Question about upgrading my tank

[Clownfish25]

I was upgrading to a 55 but now i am getting a 75 gallon tank. I currently have a 38g tank. My 38 has been running for a little over 4 months. I would like to take my existing tank and move everything to the new one. But I would like to put the 75g in the same spot. How can I do this??

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

I would cycle the 75 tank using BB from the smaller tank. Dont take too much out or you will cause a mini cycle in the small tank. Then once it is cycles slowly add more and more of your live rock into the 75 gallon tank along with your new rock. Then when you are ready to transfer corals i would add 1 test fish that you have (preferably the strongest 1 if something goes bad) and if he does well add all the BB from the small tank and the fish/coral. Be sure to acclimate slow. I did this from my 30 to my 66 and havent lost a darn thing if you need more explanation i will help, i went through it quick

 

[Grizz]

First make and warm about 60 gallons of new salt water then Your gonna need some totes and pails put your fish in a tote with some live rock,heater and powerhead get the fish and coral out first leave some of the old water then swish the rock around in it to remove any detritus before placing it in your buckets/totes then rinse the sand.
(I used the old water) Be shure to use new water to fill the new tank take your time and drip acclimate before placing the livestock. then test water for the next few days.

 

[Clownfish25]

Question. Can I also cycle new live rock in a 20 g tank and when that has cycled , empty my 38g move everything , put the 75g in place and add the new live rock and old live rock. Then fish and corals?

 

[Flreefer]

Yes, as long as the new live rock has been cured ( cycled ), that will work just fine!

 

[rdnelson99]

Just upgraded from a 35 to a 125. Here is how I did it in one day.

1. Started making RO/DI water a week ahead of time and put it in a 150 stock tank where I mixed salt. Had a few power heads and a heater in it as well.
2. Put live rock I got from a friend as well as dry rock in the stock tank a couple days ahead of time and tested water to make sure there was no cycle going on.
3. Had a spare light on the stock tank to keep corals temporarily (for one day it isn't a big issue but I had a spare light).
4. Had an empty tote with another heater and power head waiting.
5. Starting at about 4:00 PM I moved almost all of the rock from the 35 into the stock tank along with corals.
6. Moved water from the 35 into the tote so fish could be moved immediately without having to acclimate. I also put some of the rock from the 35 in with them to avoid ammonia build-up.
7. Once everything had been moved, out with the old tank and in with the new.
8. Moved all rock from the stock tank over to the new tank and aquascaped in about 30.
9. Added new dry sand to avoid a cycle.
10. Added salt water from the stock tank by pumping it into a bowl sitting on top of the sand. No cloudiness at all.
11. As water levels in the tank started to rise and levels in the stock tank started to drop I moved corals over one at a time leaving my three anemones for last.
12. Once the tank was full and water temp was fine I started up the sump and skimmer and started to acclimate fish over to the new tank.
At 1:00 AM I popped a cold one and admired my work.

 

[Clownfish25]

Another question. I have about 30 pounds of rock in my current 38g.

I am upgrading to a 75g, if I were to get 40 to 45 pounds of dry rock can I mix that with the rock I have now and move livestock over or should I cycle dry rock?

 

[Grizz]

Yes you can just rinse the dry rock before adding it

 

[MikeYQM]

Rinse it very very well. I did this but put the rock in a rubermade with RO water and a powerhead for a few weeks - the water was foul every few days.

Dry rock was alive at one point. All the die off is still in there.

 

[Clownfish25]

.. .
I am trying to weigh out my options. I would like to transfer everything this weekend. Can I get 40 pounds of sand add it to the 75g then start putting my rocks and livestock in from my 38g. As well as use the same water. That would be 30 pounds of rock and 40 pounds of sand?

 

[Clownfish25]

Or can I just transfer my entire tank to the bigger tank and slowly add dry rock?

 

[FlopNewsom]

I also moved in one day. Moved everything to containers, had water mixed and ready. I used my same sand and I did have a nitrate spike, no ammonia though. Had to do a couple of big water changes the next week but no major problems. Everyone made it fine. They love their new home.

 

[Clownfish25]

I also moved in one day. Moved everything to containers, had water mixed and ready. I used my same sand and I did have a nitrate spike, no ammonia though. Had to do a couple of big water changes the next week but no major problems. Everyone made it fine. They love their new home.

What size tank did u upgrade from. And did u add more sand or dry rock?

 

[FlopNewsom]

I went from a 90 to a 210. I put nothing new in. I combined the rock and sand from each. I didn't know better as far as the sand goes but as I said everyone is fine and that was 4 months ago.

 

[Sniperhank]

When upgrading, id make sure you keep atleast 1 lbs of rock and sand per gallon.

 

[Clownfish25]

When upgrading, id make sure you keep atleast 1 lbs of rock and sand per gallon.

Ok, but if we switch over can we add rock slowly without any cycling happening

 

[Clownfish25]

I think we are going to get dry rock and switch things on Monday.

 

[Clownfish25]

Here is my tank set up now in the 38g we are probably going to wait a week to switch things to the 75g. We have to get some dry rock first.