and just keep going until the water finally runs clear. You will see how brown and nasty the old sand is when you rinse it, and it stinks too....... then you'll be very glad you didn't transfer all that stuff over.

 

[bakbay]

Agreed with others. I've done that recently with zero loss, consolidated 3 tanks into 1 last month actually. I'm planning to do another transfer next month: 175g to 450g and 610g later. As part of the move, I got rid of the old sand and went back to bare bottom (even with carpet nems) - way easier to maintain w/o sand.

Just make sure that your parameters (ph, temp, and alk/ca) are similar to the old tank and preserve all the rocks. It's like doing a massive water change in the process.

Good luck with the transfer and congrats on the new setup!

 

[Reefer Brent]

I would just build the new tank, get it up and running, and match the salinity and temperature perfectly. Then pick a day and make a towel path from the old tank to the new tank, first you transfer the rocks, then the fish.

Even though your adding some new rock, the current rock will be sufficient to support your existing livestock. Take a few cups of sand from the old tank to seed the new tank. You can't transfer a full sandbed without rinsing it thoroughly (you will kill your tank), but a few cups is fine.

I've done this a few times, never had any loss. Once the new tank is prepared, the change over takes less than an hour, its very fast. Then just give the new system a few weeks before adding any new livestock.

Your way will work fine too, but there's no reason or benefit to make it last several weeks. Changing over water doesn't really provide much benefit either, its really the rocks that matter the most.

Do you run low nutrients? I worry my high nutrient system will cause shock when moving to a lower nutrient system so quickly.

 

[Reefer Brent]

Agreed with others. I've done that recently with zero loss, consolidated 3 tanks into 1 last month actually. I'm planning to do another transfer next month: 175g to 450g and 610g later. As part of the move, I got rid of the old sand and went back to bare bottom (even with carpet nems) - way easier to maintain w/o sand.

Just make sure that your parameters (ph, temp, and alk/ca) are similar to the old tank and preserve all the rocks. It's like doing a massive water change in the process.

Good luck with the transfer and congrats on the new setup!

Yes I do small daily water changes so these levels are basically steady.

 

[vcnt]

Either get new sand, or need to thoroughly rinse the sand before transferring. You place the sand in a bucket and run water, stir it up, empty it out, and just keep going until the water finally runs clear. You will see how brown and nasty the old sand is when you rinse it, and it stinks too....... then you'll be very glad you didn't transfer all that stuff over.

Ive got about 100 pounds and its 2-3 inches deep do you think id need to clean it if im just moving it to a different room, sorry for all these questions

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Ive got about 100 pounds and its 2-3 inches deep do you think id need to clean it if im just moving it to a different room, sorry for all these questions

no problem at all. How old is your current sand bed?

 

[vcnt]

no problem at all. How old is your current sand bed?

under two months but its may or may not even happen (the tank move) even if i do its not gonna be for a while

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

For 2-3 months old I would just transfer it over, its still basically 'new'.

 

[vcnt]

For 2-3 months old I would just transfer it over, its still basically 'new'.

Thanks

 

[bakbay]

Yes I do small daily water changes so these levels are basically steady.

Certainly - that won't hurt. However, unless your tank's consumption is like my 150g packed with SPS where Alk swings 1-1.5 dKH a day, I wouldn't worry about doing daily WCs on the current tank and focus on stabilizing the new tank.