Tank Transfering? Keep the Sand from old tank or new sand? - Page 2

PaulieWalnuts · 10/14/2008, 05:33 PM

i was thinking of keeping my old sand, its only like a 1inch sand bed and might add a bag or 2 of new live sand....i am thinking of rinsing it out very good though before i put it back in. this is a good thread i am still not decided yet about my own move...and i am upgrading from a 75 to a 110 so this is a great thread for me also...thanks for starting it and all the replys!

-matt

happyface888 · 10/15/2008, 03:47 PM

Err..... Kind of stuck between opinions. To use old sand or not to use old sand... That is the question to ask......

I don't like barebottom so thats not a option.

mmounajjed · 10/15/2008, 03:51 PM

I wasnt able to past picture to the thread, I posted two pictures oin my gallery one is my tank 1 hour after I moved the sand bed (minimal salt water rinsing, and it was 4 year old sand bed) the second picture is less than 3 month later, I never had my corals do so good, I had 0 ammonia through out the process

happyface888 · 10/15/2008, 03:54 PM

Woah thats milky, how much of the old water from your old tank did you take back?

mmounajjed · 10/15/2008, 04:39 PM

I kept as much as I could of the old water, I mixed around 30 Gallons of new water and I still had some left.
At that time I had large wet dry filter which I subsequently removed.
by the way how do you post pictures on the thread

ReefWho? · 10/18/2008, 02:00 PM

use image tag
[img] html [/img]
looking for more info

PaulieWalnuts · 10/18/2008, 06:04 PM

or just use photobucket....this thread is great getting lots of info i did not even think about

happyface888 · 10/20/2008, 03:05 PM

Hmmm so moving old sand thats from one tank to a new tank isn't a problem if you rinse it good right?

I do have quite some sand, and I don't know how long it might take to rinse. But if I were to go with new sand, how long would the cycle be if I were to use old rocks and water? When can I add my live stock back into the new tank?

stagefright13 · 10/20/2008, 03:17 PM

I used 140 lbs of new sand in my 75 when I upgraded from my 29 gallon. I rinsed the old sand from my 29 in a bucket and tons of brown muck came out. Both were dsb's. I wouldn't chance it. And NO there was no cycle using the old rinsed rock. I rinsed the old rock in water change water from the 29.

My nitrates went from 50 in the 29 to 10 in the 75. And now are at 5 and falling.

I put all my pets in at once. But put a few rocks in at a time over a 2 week period. When I got to the base rock I slapped everything and everyone in at once. Due to a detritus storm when I removed the base rock. But my 29 was going on 8 years old...

happyface888 · 10/20/2008, 03:20 PM

I was wondering why rinse the rocks, aren't there like a lot of bugs in them. But anyways thanks for giving me some info about the rocks.

I have no plans of rinsing the rocks, I am just going to use old rock and old water. So There isn't a cycle? So I ca immediatly put my live stock in correct? I haven't really done a tank transfer, so I'd hate to lose my stuff if a ammonia spike were to occur.

stagefright13 · 10/20/2008, 03:26 PM

I didn't really rinse the rocks. I just dipped them in the old water to remove some detritus. You will have NO cycle. I went from 29 to 75 gallon and a bigger sump.

The only thing I had to do is add lot's of calcium and buffer for a few weeks. I think the new sand may have been soaking it up. But now everything is fine. My LTA is enormous...

I saw pods jumping around after I put in the first rocks. Now I have to use a mag float to scrape them off the glass...

WhatIgot · 10/20/2008, 03:31 PM

bare bottom is UGLY IMO.
great for tanks that aren't made to look natural though.

happyface888 · 10/20/2008, 03:48 PM

Ah I see thanks for clearing things up. For a moment I thought it was rinsed in rodi water or something.

Thanks for your input, does anyone else have a experience they'd like to share? like to know as much as possible before I try doing this.

I have transfered a tank once a long time ago but it was a ugly outcome. I did not rinse the sand, directly scooped it and tossed it in the new tank. Old water and rock. Than once the cloudyness ended added my live stock. With in a week I lost a few fish thank they developed marine velvet and I lost everything.......

