Venting/Any advice?

Well... I f'ed up. Tightening a bulkhead on my HOT refugium that was JUST BARELY too loose and DRIPPING, I put too much pressure on my glass. Cracked the aquarium. Water rushed straight into an outlet, smoke everywhere. In a newer house without labeled breakers, so I flipped EVERYTHING off. using flashlights I filled my 2 five-gallon buckets with water and the rocks. Bottom 1/4 of the tank is ok.

I only have 2 heaters, so I have one bucket and the tank being heated. Powerheads in all three. PRAYING someone in town has another 28 gallon in stock. Taking tomorrow as a sick day, gotta get another aquarium, get the back painted (no way to do it once it's in place) then get it together first thing tomorrow. Hoping everything survives.

And to top it all off... I still gotta figure out how to get the @!@# HOB refugiums bulkhead to stop leaking.

BAD NIGHT.

 

Also: What is the best way to move sand from my current aquarium to the new one tomorrow?

 

Well you have a lagit clam for sick day, because that would have made anyone sick. I used my dip-n-pour when I took mine out. Hope today is better for you.

 

Good Luck, with this!!

There really isn't a best way to do it. To many opinions are out there. I would just scoop it out with a plastic cup or something. I even have moved sand from one tank to another with my fish nets before. Just be aware that this may cause your nitrates/nitrites, ammonia, and anything else that may have been suspended in your bed to come back out. Cycle the new tank a little longer than you would normally to allow these to re-settle or be removed.

 

i put my sand in a 4" pvc pipe with caps on it and just take off cap in new tank sand came out in place worked good for me

 

This is the part I'm worried about. I basically have no other option than adding the fish right in. Keeping my rock under water hoping it'll help the issue.

 

just grab new sand when you get a new tank and seed with some of your old sand then you shouldnt have to worry about a cycle this is what i did when my mover cracked my display tank. Everything should be fine in your 5 gallon buckets as long as there is a heater and you can get some water movement in there.Your fish might be a little stressed when you pull them out in tomorrow but they will all live and wont have to be hurt by a cycle or mini cycle. hope this helps and sorry to hear about your tank.

 

It helps a lot. Especially that you went through it fine. I'm SO stressed. lol.

I also realized that I completely blanked on a heater I had for an older freshwater tank I tore down. So now all buckets have heaters. I added a bubbler (also from freshwater tank) to my broken tank that's housing my fish. I didnt want a sandstorm so my powerhead in there is tiny and I was freakin about them not getting enough oxygen.

My plan for tomorrow:
1. Find replacement tank
2. Leak test replacement tank - Including fitting HOB Refugium on to be sure it's not something I have to mess with again
3. Paint back of tank once emptied - NO way to paint once it's in place.
4. Find new location for tank (NEVER again will I put a tank too close to a poweroutlet. I might see if I can find some sort of outlet shield if possible)
5. Level tank (didnt do a good job with this before, always regretted it)
6. Add about 5 to 10 gallons water, mix with salt in tank - Want water for live rock and coral attached to hit. Mix and Heat.
7. Aquascape
8. Add Sand - Let Settle
9. Add fish/inverts + water they are in
10. Finish filling with water, attach all the non-essential tank items (ato, lights, ect).
11. Have a big sign of relief.

Hopefully that's doable!

 

you could take a cup of your current sand boil the rest and then reseed it

 

Now that really big time sucks.

Yup get new sand. The submerged rocks will have to reseed the new sand, as long as they have some flow/SG/temp are in line it should be ok.

I would try and get some Prime and some Microbacter7 to have on hand. Also you have any filter media like carbon/sponge or floss that is still submerged it can be used to reseed the new sand and tank as well.

Good luck to you.