Tank Transfer

[nudifun]

Okay so I have had a 20 Gallon tank set with fish for the last 10 months. I Just bought a 55 gallon tank and stand, which is being drilled and painted at my LFS right now. I am planning on transferring the content of my 20 gallon to the 55 gallon and when I mean content I mean everything.....all the sand, all the live rock and all the livestock. I am hoping the sand and live rock from my 20 will help seed the tank and speed the cycle significantly. I am fairy new to the saltwater arena and am looking for advice for such a maneuver. The best way of going about doing this. I am interested in hearing from anyone who has accomplished this similar feet and how they did it. I am also looking for best practices and any information that will help me be successful in this endeavor. I and my wife are quite attached to these little guys and do not want to compromise their health or put them in any danger, while at the same time completing this task as fast and as efficiently as possible.
Here is some critical information regarding this transfer:
1. The 55 gallon will be in the exact same spot as the 20 gallon is now. so it is necessary to move the 20 to make room for the 55 gallon, which presents a challenge/question that I could use some advice on.

2. Specs for the existing 20 gallon:
*equipment in use on tank
-WavePoint 4 bulb 96 watt t5 HO 24"
-koralia 240 powerhead
-koralia 425 powerhead
-Aquaclear HOB with biomedia, carbon and sponge
-CPR Bak Pak 2 Protein Skimmer
-Oceanic Biocube Protein Skimmer
-ViaAqua 50 watt titanium heater
-30lbs of live rock (estimate)
-30lbs of live sand (estimate)
*equipment on hand for use
-10 gallon refugium that I built using Aqueon 10 gallon tank (has two partitions using four glass inserts siliconed in, creating a middle section for fuge). The fuge has room for the CPR bak pak to be place on it as well as the biocube skimmer. it will also have room for a 740gph return pump.
-Hydor Centrifugal Pump (740gph)
-Maxijet 600 powerhead
-Hydor FLO wavemaker
-overflow box insert
-9watt PC fuge light
-filter floss
-partition sponges
-Filter sock
-6 gallon emergency QT (not set up)
-2 gallon emergency QT (not Set up)
*equipment being purchase
-Wavepoint 4 bulb 216watt t5 HO 48"
-PVC
-lockline
-bulkheads
-misc. plumbing
-another ViaAqua 50w heater
-ATO
-Any suggestions would be great!

Here is the plan I have devised in my head, please let me know if its good or if you have a better one, or if you have something to add.

-Ok so I think I am going to transfer my live rock to a temp bucket/tank so I can easily net my fish.
-then taking the water and some of the sand and rock and placing it in the qt with the HOB from the 20 gallon
-catch the fish and place in QT along with the coral
-leave fish in QT (6 gallon) until cycle is complete on 55)
--or should i put them back in twenty once i have moved everything out of it and moved the tank to a different area and plcae fish and coral in the 20 without sand and just a few pieces of live rock or maybe none at all? **need help with this decision**
taking sand and live rock from the 20 and adding it to the 55 gallon along with some more purchased live rock and sand to fill out the tank.
-set up fuge/pump/plumping. **need help with what size bulkheads/drilled holes/piping to use** (the pump has a 5/8 hose barb with locking nut)
-place live sand or fuge mud in middle compartment with live rock and some kind of macro algae, I'm thinking Chaeto?
-Im going to be putting the heaters in the fuge or atleast one **what do you think?**
-placing the protein skimmers (both) in the fuge, until I buy a nicer more powerful/appropriate one? **recommendation?**
-if I have room in the first compartment, I was thinking of maybe adding some bio balls **recommendations?**
-not sure how long the cycle will be. I was thinking maybe 2 weeks with that much seed. **thoughts?**
-I also plan on dosing Seachems Stability everyday during the cycle.
-should I place my CUC in after two weeks or one week or what, not sure? **Thoughts?**
**Anything else y'all can think of or that I am missing**

I know this post is a lot to read. if you have gotten this far that thank you! I probably could have made this a lot shorter, but I want to be thorough in my provided information.
I may update if I forgot to add something.

