Upgrading logistics

[68551]

Ok, so if I wanted to upgrade from 100 to 150 or 180 gal how do you do that if the best place for the tank is where your current one sits??? I now have a corner tank pulled away from the wall so I can walk all the way around....
I would like to put a new rectangular tank katicorner in the same spot, with the same ability to walk behind it.
If I have to put the new tank beside the old one my plan was to add water as I do water changes so the same water would be in both tanks then would it still cycle??? Also what about the weight of 2 tanks til I take the old one down??
Peoplke upgrade their tanks all the time but how did you do it??/
Another question.....Don't reefers ever have new carpet installed in their houses??? How do you do that with a heavy tank that just can't be moved??

[68551]

Did I post this too long ago to get an answer???

[68551]

anyone?

[lmsmith]

Remove everything from your old tank. Put it into buckets and tubs. Move the old tank out of the way. Put your new tank in the space. Fill the new tank with the existing rock, some of the water if you choose to keep it, then top up with new water.

Acclimitise your livestock in the usual manner.

You'll get some dieoff from moving the rock and disrupting everything, but as long as you keep the rock covered in water during the move, it won't be too bad.

If you have a sandbed that's a bit more tricky - remove the fish, coral and rock first, then syphon out the sandbed. You'll want to throughly wash it, I assume, then add it back in. Probably someone who actually has a sandbed might be more helpful with that one.

With replacing carpet, same thing. Move everything out of the tank, move the tank, then do the same in reverse.

[RocketEngineer]

I haven't done my latest transfer yet but my plan is just as bad. In my case, I will be replacing the display tank with a larger one on the same stand. My plan is to use several garbage cans and buckets to hold the livestock and new water. These won't necessarily be right on top of the tank, just to spread things out so I'm not tripping over stuff all the time. If you can get the new setup ready, plumbed and pre -positioned, I would move all the stuff out of the old, pull it off to one side, and then place the new display. With a powerhead and heater in each garbage can, they should be fine for a night if it takes that long. If you can do it all in a day, that would be simplest.

Can't help you with the carpet problem. I have hardwood floors.

HTH,
RocketEngineer

[RocketEngineer]

Oh and my first transfer was between the dining room and living room and went as follows:

Originally Posted by RocketEngineer

1) Wait until after lights out on the 30g.
2) Direct female clownfish into specimen container.
3) Transfer female clownfish into tank bucket.
4) Direct male clownfish into specimen container.
5) Transfer male clownfish into tank bucket.
6) Pull out rock that one of the firefish lives in and shake in tank bucket until firefish leaves rock.
7) Ignore dirty look from sleep-disturbed firefish.
8) Place tank bucket with fish next to 75g and start acclimation drip
9) Pull rock out of 30g and place into second tank bucket
10) Transfer rock into 75g
11) Panic while second firefish flops around in the quarter inch of water on bottom of bucket
12) Drip water all over the floor between the two tanks trying to get more water into the bucket
13) Spend 10 minutes trying to get a 2" fish into specimen container
14) Transfer second firefish into acclimation bucket
15) Remove remaining rock from 30g and place in 75g
16) Arrange rock in 75g
17) Clean up puddles of water from floor and stand
18) Transfer clownfish and firefish to 75g.
19) Remove sand from 30g and transfer to tank bucket
a) scoop sand from tank with specimen container to short tank bucket
b) scoop sand out of short bucket into tall bucket
c) repeat
20) Look in cloudy 30g and wonder "WTH, I know the wrasse isn't in the buckets and there can't be but a 1/4" of sand left anywhere"
21) Dig in tank stuff for net.
22) Sweep up remaining sand into net.
23) Scoop up last pile of sand and ONE YELLOW WRASSE.
24) Transfer wrasse to the specimen container
25) Transfer wrasse to 75g

Yup, I got all 5 fish into the 75g. Took me the whole sum total of 20 minutes to get the clownfish and firefish but took me almost an hour to catch that one wrasse. The 30g is so cloudy I can't see 2" into it but the only thing left in it is the sand.

This one should be just as fun as last time with the jawfish in the sand bed.

RocketEngineer

[68551]

Originally Posted by RocketEngineer

Oh and my first transfer was between the dining room and living room and went as follows:



This one should be just as fun as last time with the jawfish in the sand bed.

RocketEngineer

Now THATS funny, I don't care who you are!!!! Sounds so simple (childs play!!!)

What would happen if you used all of your current water & added fresh saltwater slowly to the new tank (like a water change) over the next couple days....Would you still have to acclimate the livestock?

[jerpa]

You should acclimate the livestock regardless. You can just add tank water to the buckets holding them and then add them to the tank. It's not drip acclimation or anything. Basically you use a lot of buckets, heaters, and powerheads. Keep some rock in the buckets with livestock for filtration. Test for ammonia after you have everything set back up before adding livestock. I'd suggest just using new sand seeded with some sand from the upper layers of your existing sandbed. Sand is cheap and it is a lot easier.

If you are adding additional live rock you must cure it separately. Some dry rock that has been cleaned can be added without causing a cycle. Marco rocks and BRS Reef Saver come to mind. Dirtier rock, like BRS Pukani, must also be cured separately even though they are dry.

[Maivortex]

I would pump all the water from the old tank into a garbage can. Move the old tank out of the way and replce with new tank. Put old tank next to new tank. Put all water from garbage can into old tank. Fill new tank with new water. Connect both tanks to one sump, Let it run like this for 2-4 weeks then take down old tank. If your moving rock and sand from the old tank to the new tank u could take down the old tank in a little as 2 weeks.

[OodleyBoodely]

Love that list, Rocket Engineer! May I add just one more step after your #7? Add covers to the fish buckets! Nothing worse than getting everything done and ready for the fish only to find little fish jerkys on the carpet!