kick start new tank setup

[BucNtears]

This is a new tank setup. I just the salt level where it needs to be.
in a couple hours I'm adding some sand and a couple pieces of rock from my existing 75. Then Sunday I'll add some more sand and put alittle more rock. Does this sound like a good plan?
I'm looking at doing the swap Monday morning.

[Playa-1]

Are you adding live rock to the new tank that is not currently in your tank?

[drparker]

How old is the sand in the 75? How deep? I've upgraded two tanks this year.

If the sand has a lot of detritus or is deep, stirring it up can cause a crash, it did on my smaller tank. I suggest putting base dead rock down in the new tank, Then new sand. Seed this with some sand from the old tank. Move all the rocks and as much old water as possible.

Have plenty of extra water made as I always overestimated the real volume of the water I was going to move.

I never had a cycle ammonia always at zero. I just had a little new tank syndrome of small algae and diatom blooms after a week.

Good Luck.

[BucNtears]

The new tank is a 120 w/ 75 gallon sump/fuge. All that is in it is salt water. Running as we speak.
The old tank is a 75 w/ 30 gallon sump. Its been setup for about 2 years. It has a 3-4 sand bed,I've got about 20lbs of live rock in the sump and another 100lbs in the display.

This is the plan.. Tonight I'm taking about 10-15 lbs.of sand out of the 75 and placing it in the 120's 75 gallon {sump/fuge}. then Sunday do the same taking alittle more of the sand. Along with some rock thats in the 30 gallon sump{from the 75} .
Then Monday I'm braking the 75 down and placing all the remaining rock,corals,fish and inverts in tubs.
then taking the rest of the water out of the 75 and using it in the new 120{seed the water}.
then I'll add the rock and corals then finally slowly and fish and inverts{taking about an extra 1 to slowly add them}.

When I remove the water from the 75 and add it to the 120 I'll take out the same amount from the 120 and use that for a water change.


the 120 has been running full and checked for leaks.

[Playa-1]

It sounds like a reasonable plan to me. The new tank will be BB?
Maybe a good idea just to seed the sand and replace most of it.

[BucNtears]

Originally posted by Playa-1
It sounds like a reasonable plan to me. The new tank will be BB?
Maybe a good idea just to seed the sand and replace most of it.

No the new tank will have sand. I've got 140 lbs that I'll add to the display once all the rock and corals are in, before I add the fish/inverts. I'm taking the sand from the old 75 for the sand bed in the fuge..
I'm throwing out just about all of the old sand, except for what I use to seed the fuge and also I'll put aside about 4 cups for the display once the new sand is added.

thoughts

[drparker]

Sounds like a great plan to me! No mater how careful you are, you'll get a sand storm when you add the 140# so plan for the time to let it settle.

[Playa-1]

Sounds good to me.

[Aquarist007]

a piece of 2 inch pvc piping and a funnel to add the sand right down to the bottom of the tank can save a big snow storm

[BucNtears]

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
a piece of 2 inch pvc piping and a funnel to add the sand right down to the bottom of the tank can save a big snow storm

I did not think of using a funnel.. Makes good sense.

Thanks

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by BucNtears
I did not think of using a funnel.. Makes good sense.

Thanks

its great--you only get a couple of inches of cloudy water which settles right down---and you don't have to baste it off your live rock for the next week