moving tank

I am fairly new to saltwater, and brand new to 3reef. I have a twenty gallon with a twenty gallon refuguim set up now. I just built a 40 gallon with a twenty gallon refugium. I would like to move all the stuff from the 20 to the 40. Can I move the sand or should I put new sand and cycle it? I have plenty of cured live rock for the 40. I have heard if I disrupt the sand it can release a lot of bacteria. Is this true? What is the easiest way to do this move? I would appreciate any help the lfs I have talked to didnt sound to convinced on his way to do it.

 

How long has the sand been in the 20?

 

Disturbing the sand will create another minicycle, depending on how much junk (detritus, not bacteria) is in your sandbed. If you don't plan on stocking the 40G for a while, I would use half of the old sand to seed new sand and let that cycle naturally settle before moving forward. You will need more sand for the 40 than what you have in the 20 anyway.

 

Welcome to 3reef!
My article should help you out!
http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-aq...g-aquarium-transferring-bigger-one-54342.html
Make sure to check out the other fine articles that fellow reefers have written...they should help you!
Best of luck to you!

 

the twenty has been set up for about a year and a half. I have lots of corals, live rock and a few fish that would need to be moved as well.

 

when I moved my 36 I moved all of it in bucket and then trans planted it back into it it was set up about a year when I didn't it. everything worked out good.

 

did you add sand with the move?

 

actualy I did take some sand and add some sand. I was setting up my 75 and used the sand as a jump start

 

Great thanks for the info i have not been able to get to much info on addidng sand with a tank upgrade so did not know if I should put new snad in the 40g with s little of my live rock to cycle it or if I could move it at once with new sand.