Sanity check for tank move.

[reefkeep3r]

Hello everyone,

I need to move biocube and wanna make sure I'm not missing anything. I also have a pretty severe algae problem. Mostly gha I think. Current occupants are a 5 yr old false percula clown, and royal Gramma. CUC of hermits and snails. Also a hammer head and toadstool.

Heres my plan to move everything and help algae control.

1. In a 10g brute I will place rocks and most of cuc. Rocks will be scrubbed in tank water. In the can will be a heater and bubble filter for air and movement. It will stay dark for entire time, 3 days ish. Thinking I should use nsw instead of tank water.
2. Next fish, corals and rest of cuc will go in 10g tank with hob filter, probably dosing prime and stability for a couple days to prevent cycle. No extra light since algae is on the corals 2. This is going to be NSW also.
3. Finish draining water and removing sand. I'm planning on discarding sand and starting new. Is there a way to renew sand or is it a goner.
4. Move tank and plumb in new sump.
5. Add base rocks and new(cleaned) sand and fill with NSW.
6. Start system and add fish and corals back.
7. Finish algae problem.


So what your thoughts, criticism, etc.

Thanks

 

[Kmiller035]

I've reused sand twice with no issue. It was coarse so much easier to wash out than a finer grain. I spread it out in the driveway on top of a bed sheet that was spread over an old screen door and just started hosing it down while agitating it with my hand. I let it dry in the sun and put it right back in the tank. It was a 180 gallon tank so it was a lot of sand and I was trying not to go out and spend unnecessary money.


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[Uncle99]

Seems good to me, although I might put more emphasis at solving the move followed by algae control, but sure, get off as much as possible with a serious scrub in tank water, I might put the washed ones in the bucket with heat and flow.

Once the move is complete, check phosphate levels to ensure they are 0.03 - .1 ppm max, if more, try a GFO to get it in that range, also if running any T5, make sure they are less than 12 months old, watch the red spectrum, it's an algae maker.

I might add a 5a, bring water conditions to par in respect to salinity and temp.

Try not to disturb the bed too much as we do not want to release any ammonia into the column. This may occur in areas which are oxygen poor. Just a caution, depends on the tank, each ones different.

I have never reused sand. I hate washing it. I do "seed" the new with 10% old to ensure transfer of some initial micro fauna.

Good luck.

 

[reefkeep3r]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the responses. I will be running gfo in the new sump and probably in the rock bucket. I'm hoping that by doing sand last I can avoid anything coming from sand. That being said my bed is less then a inch in most spots so hopefully nothing to stir up.

I was thinking up putting a bag of gfo in the rock bucket to keep it ultra low p04

I might try washing sand like you said but I have so little and it's in pretty bad shape. I was just worried a out a new cycle like you can get by adding rocks.