filling my 180 - Aquarium Advice

hackteck · 03-26-2006, 12:18 PM

ive got the sand in my tank and the live rocks should arrive tuesday, the filtration is already in place and the lights are arriving tuesday as well, now i have a question. with my 55g i filled up a 5 gallon bucket with water mixed in salt and poured it in my tank a bucket at a time. with a 180 gallon tank this would take 2 days hehe would it kill the bacteria on my live from my 55g that i'm moving to the 180 if i fill the whole tank with freshwater then add the salt into the tank directly to bring it up to the correct salinity?

Todd · 03-26-2006, 12:50 PM

I just did the same thing. I filled my 150 with RO/DI water and mixed the salt in the tank. I did this a couple days before my LR came in.

tjara03 · 03-26-2006, 02:02 PM

one thing you could do is run over to wal mart and buy one of those huge rubbermaids, i have one that holds 50 gallons... that might help you speed up the process... HTH

Feelin_Salty · 03-26-2006, 03:24 PM

i dont know if it'd kill your rock or not, but you'll want somethin better for the future. I have a few big rubbermaids in my garage, one with RODI and one with SW mixing in it...I'm considering adding a valve with hose to the bottom of them, so when i do water changes, it'll be that much easier to get it into my 5 gal bucket that I carry back and forth

nsu7 · 03-26-2006, 05:02 PM

hackteck, I agree, I just went through a similar process moving my 75 into a 210 (congrats on your up also...) I used a 44 gallon rubbermaid brute trash can, they're food safe...

I was lucky enough to also get a RO/DI system and hooked up a float valve on the brute, so once it was full I brought it to temp/salinity and added the water thatway... I moved everything from the 75, plus the new base rock, new sand for DSB all at once, but I didn't have very much LR so with the water from the 75 I was able to keep everything covered that needed to be... I don't know, maybe you could use the 55 as a holding tank for the new LR while you fill up the 180.

I used a Mag drive with some tubing attached to move the water...

hackteck · 03-26-2006, 05:49 PM

yea i may try that i was just tryin to find an easier way of filling the tank besides carrying buckets or buying extra items

cmor1701d · 03-26-2006, 06:04 PM

Are you using a RODI unit for the fill? I'd hook that up and let the tank fill and add the salt mix in the tank.

ColdFish · 03-26-2006, 06:06 PM

I have to admit it. I took the fast track to getting my 90 gallon filled. I put my substrate in, filled the tank with a Python, treated with a water conditioner, then added my salt mix. Probably not the best idea being that you have live sand though. I then let the return pump run for 48 hours before I added my LR. I do have the luxery of little to no phophate in my tap water though.

nsu7 · 03-26-2006, 07:47 PM

ColdFish, where do you live w/ no phosphate?

Hackteck, Totally agree with the not buying more stuff, my credit card company loves me right now...

Nøjo · 03-26-2006, 09:05 PM

I would mix the salt and the water in the tank before adding anything else, then threw in the live sand. It creates one **** of a mess but after it settles after a few days everything will be fine (just in time for your live rock to be added). It sounds like one **** of a chore, I'm looking forward to doing it when I get my big tank.

03-26-2006, 12:18 PM	#1
hackteck Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: atlanta,ga Posts: 675	filling my 180 ive got the sand in my tank and the live rocks should arrive tuesday, the filtration is already in place and the lights are arriving tuesday as well, now i have a question. with my 55g i filled up a 5 gallon bucket with water mixed in salt and poured it in my tank a bucket at a time. with a 180 gallon tank this would take 2 days hehe would it kill the bacteria on my live from my 55g that i'm moving to the 180 if i fill the whole tank with freshwater then add the salt into the tank directly to bring it up to the correct salinity?

03-26-2006, 12:50 PM	#2
Todd Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 73 Images: 4	I just did the same thing. I filled my 150 with RO/DI water and mixed the salt in the tank. I did this a couple days before my LR came in. __________________ Todd 150 Gallon FOWLR

03-26-2006, 06:04 PM	#7
cmor1701d Aquarium Advice Addict Community Mentor Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Belle Mead, NJ Posts: 3,927 Images: 43	Are you using a RODI unit for the fill? I'd hook that up and let the tank fill and add the salt mix in the tank. __________________ Click here to Vote for Aquarium Advice on AquaRank . Vote EVERY day! Click Here for a list of commonly used acronyms and abbreviations. ____ Cmor

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03-26-2006, 02:02 PM	#3
tjara03 Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Spokane, Wa Posts: 298	one thing you could do is run over to wal mart and buy one of those huge rubbermaids, i have one that holds 50 gallons... that might help you speed up the process... HTH

03-26-2006, 03:24 PM	#4
Feelin_Salty Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 51 Images: 4	i dont know if it'd kill your rock or not, but you'll want somethin better for the future. I have a few big rubbermaids in my garage, one with RODI and one with SW mixing in it...I'm considering adding a valve with hose to the bottom of them, so when i do water changes, it'll be that much easier to get it into my 5 gal bucket that I carry back and forth

03-26-2006, 05:02 PM	#5
nsu7 Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Murrieta, CA Posts: 192 Images: 6	hackteck, I agree, I just went through a similar process moving my 75 into a 210 (congrats on your up also...) I used a 44 gallon rubbermaid brute trash can, they're food safe... I was lucky enough to also get a RO/DI system and hooked up a float valve on the brute, so once it was full I brought it to temp/salinity and added the water thatway... I moved everything from the 75, plus the new base rock, new sand for DSB all at once, but I didn't have very much LR so with the water from the 75 I was able to keep everything covered that needed to be... I don't know, maybe you could use the 55 as a holding tank for the new LR while you fill up the 180. I used a Mag drive with some tubing attached to move the water...

03-26-2006, 05:49 PM	#6
hackteck Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: atlanta,ga Posts: 675	yea i may try that i was just tryin to find an easier way of filling the tank besides carrying buckets or buying extra items

03-26-2006, 06:06 PM	#8
ColdFish Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 173	I have to admit it. I took the fast track to getting my 90 gallon filled. I put my substrate in, filled the tank with a Python, treated with a water conditioner, then added my salt mix. Probably not the best idea being that you have live sand though. I then let the return pump run for 48 hours before I added my LR. I do have the luxery of little to no phophate in my tap water though.

03-26-2006, 07:47 PM	#9
nsu7 Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Murrieta, CA Posts: 192 Images: 6	ColdFish, where do you live w/ no phosphate? Hackteck, Totally agree with the not buying more stuff, my credit card company loves me right now...

03-26-2006, 09:05 PM	#10
Nøjo Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 113	I would mix the salt and the water in the tank before adding anything else, then threw in the live sand. It creates one ** of a mess but after it settles after a few days everything will be fine (just in time for your live rock to be added). It sounds like one ** of a chore, I'm looking forward to doing it when I get my big tank.