Venting/Any advice?

If you're mixing new water in the tank, you might want to give it some time to circulate. If memory serves me correctly, brand new salt water can be dangerous to newly introduced creatures.

 

hopefully all these responses give you ideas...
I hate when days like this turn out crappy...

 

You might want to wait another day like stated above before adding your livestock including your LR/coral atleast until the tank is at the right temp and your SG has settled. If you start the water adding in the morining you might be able to get it up to temp in 8-10hrs but the salt wont be mixed all the way. Deff use a few cups of sand from your broken tank and like coralline said and mechanical filtration you at on your other tank will help seed it as well.

Your fish and everything should be okay in your buckets for 3-5days as long as there is proper heat and Co2 exchange and dont for get food lol. It was stressful for me as well. Hope everything works out for the best.

 

Wow, I hate hearing of things like this. Best of luck to you. As far as the power outlet thing, either replace that wall outlet with one which includes a GFCI (ground fault circuit interupter), or you can buy stand-alone GFCI's that plug right into the outlet. They are cheap, and I personally would never run an aquarium near any circuit without one.

 

I had a stand alone GFCI, but it didnt work since the water went straight into the outlet. Replacing the outlet with a GFI today.

Drove all over town looking for a replacement tank. FINALLY found one... but I could only get it in a combo with the stand. Luckily at the checkout I was greated with the surprise it was on sale for what I expected to pay for just the tank.

Got it all taped up. About to paint first layer now. Starting to slowly feel a little more optimistic

 

And here are some bulkhead installation tips:
http://www.3reef.com/forums/new-hobby/bulkhead-installation-tips-111422.html

 

Tank painted. And back in place. I had enough saltwater saved to get the base layer of live rock down in the tank with the old water. Mixing new water in buckets as we speak. Shortly I hope to add the new sand so I can transfer my fish/inverts from the old tank to the new one. Then it's just a waiting game mixing water.

 

Ok. I have about 15 gallons of water in my tank, and most of my live rock. I have started to add sand (will probably need to add more. I want it to clear up a little before I do just so I can see where it's needed. Should I wait for this to clear up before adding my fish? Or will this just be worse stress for them?

 

i would have waited to even put your live rock in until the water was at least 76.8 and the salt had a chance to mix up all the way. Did you mix some of your old sand in?

 

The bulk of the saltwater I used was the old water I'd saved. The rest of the salt had 6 hours to warm and mix (salinity and temp spot on). I mixed a large cup of my old sand in. I made my sand a bit shallower this time, so it doesnt come above the bottom rim of the tank (it looks so bad in there before!) and also switched to a sugar sized grain of sand. Def love it!

Mixed more water last. Added coral and final piece of live rock this morning. Tank is 90% full. Hopefully the salt I am mixing will be ready by when I am off work today.

The fish look SO much less stressed today.

To Do list: Remove live rock rubble from old tank, add to new tank. Remove as much of the cleanup crew as possible (I've already spent enough.... buying snail might push my GF over the edge.... and she's been AMAZINGLY helpful with everything so I gotta please her a little, lol).

Thanks for all the help everyone.