Reef Bruh's 600 Gallon Upgrade

It was a freebie so it is now living in the sump with its own little critter cage. I drilled lots of holes for some circulation. I will feed it once it acclimates.

 

Update and Your Perspective

After about a week of thinking and talking to an adviser, I have stopped the buffing on the tank. I recently found out that the tank is aver 8 years old and there are internal surface cracks from the tank bowing from being filled and drained with water numerous occasions. So I talked to a builder and I am having the tank built. I was going to be a 360 viewing but that may change due to the fact the external protein skimmer will be in the middle back of the tank.

But I would like everyone's perspective and opinion. When I switch over from my 225 gallon setup, should I setup the new tank first and let it run for 3 months before transfer, or should I take water and fish and put it in the new tank and then fill the rest with new water of the same SG and temperature and bacteria?

Thank you everyone and hope to hear from you at your earliest convenience.

 

Sorry to hear about the tank. I know you spent alot of time and money into it. Its a shame you have to start over. As for making the switch to the new tank, this is what I would do.

I would do half live sand and half dry.
Would do about 30% water change on the current tank and use that water for the new one.
Then let it cycle if you have one. If you do it should be short.
will you be using live rock?

 

I will be using some, three rest will be base rock.

 

As long as the base rock doesn't have any dead organisms on it, I would think the cycle should be short if anything at all.

 

Yeah, I agree. I used all base rock and one piece of live rock in my 10g. Seems to be coming along well. The only thing that would concern me about moving your tank from one system to the other is what you may stir up that is in your current sand. If you don't have base rock yet, I recommend reefcleaners.org. they are down in Florida as well so you might even be able to work something out with John. The guy has always been more than fair on anything I order and gone out of his way to help me any way he can. The rock I got from him was just amazing and they have picks on their site if you haven't seen it the pictures are no exaggeration.

In fact I just got a order in from him yesterday of inverts and additional CuC. I also was able to snag a photosynthetic Gorgonian coral for a penny! (at least my research on the species seems to be a photosynthetic one.)

Anyway back to your tank... sorry I have A.D.D. so I wonder easy. From my research the only part that would worry me, as I said before, would be your sand bed. Some may be fine to seed any dry or dead sand you may have but picking up and moving the whole sand bed could have some very ill effects on your new system. The rock and livestock that would be fine and as said before your cycle would be hardly anything if you did have one. This being only if things were transferred immediately from one tank to the other. Any downtime in between could cause die off and lead to a heavier cycle. Least that's how I see it anyway.

I'm interested to see how the move goes myself because that alone will just be a monumental task in its own. You might have to call in some buddies to help out on that project when the time comes.

 

If you use about the same amount of rock you have in your 210 you will be fine. I would get new sand though and then place your rock and fill it up. I combined 2 tanks into a upgrade and had zero cycle this way.you could also (do this FIRST) scoop the top half inch of sand to lay on top of the new sand in the frsh tank and get the VAST majority of denitrifying bacteria for added measure. I you wait nutil the tank is drained you get a ton of gunk though.

 

I will be seeding the new system with about 100 - 150 lbs from my current system, 200 lbs in a pond tub with a protein skimmer keeping it agitated, and purchase another 200 and that should cover me pretty much on the live rock. I will have new sand and seed it with some of the live sand I have already in my current system.

Oh you know that's a must in this family.

That was the plan I want to follow. I am putting in new sand and wanting to seed with the sand from my system. So how many inches of water should be above the sand to avoid gunk?

 

Damn bruh you just cant catcch a break Im sorry to hear about the tank, that really sucks!!!! So how big are you having the new one built, how big, and any new delivery date??

 

Bruh Ill see you tomorrow morn as early as possible hit me up !