Upgrading tanks questions!

[danel]

I'll be buying a 280g gallon tank this next week upgrading from a full reef 125g. It will be set up in the same spot in the room.

What are the easiest ways to do this transfer for the people who have done this before?
Can I re-use my sand or do I have to get new one?
Can a 125g standard stand be modified for a 280 gallon tank? would it be enough to support the weight once it's been modified for the new depth?

[redfishblewfish]

With any tank transfer, there is a potential for disaster. I have had one tank crash on me after transferring everything over. Since this is such a large volume upgrade, I would consider finding a place where you could hold your entire tank contents while you break down the 125 and install the 280. I just don’t see how you could do this quickly enough, otherwise. This is typically done with Rubbermaid / Tupperware containers and 55 gallon drums. But again, with such a large upgrade, I believe your stuff would be in these containers for too long (each one requiring a heater and powerhead). Therefore, you might want to see if you could borrow something large enough to hold ALL your livestock / rock while you upgrade. If you cannot borrow something, a 150 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank would probably be your cheapest holding tank.

The large temporary holding tank will now give you the time it will take to make all the extra water, position the new/washed sand, place any new (already cured) rock, and whatever else you need to do. Again, I just cannot see this transfer happening within a day, and a temporary tank will allow you to take your time and get it done right.


SAND: I would hold a cup or two of your current sand to seed the new tank. I would not use the remaining sand, unless it was completely cleaned.

STAND: The query concerning your stand cannot be answered, not knowing what you currently have. If I were to totally guess, I would say no, it can not be used. I would also be questioning the floor below the tank. If it is a slab, you are probably all right. If it is stick and frame, you will want to consider adding support below the floor.

[Palting]

I went from a 110 to a 150. My transfer was a little different from the standard, since I transferred all the coral and inverts and live rock first, and left the fish in the older tank for hyposalinity. I can give you some things I did, and you can pick and chose what you want to do.

I did not reuse the sand. Too much hassle to wash and rinse, and coordinate the move as well. I just set up the new tank with new sand and new water, and had it all running before I did anything to the old tank.

I placed additional live rock, new, to the new tank. Just a few pounds, and cycled and cured that.

After several weeks, cured the little bit of live rock and live sand, transferred all the coral and inverts and all the live rock from the old tank to the new in one swoop. Checked parameters almost daily, treated the new tank as an established tank with water changes, etc. No problems.

Finished the hypo in the old tank, transferred all the fish to the new tank, took down the old tank and put it up for sale. It's still for sale, BTW :D.

[dogstar74]

Naw this isn't too big of a problem, just get a large kiddy pool. the kind that you fill with the hose and let the kids freeze in during the summer months. Transfer the rock and then siphon the water into the kiddy pool. Put in a heater and a power head or two for circulation, then with the water level low in the 125 catch the fish easily because they can't swim too many places in low water. Put them in the pool as well. You may want to cover the pool at this time with a piece of plastic or screen or something so that any jumpers will stay put.

Then throw away the old sand. Save a couple of cups full for seeding the new sand bed. But this is a great time to make a fresh start with new sand.

Take out the old equiptment, and don't worry about cleaning it all up or anything.

Move in your new stand, and level it. Set the 280 up and get the plumbing secured. Get all your new equiptment installed or any of the old that you will be reusing, and test the system for being water tight. Try some trial power outages etc to see if the sump will hold the new volume of overflow if the power kills.

Then drain the tank and install new sand, and partially fill with new salt water. I'd use a couple of gallons of Old salt water as well for bacterial seeding. You can then aquascape with your rocks. Be sure to rinse them well in a 5 gallon bucket of salt water. I'd have two 5 gallons set up, dip rigorously in the first then dip rigorously again in the second then into the display they go.

Once the rockwork is done, then start siphoning the kiddy pool down and catch the fish to go into the 280. Assuming the temp is up to snuff.

Should take no more than two days. You could probably do it in a single long day.

Good luck
Aaron

[Blown76mav]

I agree with most of the above, but I would clean the sand you have then add it later to the refuguium. No sense in throwing away good sand. I would keep a couple of cups back to seed your new sandbed as stated.

i just did this going from a 150 to 240. I also did more fequent water changes and used the old water in the new tank, then made new water for the added volume. Right before I swapped everything I took water out of the 150 and added it to the 240 and vice versa,( kinda like mixing a few gallons of paint together to get the same color in all cans). I had a little diatom bloom but no loss of any kind. Done this with the last three tanks without a loss.

[danel]

Thanks a lot for the help guys. In regards with the sand, which one would work better of these two:

http://www.petco.com/product/7452/Nature-s-Ocean-Bio-Activ-Live-Aragonite-Reef-Sand.aspx?CoreCat=certona-_-ProductList_Fish_2-_-Nature's%20Ocean%20Bio-Activ%20Live%20Aragonite%20Reef%20Sand-7452

http://www.petco.com/product/7534/Nature-s-Ocean-Marine-White-Sand.aspx?CoreCat=certona-_-ProductList_Fish_4-_-Nature's%20Ocean%20Marine%20White%20Sand-7534

I like how fine the second one is. The first one is what I used for my current tank but the price for it isn't a good option right now.

Does anybody have a link to building a decent stand to support this tank?

[mojorizn]

Recently upgraded to a 65 from a 40. Not quite as daunting as your upgrade, but an upgrade all the same. All the above is great advice. In my case, I drained the 40 into Rubbermaid Tubs and placed the LR / Corals / Fish into this container.

I used new sand ... LR will contain bacteria seeding new sand, but if ya wanna save a cup or two, go for it.

I then broke down the 40 and set up the 65. Same stand, a 65 is just taller.

Placed all the LR and some dry base rock (that took the longest) and added the new RO rinsed sand and filled the tank with the old water then added new water that I had purchased from my LFS.

No problems / no blooms been 18 days.

best-o-luck, get some help and make sure ALL your plumming fits and works beforehand.

[Palting]

Thanks a lot for the help guys. In regards with the sand, which one would work better of these two:

http://www.petco.com/product/7452/Nature-s-Ocean-Bio-Activ-Live-Aragonite-Reef-Sand.aspx?CoreCat=certona-_-ProductList_Fish_2-_-Nature's%20Ocean%20Bio-Activ%20Live%20Aragonite%20Reef%20Sand-7452

http://www.petco.com/product/7534/Nature-s-Ocean-Marine-White-Sand.aspx?CoreCat=certona-_-ProductList_Fish_4-_-Nature's%20Ocean%20Marine%20White%20Sand-7534

I like how fine the second one is. The first one is what I used for my current tank but the price for it isn't a good option right now.

Does anybody have a link to building a decent stand to support this tank?

I would go with the sand you already know and like. I've heard and read too many stories of fine sand blowing around, being displaced, covering coral, etc.

[danel]

I think I might be going to go with Argonite sand from Marcorocks.

As far as the stand goes, I will be following these instructions:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/69795-nice-diy-fishtank-stand.html