moving things from tank to tank

[klc317]

My old 12g Nano Cube recently blew a lighting ballast and it's going to take a long time and quite alot of money to get a new one and I've already been without lights for almost 2 days now. I've been wanting a newer upgraded model anyway so I am going tomorrow to get a new DX model Nano Cube to replace it with. SInce I can have the tanks sitting almost side by side, what would be the best way to move everything over to the new one while saving my fish, live rock, and inverts? Can I just move everything over quickly while it's still warm and be ok? Also, can I remove and use the sand from my old tank? I'm hoping to do this as seamlessly as possible without having to go through another cycle or lose any stock. Thanks for the help.

[electrikat]

I suggestion would be this. Put your live rock and animals in a bucket. Put your water in buckets. When you are down to a couple of inches of water, stir your substrate up a little to get the gunk out of it. then syphon the water out with the gunk, get rid of the water from the stir. Then put your sand into the new tank and put most of the water(except what your animals are in) in too. Put in your live rock then add new fresh saltwater to almost fill it up. Then turn on the filters for a little while to let the water clear before adding the fish and inverts. Either use the existing filter or move the existing filter media over to the new tank. Be ready with enough water for a water change and keep a close eye on the ammonia. You may have a slight amm spike but not much if at all. You will have the bacteria from the rock, sand, and filter. should be enough IMO. Be sure you don't rinse the sand in fw, just stir it up in the last of the existing water.

[klc317]

Ok thanks. That helps alot! This is a great forum. I think I should be able to get everything switched over quickly enough to avoid much of a stressful situation to everything. This will be the time when the household R/O water filter comes in really handy too. I guess I should throw my spare heater in with the animal bucket while everything is getting moved to keep the temp steady.

[electrikat]

Yes if you have one(heater). That will also give you some extra time to let your water clear up from the dust storm you are going to have from the sand. If you have a heater and an air pump you will be doing great.

[klc317]

OK...success!! Got everything switched over and everything appears to be fine. Does it hurt to use 2 carbon filters for a few days to calm the ammonia spike I might have from stirring everything up? I only use carbon filters and sponge filters in my Nano anyway. I ditched the bio-balls and ceramic rings long ago because of high nitrate levels. I seem to have lost an emerald crab sometime over the past several days. I hope he is just hiding in a rock somewhere right now.

electrikat, thanks for your help once again.

[electrikat]

Two filters is good and carbon will definitely help. It is very possible the crab is in either the rock or sand. We moved our 90 from one to another and the scooter blenny couldn't be found. Then a couple of days after the move he showed up. He was in the cc. Good luck and be ready for a water change.