Epic Fail - NEED ADVICE FAST!!!!!!!

[0000]

Ok so heres the story.

my 36 gallon bowfront aquarium sits a large glass and aluminum TV stand. the actual tabletop is glass. It is pretty thick glass.

I have had freshwater setup on the glass stand with 40 pounds of gravel and everything else with no problem.

I drained my entire freshwater setup to setup a saltwater.

4 days ago filled it up with water, added salt, then added 40 pounds of sand. Everything was fine.

today I went out and bought some live rock. pretty large pieces and it is only about 25 pounds total. I almost crapped my pants when I began to put these rocks into my tank. the glass actually bent a little.

I now need to go buy a wooden stand.

my main question is; my tank currently with rock, sand, salt that is cycling, can I drain that water into buckets, put the tank on a wooden stand and then fill it back up with the same water from the buckets?

will it affect the cycling process?



PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN

 

[pat8you]

my main question is; my tank currently with rock, sand, salt that is cycling, can I drain that water into buckets, put the tank on a wooden stand and then fill it back up with the same water from the buckets?

Nope, not even a little. I have my rock cycling right now and it was never in the tank. I use one of those big 55 gallon tote trash bins you can pick up at a hardware store. A rubbermaid contain will work just as well. Just make sure it is new and you rinse it out well.

Take the rock out first and then start a siphon and drain the water over it into the contain or choice. I would just leave the sand in the tank as long as you will be able to pick it up. You can finish the whole cycle in the trash can if you want.

I use the trash can because you can buy the base with wheels for it and then i use it to mix my water in. Keep it in a utility room or closet or something with a spare pump and you can just wheel it out and put your water change right into the tank/sump.