So I don't want to repeat that...

ganjero · 10/20/2008, 03:56 PM

Im in the procces of transfering tanks too, should I use new dry sand or live sand?

happyface888 · 10/20/2008, 03:57 PM

Thats a good question I need to know too lol, I totally forgot about that part.

ganjero · 10/20/2008, 04:04 PM

I should've said, can I use dry sand since its cheaper?

stagefright13 · 10/20/2008, 04:27 PM

Umm dry sand is dead sand. So you need to seed it with your old rocks and sand. But live sand is the same as live rock. It will have die off during shipping and may cause a spike. But SOME live sand would be great to seed your new sand bed.

Many people trade samples of sand to get diverse cultures going! I'm down with anyone who wants to trade sand.

happyface888 · 10/20/2008, 04:33 PM

hmm so the stuff that comes in those bags are dead alright right? So spikes can come from them?? Sorry for the nubish questions. I haven't really take the start of the tank at a indepth kind of view.

AquamanE · 10/20/2008, 04:54 PM

Following this thread bif time.

I also am planning a transfer from a 65 to a 120 with bigger sump (from 85 total gal to 160G). Plan on transferring old live rock, i have aleast 100lbs. I also use ecosystem mud in sump, will replace that to new. Sand bed in current display is only 1" or so, will likely replace all to new.

Carib Sea sells a sand with live bacteria in it. Is it really "live"? don't know, but that 65 G cycled in 2 weeks. Was it mud or "live" sand ??????

mmounajjed · 10/20/2008, 07:14 PM

live sand is just waste of money, besides it is not truley live, it is just wet sand in a plastic bag.
As I mentioned earlier I moved my tank twice, I did minimal rinsing the last time, and my corals never looked so good.

10/20/2008, 03:31 PM	#37
WhatIgot Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Coquitlam (Vancouver) Posts: 61	bare bottom is UGLY IMO. great for tanks that aren't made to look natural though. __________________ Happily Ever NOW! Current Tank Info: 95 display mixed reef w. 60 sump, 2 gal 'fuge. AP12 70w HQI mixed reef, 100 2X400w Frag Tank

10/20/2008, 04:54 PM	#44
AquamanE Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 6,544	Following this thread bif time. I also am planning a transfer from a 65 to a 120 with bigger sump (from 85 total gal to 160G). Plan on transferring old live rock, i have aleast 100lbs. I also use ecosystem mud in sump, will replace that to new. Sand bed in current display is only 1" or so, will likely replace all to new. Carib Sea sells a sand with live bacteria in it. Is it really "live"? don't know, but that 65 G cycled in 2 weeks. Was it mud or "live" sand ?????? __________________ Eddie Soler FMAS BOD Member MACNA 2013 Chairman "I'd rather die living than live to die" Current Tank Info: 200G mixed reef with 60G sump, Radion LED’s , Bubble King skimmer, blah blah blah.

10/14/2008, 05:33 PM	#26
PaulieWalnuts Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: charlotte, nc Posts: 1,381	i was thinking of keeping my old sand, its only like a 1inch sand bed and might add a bag or 2 of new live sand....i am thinking of rinsing it out very good though before i put it back in. this is a good thread i am still not decided yet about my own move...and i am upgrading from a 75 to a 110 so this is a great thread for me also...thanks for starting it and all the replys! -matt

10/15/2008, 03:47 PM	#27
happyface888 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 3,987	Err..... Kind of stuck between opinions. To use old sand or not to use old sand... That is the question to ask...... I don't like barebottom so thats not a option.

10/15/2008, 03:51 PM	#28
mmounajjed Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 131	I wasnt able to past picture to the thread, I posted two pictures oin my gallery one is my tank 1 hour after I moved the sand bed (minimal salt water rinsing, and it was 4 year old sand bed) the second picture is less than 3 month later, I never had my corals do so good, I had 0 ammonia through out the process

10/15/2008, 03:54 PM	#29
happyface888 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 3,987	Woah thats milky, how much of the old water from your old tank did you take back?

