Upsizing tanks question

[Z-Man07]

Hello all,
A quick two questions please:

I currently have a 55g up and running and was thinking about moving it into a 75g that I have in the garage. (The 75g will be the sump for the 120g when I get home from Iraq next spring.)

If I were to transfer everything into the 75g, do I treat it as a new tank and let it cycle out to zero before I move my corals and fish?

Also, should I just use new sand for the SSB in the new tank and ditch the sand that's in the 55g?

Thanks,

 

[JPagliai]

When I upgraded my tank from 45 to 75, I used the water, live rock, and sand from my old tank. I rinsed the sand in a bucket of clean saltwater first, and moved my fish & corals to the new tank that night. My tank still cycled a bit, but it wasn't the long high-amonia cycle that you'd get in a new tank. I just had some diatoms for a couple of weeks.

 

[Z-Man07]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10155115#post10155115 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JPagliai
When I upgraded my tank from 45 to 75, I used the water, live rock, and sand from my old tank. I rinsed the sand in a bucket of clean saltwater first, and moved my fish & corals to the new tank that night. My tank still cycled a bit, but it wasn't the long high-amonia cycle that you'd get in a new tank. I just had some diatoms for a couple of weeks.

Thanks. I may try to do it, if the wife says she'll play along. I am leaving in a few weeks so I would have to have it done in the next couple of days.

I am apprehensive to move it since I am going away, but more water in a better quality tank is a bonus!!

 

[EdKruzel]

The sand isn't worth the effort; set up the new tank with mostly new water and new sand. With a stable and proper salinity and temperature, place the current rock in the tank along with a cup of sand (top one inch layer) to seed the new sand bed. Use the older tank water to top off the new system and then drain as much water as possible making it easier to catch your livestock. Providing you ensured the SG, temperature and pH are the same as the old tank, you will be able to place the livestock directly in the new tank without acclimation.

Stay safe on your upcoming mission...

 

[Z-Man07]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10155210#post10155210 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EdKruzel
The sand isn't worth the effort; set up the new tank with mostly new water and new sand. With a stable and proper salinity and temperature, place the current rock in the tank along with a cup of sand (top one inch layer) to seed the new sand bed. Use the older tank water to top off the new system and then drain as much water as possible making it easier to catch your livestock. Providing you ensured the SG, temperature and pH are the same as the old tank, you will be able to place the livestock directly in the new tank without acclimation.

Stay safe on your upcoming mission...

Thanks a lot! I wonder what sort of decline I would see in filtration or denitrification with putting in new sand. Would it be negligible with the "old" sand on top?

To clarify please: are you saying to only use one cup of old sand and that sand should come from the top one inch? Or should I put the top one inch in the new tank?

 

[EdKruzel]

There is a significant amount of bacteria on your cultured rock to maintain filtration, plus a larger water volume for the same amount of current livestock. Bacteria has a very short life span, but reproduces and spreads rapidly.

To clarify, carefully scoop one cup of sand from the top one inch layer of your current system. The top one inch contains the most bacteria due to it receiving the highest amount of flow and oxygen. That single cup will colonize the entire new sand bed in 24 to 48 hours.

 

[Z-Man07]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10157444#post10157444 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EdKruzel
There is a significant amount of bacteria on your cultured rock to maintain filtration, plus a larger water volume for the same amount of current livestock. Bacteria has a very short life span, but reproduces and spreads rapidly.

To clarify, carefully scoop one cup of sand from the top one inch layer of your current system. The top one inch contains the most bacteria due to it receiving the highest amount of flow and oxygen. That single cup will colonize the entire new sand bed in 24 to 48 hours.

Thanks. I may be rolling forward on this next weekend. I want to pick up some new sand and some PVC to redo the CLS and the aquascaping. It would sure make for a solid weekend of work!!

Thanks again.