Hi, I've had my current tank for about 2 years. It's a 55 gallon with a 20 gallon sump. I'm looking to upgrade my reef tank to a 100 gallon but I'm sure it isn't as easy as just moving everything over to new tank and adding extra water. I will need extra sand and new lighting of course, but what could use some advice on easiest/best way to make the transition. Thanks.
Upgrading Tank
- Thread starter phantomg
- Start date
cichlidsrcool
Member
Set up new tank and let run a while with live rock to get cycle over with. then transfer corals little by little.
pyithar
New member
if you're placing the 100g tank at the new location, it's a lot easier imo. if not, transfer corals, rock, fish and water to some rubbermaid tubs first. set up the new tank, add some dry rocks, new sand, new water, water from 55g. let the sand settle. then add prime, stability(you can skip if you want), corals, and fish. good luck.
gone fishin
New member
When I have upgraded I have always filled the new tank up with tap water and test out my plumbing and pumps so I don't get unexpected surprise. once I am happy the tank is good to go then I would put enough saltwater into the new tank add the extra rock and the sand bed. fill the tank some more and let the cloudiness settle. I would then transfer over my old rock and finish the top off. Once full get the tank running and circulating. when I am happy that it is running right I move the critters over and let it run a couple weeks before adding in anything else.
when I am to the point of adding my old rock I set aside a day to transfer the rock and the critters over. If your rock in the 55g was able to support the life in that tank it will support the critters in the new tank. Good luck just my 2 cents
when I am to the point of adding my old rock I set aside a day to transfer the rock and the critters over. If your rock in the 55g was able to support the life in that tank it will support the critters in the new tank. Good luck just my 2 cents
edinphilly
New member
Following. I'll be going through the same soon. 29 sumpless to 65 with sump. Unfortunately it will be in the same spot as the current tank.
davehead86
New member
Im doing the same thing as you this summer.
Rubbermaid containers are going to save us guys. Just go buy a 30 gallon rubermaid and transfer everything into it. Break down old tank, build new tank, test new tank, move sand and rock into new tank, wait a day to settle, move fish over. Im thinking it will take about 3 days worth of work to move to the new tank.
You want to cycle all the additional rock you plan on adding to the new system before you make the transfer, either in the new tank or a separate container like a brute trash can. Once the cycle is complete you can safely transfer everything into the new tank. I would not reuse the old sand, it will contain a lot of trapped detritus that if released could start a new cycle, killing off all your livestock. Start fresh with dry sand. Be sure to wash the sand well before using it. To wash the sand place 5 pounds or so at a time in a 5 gallon bucket. Use a garden hose at full flow to agitate the sand. The finer grains of sand will overflow the top of the bucket, leaving the larger grains behind. Continue to agitate the water until it runs clear. I would not use "live" sand as it can contain more dead than live organisms and has the potential to start a new cycle (and cost more to purchase since you are paying for water). Try to reuse as much clean water from the old system as possible to lessen the shock of new water chemistry on your livestock. Once the water from the old tank starts to get murky from stirred up detritus, don't reuse that water. Start by moving the rock. Once all the rock has been removed from the old system the fish should be easy to catch. Some fish will burrow into the sand to hide so if you come up short on your fish count you may need to sift through the sand to find the missing fish. Try to minimize the amount of time the rock is out of the water. If aquascaping the rock takes you awhile, pour some of the saltwater from the old set-up on the rock to keep it wet. Once the rock is set fill the tank with all the old water and whatever new water is necessary. You can just dump the fish directly from the buckets into the new tank to prevent injuring the fish or adding stress to the fish by netting them. Then start circulating the water, get the heaters running and the rest of the equipment. Tank moves take much longer than one would first suspect. Plan on a very long day. Best of luck and keep us posted with your results!
Thanks all for the great advice. It doesn't seem as bad as I thought it could be. I know I may have issues with the transfer in that I will be using same equipment as I have in the older tank for the time being and will be upgrading it along the way so obviously the cycling was concerning because I don't have equipment to run two tanks simultaneously. It seems tat is the ideal way to go but I gather as long as I'm using same rock and most of the water, it may not be as bad as I thought. Or am reading too much into it? Thanks again.
