Upgrading to a Red Sea 250

[Saltine]

Happy New Year!

So I've read a lot of posts about setting up an upgraded tank, not may on setting them up in the same exact spot. So if you're bored, please read below and give me any insights you might have to offer for the livelihood of my fish & coral. moving from a 36g bow to the 250.

Prep Work so far.
Sump removed
Moved skimmer, heater to inside existing tank.

The Plan for tomorrow.
Remove Coral, place in 5g bucket of tank water.
Place empty 22g Tote next to tank, but far enough away to access location.
Fill Tote with 10g of fresh saltwater (already mixed yesterday)
Fill Tote with 10g of saltwater from tank.
Move rock to tote.
Catch live stock move to tote.
Put heater, power head in tote at surface level for agitation.
Drain remaining water out of tank into tote or buckets, whatever has room left.
Catch remaining inverts.
Move tank.
Insert new tank.
Assemble overflow pipes, sump etc.
Make sure tank is perfectly on stand.
Put in new live sand. (Est. everything in the tub for 1 hour)
Put down plate to buff water splashing.
Fill halfway with freshly made salt water.
Pour either buckets of old tank water into tank or pump half the totes water into new tank to get it about 3/4 full.
Move Rock into tank, quickly not trying to make it pretty.
Catch live stock as fast as possible and put in new tank.
Fill with remaining water, all old water, then new if necessary.
Place heater in sump, power head in main tank.
Turn return pump on.
Clean filter socks every 5 minutes lol....

Thanks for reading and input!!

Salt

[Reef Frog]

Your plan sounds reasonable. Is this a fish only with liverock tank or a coral tank?

My plan for a future upgrade is to move my current tank to a new location and keep it running during the transfer.

New larger tank will go in same location. I'll take my time to debug any issues and cycle it separately since it will have some new live rock. Then I'll slowly transfer inhabitants. This way I hopefully won't be risking any ammonia spikes, cloudy water from new sand or other issues, and I can take my time. The downside is I would have 2 tanks in the same room for a while, but it's only temporary. Just thought I'd throw an alternative plan out there. Good luck with the move.

[Drewl117]

If water params are good in the old tank get as much water as you can before disturbing the rock and sand. Plus it's a lot easier to catch the fish with only a couple inches of water. I would then completely fill the new tank( rock then sand then water) and get it running for an hour or so and leave the livestock in the tote with the power head and heater while everything settles and gets up to temp. Then slowly drip acclimate all the live stock, then put them in.

[Saltine]

Thanks guys. Ya it's mostly coral. 4 fish

[Reef Frog]

I wouldn't drip acclimate. Those fish will be stressed enough already. Especially in this case. It's all the same water. It's not like the fish going from the LFS low salinity to reef salinity. If salinity levels are the same, just plop the fish in (assuming temps are equal).

[Saltine]

I wouldn't drip acclimate. Those fish will be stressed enough already. Especially in this case. It's all the same water. It's not like the fish going from the LFS low salinity to reef salinity. If salinity levels are the same, just plop the fish in (assuming temps are equal).


Ya they will be in half new fresh saltwater and half normal water won't be acclimating.

[Saltine]

Everything moved.... wow that was stressful. Now the question of the hour, do I use the clarifier that came with my new live sand? What say you all?

Salt

[Reef Frog]

I bet you're glad it's over.

Don't use that stuff! I did it 6 years ago on the recommendation of the LFS. A mistake. It's a sticky gum that fixed a slimy sand dust coat on all the surfaces. Filter it out or let nature take its course.

But a slight coat on some filter pads or floss may speed things up without getting everywhere. But that's just a guess.

[Saltine]

I bet you're glad it's over.

Don't use that stuff! I did it 6 years ago on the recommendation of the LFS. A mistake. It's a sticky gum that fixed a slimy sand dust coat on all the surfaces. Filter it out or let nature take its course.

But a slight coat on some filter pads or floss may speed things up without getting everywhere. But that's just a guess.

Ya, I came down with some sort of illness last night. So got to do with with a fever and feeling all week and crap. But it's done, it's clearing up on its own. I can probably turn the return on after a couple more hours.

Salt

[Saltine]

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