10/15/2008, 04:39 PM	#30
mmounajjed Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 131	I kept as much as I could of the old water, I mixed around 30 Gallons of new water and I still had some left. At that time I had large wet dry filter which I subsequently removed. by the way how do you post pictures on the thread

10/18/2008, 02:00 PM	#31
ReefWho? Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 124	use image tag [img] html [/img] looking for more info

10/18/2008, 06:04 PM	#32
PaulieWalnuts Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: charlotte, nc Posts: 1,381	or just use photobucket....this thread is great getting lots of info i did not even think about

10/20/2008, 03:05 PM	#33
happyface888 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 3,987	Hmmm so moving old sand thats from one tank to a new tank isn't a problem if you rinse it good right? I do have quite some sand, and I don't know how long it might take to rinse. But if I were to go with new sand, how long would the cycle be if I were to use old rocks and water? When can I add my live stock back into the new tank?

10/20/2008, 03:17 PM	#34
stagefright13 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Hatboro, PA USA Posts: 899	I used 140 lbs of new sand in my 75 when I upgraded from my 29 gallon. I rinsed the old sand from my 29 in a bucket and tons of brown muck came out. Both were dsb's. I wouldn't chance it. And NO there was no cycle using the old rinsed rock. I rinsed the old rock in water change water from the 29. My nitrates went from 50 in the 29 to 10 in the 75. And now are at 5 and falling. I put all my pets in at once. But put a few rocks in at a time over a 2 week period. When I got to the base rock I slapped everything and everyone in at once. Due to a detritus storm when I removed the base rock. But my 29 was going on 8 years old...

10/20/2008, 03:20 PM	#35
happyface888 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 3,987	I was wondering why rinse the rocks, aren't there like a lot of bugs in them. But anyways thanks for giving me some info about the rocks. I have no plans of rinsing the rocks, I am just going to use old rock and old water. So There isn't a cycle? So I ca immediatly put my live stock in correct? I haven't really done a tank transfer, so I'd hate to lose my stuff if a ammonia spike were to occur.

10/20/2008, 03:26 PM	#36
stagefright13 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Hatboro, PA USA Posts: 899	I didn't really rinse the rocks. I just dipped them in the old water to remove some detritus. You will have NO cycle. I went from 29 to 75 gallon and a bigger sump. The only thing I had to do is add lot's of calcium and buffer for a few weeks. I think the new sand may have been soaking it up. But now everything is fine. My LTA is enormous... I saw pods jumping around after I put in the first rocks. Now I have to use a mag float to scrape them off the glass...

10/20/2008, 03:48 PM	#38
happyface888 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 3,987	Ah I see thanks for clearing things up. For a moment I thought it was rinsed in rodi water or something. Thanks for your input, does anyone else have a experience they'd like to share? like to know as much as possible before I try doing this. I have transfered a tank once a long time ago but it was a ugly outcome. I did not rinse the sand, directly scooped it and tossed it in the new tank. Old water and rock. Than once the cloudyness ended added my live stock. With in a week I lost a few fish thank they developed marine velvet and I lost everything....... So I don't want to repeat that...

10/20/2008, 03:56 PM	#39
ganjero saiperchémibatteilcorazon Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 4,027	Im in the procces of transfering tanks too, should I use new dry sand or live sand?

10/20/2008, 03:57 PM	#40
happyface888 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 3,987	Thats a good question I need to know too lol, I totally forgot about that part.

10/20/2008, 04:04 PM	#41
ganjero saiperchémibatteilcorazon Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 4,027	I should've said, can I use dry sand since its cheaper?

10/20/2008, 04:27 PM	#42
stagefright13 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Hatboro, PA USA Posts: 899	Umm dry sand is dead sand. So you need to seed it with your old rocks and sand. But live sand is the same as live rock. It will have die off during shipping and may cause a spike. But SOME live sand would be great to seed your new sand bed. Many people trade samples of sand to get diverse cultures going! I'm down with anyone who wants to trade sand.

10/20/2008, 04:33 PM	#43
happyface888 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 3,987	hmm so the stuff that comes in those bags are dead alright right? So spikes can come from them?? Sorry for the nubish questions. I haven't really take the start of the tank at a indepth kind of view.

10/20/2008, 07:14 PM	#45
mmounajjed Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 131	live sand is just waste of money, besides it is not truley live, it is just wet sand in a plastic bag. As I mentioned earlier I moved my tank twice, I did minimal rinsing the last time, and my corals never looked so good.