New to me tank.. need help.

[CobraFnD]

I am getting a "new to me" tank this coming weekend. It is currently set up, and he is selling the livestock this week, before I pick it up. My question, is what do I need to do for the 2 hour drive home, and then once I get home.

The tank will be coming with sand and lr. What do I have to do to care for them in the take down, set up process. I am not planning on bringing the water, is that a problem?

Any tips would be appreciated! This will be my first SW tank.. it is 100 gallon btw.

Thanks!


Kevin

[patsfan1130]

I would not use the sand. ditch it. other than maybe a cup of the old to seed the new. I have seen far too many people have problems further down the road stemming from old sand beds. as far as the LR goes...I would get a rubbermaid tote, fill with a bit of water and cover the rock with wet newpaper

[rastarainy]

yea agreed with pats, you could possibly use the old sand, but in order to do so you would have to rinse it a million times, then let it bake in the sun for a day or two. not worth the effort. oh and as far as the LR goes, as long as it's somewhat wet, the you should be ok.

[CobraFnD]

what could be wrong with the sand? waste in it? how do you seed new sand... just put it in and mix it up? or pour it on top?

Sorry for dumb sounding questions... Can I use the water that comes out of the tank to put on the rocks? or should it be clean water?

Also can I just go to Lowes, and get sand, or does it have to be "special" sand? If it needs to be "special", what kind?

[thegrun]

I have used old sand before, but it does take a lot of work to clean it. If you decide to reuse the old stuff, put a pound or two into a 5 gallon bucket and agitate it with a garden hose at full blast. Keep at it until the water runs clear. Then strain it to get out the big chunks and leave it to dry in the sun for a couple of days. Keep a few cups of the sand (not cleaned) to reseed the sand you have cleaned. When reseeding sand, pour it into a few small piles rather than spread it all around. After a couple of days, you can spread it out.
Keep your live rock under water if possible when you move it, which will limit the die-off.