50 gallon uniquarium, rebuild of old rig help!

[Jay21]

Just picked up a 50 gallon uniquarium with refregurium and oak stand for $100 at a garage sell.


Has clean looking white sand.
Has Bio balls and the pumps and refrgurium.

Now my old tank.

a. Has live sand that is thriving.
b. Fish and coral are happy.


Tomorrow I want to transfer the live sand and the creatures.

I can say its all beginner fish with one only $50 fish. the rest are small.
However I have some super HUGE CORALS big as a base ball glove attached to live rock. (I would like to get rid of live rock that is brown color and try for white coral)



I have done one tank transfer with 50% water and 50% new water.

I do have a water filter and water softener that cost about $1000 its real water filter suitable for a hotel or entire home.

I have a 911 tank that I can house the fish in for a day or three,

Should I just transfer and put my live sand in first and focus on the bacteriological aspect or what?

Im half tempted to make a total break down tomorrow and put in all my old stuff with the new Uniquarium and refreguium that is so much better then my old glass tank.

[Mark9]

I had never heard the term uniquarium until i read this thread and googled it.
I guess it's an AIO like a bio-cube, or red sea max?
Any pictures?

[Jay21]

Some threads were suggesting bio balls caused nitrogen spike and use crushed live rock. I have live rock that fits in there.

They go on to suggest the sump refgruium is week and prone to over flow but mostly it was two guys arguing so cant really tell flame war on the forum old thread.

But back to the point, my water now is gross. I have 50 gallons.
For the new tank should I just do a 100% new water change over?
Or 50% ? and recycle the old 25 gallons?

[thegrun]

I would also use as large of pieces of live rock as you can fit in the sump area rather than bio-balls. If your old water is in bad shape, I would use all new water, but be sure to match the temperature, alkalinity and pH of the old water and acclimate the fish.

[Jay21]

thegrun, my old water is in bad shape.

My thoughts. drain tank half way.
slide or move old tank out with fish.

2. instal new tank,
3. power up old tank.
4. fill new tank, add salt and turn on the pumps.

At this point I wanted to scoop out my live sand after I allow the salt to mix and normalize and basic test.

5. Transfer corals and shrimp.

Perhapse let both tanks run for 3 days the old tank with 50% water and no sand.

Or some variation?

Or just fill the new tank mix salt transfer live sand and rock and fish all in 5 hours?

[Jay21]

photo !

Hay no leaks!!

[Jay21]

[Jay21]

Finished!

Now where did the crabs go! And my lobster was no where to be found when I changed over!