Here is a list of my livestock and/or planned livestock:
*Fish
-True Percula Clown
-Yellow Assessor
-Orange Spotted Watchman Goby (symbiotic-Pistol)
-Starry Blenny
*Inverts
-Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
-Tiger Pistol Shrimp (symbiotic-Goby)
-Electric Flame Scallop
-2 Red Legged Hermit crabs
-2 Nassarius Snails
-Astrea snail
-Mexican Turbo Snail
-various hitchhikers
*Sessile Inverts
-Green Bubble Coral
-Various Zoa colonies (orange, green, red,pink)
-Green Birdsnest
-True Undata Montipora (Neon Blue/Purple Polyps)
-Yellow Polyps (Hitchhiker - 10 polyps)
-Finger Leather Coral
-Orange Short Tentacle Plate Coral
-Favites Brain Coral
-Frogspawn
-Duncan
-Torch
-Coco Worm Feather Duster
-Brain Trachyphyllia (Pink)
-Xenia
-Green Star Polyps
-Green Mushroom
-Orange/Red Mushroom with green lines
-Sun Coral (Yellow)
-Branching Hammer

Ok....Thats it.....for now..... Thanks for reading!

 

[oscarinw]

If I were you, I would use dry sand for the new tank and just the top layer of your old sand, some extra dry rock and transfer the rest, all at once. Put the sand, the new rock, the newly made 30 gallons, filtration system and everything from the old tank. You will not see a cycle as there won't be any die-off. I think your fish will be just fine... Maybe prepare a separate bucket with 'rinse' saltwater to give your old rocks a brisk shake in to clean them a bit before taking the plunge into the new system. Whatever you decide to do, keep us posted.
Good luck with things!

 

[nudifun]

thanks!

 

[thegrun]

I would first cycle all the new rock you plan to use in a seperate container (you could use the new tank to cycle the rock in if the new tank isn't going to sit in the same spot as the old tank and you don't mind the smell of cycling rock), then move everything into the new tank at once. I agree with the above post and I would not try to reuse the sand save two cups full piled in a mound for a week to seed the new sand, although your live rock will seed the sand fine without transfering any old sand.

 

[chbix]

I was possibly upgrading from a 55 to a 220 but that didnt work out.

I did just move my 55 gallon from one place to another.

I went to lowes and bought 2 50 gallon plastic tubs ($20 each. you would only need 1.

first I made approx 35 gallons of new water for approx %50 water change.

I unhooked and started cleaning the equipment.

I drained the sump and majority of the tank water into one of 50 gallon tubs. Moved the live rock and fish to the tub with a heater and a powerhead.

The tank was then light enough with just the sand and a little water to be moved along with the stand. I started reinstalling all equipment. I put the 35 gallons of new water in and then the reminder of the water was the old water. Live rock was then put back into the tank. I started my power heads and heaters and returns to get the tank cycling water. Made sure salinty was right and temp, then put the fish back in.

Now while researching for my 220 upgrade that didnt happen, I was also told not to use the same sand. But do keep some of it.

My plan was a bit different since my new 220 was going to go in a diff spot. I was going to set it up with approximately 150-175 gallons of fresh salt water and new sand. I was going to move the old LR in to the new tank along with a good portion of the old water. Let that mix for a few hours and check parameters and then go from there.

I think if you use your old water, old LR and some of the old sand you shouldnt have a cycle at all.

With your situation I would use a 25 or so plastic tub as a temp home. Put a heater and a PH in there along with a few pieces of LR and the old water and store the fish temporarily in this, Tear down your old tank, set up new, put in a good portion of fresh salt water, then some of the old LR and as much old water as you can but still leave some for the fish. Check the parameters after its running to mix it with the new salt water and then determine if its time to transfer the fish over.

 

[chbix]

Oh I forgot to ask what is in your tank as far as live stock.

I just realized you said you had a 2 and 6 gallon Qt tank, I would set those up to house the fish during the move, take tank water and put it in there along with your filter.

Then put all the remaining water LR and some of the Live sand into the new tank with the new water LR and sand and let that mix to see if you will even have a cycle. The fish will do fine temp in a qt tank.

 

[chbix]

Also I have my probes for PH and temp, along with my heaters (2) and my skimmer all in the sump along with some macro algae and some live rock rubble.

The only things in my tank are 2 powerheads and 2 pvc returns. well and the overflow.

 

[sellersmd]

I wouldn't recommend reusing all of the old sand. It tends to accumulate a lot of 'crud' over time, and stirring it up (as in moving it) is a great way to massively pollute your tank. Look up 'old tank syndrome' for more information.