Hi all.

hi everyone. i'm a new member. i've learned alot from reading old threads already, so thanks for all the good information.
i need some advice for setting up a new tank. i have a 29 gallon tank that is about 2 years old and pretty well established. i want to upgrade to a 75 gallon because things are getting too crowded. the plan is to move everything from the old tank into the new tank and eventually break down the old tank. any suggestions on the best way to do this?
i will need to add additional sand and rock obviously to fill the 75 gal. i'm really worried about disturbing the sand bed to move it. should i just start over with all new sand?
i'm open to the idea of leaving the old tank set up while the new tank cycles and then eventually transferring everything over. i just thought it might be better to keep the same sand.
thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 

Welcome Kerry! IMO leave the old stuff in and start over. I suppose you could scoop some of the old sand and a rock or two to "seed" the new tank, likewise gaffle a dirty filter from the old tank and drop it in your sump. (based on reading here, not my own experience)

 

I did this same transformation a couple of yrs ago from a 45g to a 90g. I changed over everything and just added more LR and LS and bio balls. I kept the same livestock for about 4 weeks to see if the new tank would cycle, but I really didnt notice anything. I didnt lose anything. From that point, I started to add one fish every 2-3 weeks and some corals in between. BTW, welcome aboard. Luna

 

Welcome to 3Reef>>>

 

Thanks everybody.
Luna,
What did you do with your livestock while you were moving the sand and rock to the new tank? I'm under the impression that I need to let the sand bed settle for days before I can introduce anything to the new tank. In which case I don't want to leave my stuff in buckets for too long. Did you give it much time before you put your critters in the new tank?
Starting over with all new rocks is definitely not an option because my rocks are beautiful. No way will I leave them behind. I'll part with the old sand, but not the rocks.

 

Why don't you just set up the 75 G. Add the new sand in it and your live rock. Let it cycle for a while and add a scoop of your old sand a day or every other day so as to not disturb either tank to much. Then when the majority of the sand is gone and the new tank is cycled add in your life stock, the remaining sand, and the water if you would like. Good luck

 

Welcome to 3reef

I wouldn't bother with moving your sand, I would start a fresh with some new sand and move some of your live rock into your new tank. Kick off the cycle and leave your current system running as is. When your new tank has completed it's cycle then start moving the rest of the rock and your livestock over. At least you can then take your time and not try and do everything at once.

 

Hey Kerry, I had all my fish and corals in a clean, never used container with an air pump and a small water pump. As for the sand, I first thought about "cleaning" the sand, but that would kill all the beneficial bacteria. So what I did was to fill the tank a 1/4 of the way with water and started to place the sand SLOWLY not to cause a sand storm. Place most of the base rock slowly. When it came time to pour the rest of the water, again, very slowly, against the glass and if possible, into a container, so the flow of the water goes up and not to the sides to lift up more sand and debre. I placed all lifestock the same day right after filling up the tank. Again, I didnt lose anything. I dont see the need to replace the LS, only to buy more b/c of the bigger tank, the same with the LR. Good luck. Luna

 

My advise is take it slow! I have moved my tank several times using never used 5 gal buckets. Keep in mind I have over 60 lbs of live rock that has some really nice live critters on them, so I didn't want them to dry out.

Luna has a great tip on moving the sand... Slowly with a cup and place in against the wall of the tank dragging it down and releasing it. Keep the mess down.

Your definitely right about the old live rock!!! Keep it!!!

 

Welcome to 3reef!