Advice on transferring to a new setup

[raggedreef]

I am about to switch from my ten gallon tank and upgrade to a twenty gallon. I am planning on using a lot of the same equipment on the twenty gallon because I bought all of the stuff for the ten gallon thinking that I would soon upgrade. Things like the filter, heater, light, and probably even the sand are what will be transferred. Is it possible to just siphon all of the sand and water out of the old tank and into the new and just transfer my fish and live rock over? I don't want to have anything happen to the fish but I also don't really have room for both setups or the equipment necessary. I do have an extra heater and smaller filter that could also be used. Any opinions, ideas, or advice would be greatly appreciated because I am still rather new to saltwater.

 

[medic747]

Stirring up the substrate when you switch over could cause an ammonia spike I would use new substrate seed it with a handful of old stuff and between your filter media and live rock that should bb more than enough good bacteria! Good luck

 

[raggedreef]

so would I need to allow the new tank to cycle then or would I be able to add in my fish immediately?

 

[rush]

I would reuse 75% of the water

Nevermind buying new sand, just rinse it very well and put it in the tank before you put the water in. Put a large bowl on top of the sand to pour the water into to not disturb the sand.

The other 25 % of the water keep for your fish to stay in while you set up the new tank.

Once your temp and salinity are where you want them go ahead and add the fish.

 

[raggedreef]

would i just rinse the sand with fresh water, we have very clean spring water at our house that I have found to not have anything harmful in it?

 

[rush]

Yes just use tap water, put it in a 5 gallon bucket about half full, and put it in the tub... mix it with your hands until it runs clear...

 

[raggedreef]

so just continue to let the water overflow out the top of the bucket as I mix and that should make the sand useable for the new tank?

 

[rush]

exactly, let it fill to the rim then let the water trickle in just enough for it to overflow at a constant pace. do this for about 20 minutes per bucket full. every 5 min stir the sand with your hand.

 

[raggedreef]

once i rinse the sand, put it in the new tank, add saltwater, and get my temp right how long should I probably wait to add the fish and rock, whenever?

 

[rush]

once your temp and salinity are at 78 degrees and 1.022-1.024 add the LR

wait 12-24 hours and add the fish

Make sure what you keep the fish in for the time being is kept at 78 degrees as well. And that it has circulation and keep them in the original water!

 

[raggedreef]

Should i put my filter onto the new tank right away and run a different clean filter with the fish?

 

[rush]

just put it on the new tank

 

[melosu58]

I personnaly would not use the old sand. Just get new sand and it will become live over time. Too much trash in the sand that is hard to rinse out. Just bring over the equipment and LR. Add a few pieces of base rock and you should be OK.

 

[rush]

I personnaly would not use the old sand. Just get new sand and it will become live over time. Too much trash in the sand that is hard to rinse out. Just bring over the equipment and LR. Add a few pieces of base rock and you should be OK.

Could do that do, it is only a 20g tank would only need a small bag of sand. $20

Do not get the live sand, rip off!

But even with the new sand you will still need to do the same process to rinse it! Or else it will be cloudy for days!

Make sure once the sand is in there you put a bowl on top of it to pour the water into, or again it will be cloudy for days!

 

[melosu58]

That`s exactly what I`m saying. With a tank that small it`s not worth the risk. Smaller water volumes are way less forgiving. When I changed to my 125 from a 55 I used all new sand. Didnt want to restart the cycle.

 

[raggedreef]

should i put my original filter onto the new tank immediately, and find another means of circulation in the old tank?

 

[raggedreef]

if I use all new sand won't I need to wait for the entire cycle process on the new tank to complete then?

 

[melosu58]

No it will cure on it`s own. Just move the LR over and maybe add a few pieces of BR and you should be OK.

 

[thominil]

You may want to grab a powerhead or two since the filter may not be able to keep the water circulating enough to prevent deadspots in the new tank which can lead to problems down the road. Also, I would advise that you wear gloves when you are scaping in the new tank since your live rock has had time to establish itself in the old tank, meaning things such as bristle worms may have built up a small population.