How to: SAFELY transfer EVERYTHING from a smaller tank to a LARGER tank

[dnguyen1]

Hi guys I have today and tomorrow to complete my project:

Moving everything from a 25g to a 40g.

This is a FOWLR.

I have:
1 TOMATO CLOWN
1 BLUEFIN DAMSEL
1 SIX LINE WRASSE

3 TURBO SNAILS
2 BIG NASSARRIUS SNAILS

CORAL BANDED SHRIMP

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My sand is semi-deep about 2.5-3 inches in the lowest end and 4.5-5 inches at the highest end.

I have live rocks and what not too...

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I have things set up where I'm able to get more live rock and more sand (THANKS TO THE MEMBERS HERE!)

Am curious of the best recommendation to move everything over w/o SHOCKING and KILLING my live stock =T

This is the first time I'll be doing something like this so I'm a little nervous

THANKS in advance I know I'm going to have to go slowly and carefully and just curious if there's an order I should in to avoid a SPIKE in anything.

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!

[MalHavoc]

I wouldn't move the sand. Sand beds don't transfer well and often cause problems when disturbed. If it was me, I'd get the new tank set up with some new live rock and new sand, wait for it to cycle, and then move your existing live rock and livestock over. Acclimatize all livestock as if you were adding them to a new tank.

[dnguyen1]

Ah thank you , so it's definitely not something that'd just a 2-3 day project.

[MalHavoc]

Well, it can be, it's just that it takes a bit of prep. People have successfully moved to a new tank in one day. I'd just leave the sand in the old tank, or at best use a little of it to seed new stuff. Keep as much of your existing water, use your cycled live rock, and go with new sand. You'll get a sand storm, but it should calm down in a day. Watch the water quality through testing, and be ready with water change water if necessary.

[dnguyen1]

Ah, thanks for your help malhavoc =)

I don't think I'm going to be going through w/ the upgrade at this time. It's sparked a family argument so I'm going to have to back out =T Sucks but I guess definitely for the better! family first =D

Thanks for the feedback everybody!

[SaltwaterJim]

Yea you don't wanna move the sand! I made that mistake of trying to reuse the sand and i lost 75 % of my corals and all of my fish due to the huge spikes that i had.. Sorry to hear your not going to upgrade but when you do just get new sand lol

[drparker]

Originally posted by MalHavoc
Well, it can be, it's just that it takes a bit of prep. People have successfully moved to a new tank in one day. I'd just leave the sand in the old tank, or at best use a little of it to seed new stuff. Keep as much of your existing water, use your cycled live rock, and go with new sand. You'll get a sand storm, but it should calm down in a day. Watch the water quality through testing, and be ready with water change water if necessary.

I've done it twice, moved a 24g nano to a 56 and moved a 40g to a 75g.

You need to have enough LR for the new tank. So either buy it and cycle in the tank in advance or start adding dead rock to current tank and let it become live first. I did the later.

The new tank I setup and put the sand in with new water and run for a few days. Before the sand I add dead rock that will be the base for my LR. This let's me get rid of the initial sand storm and micro bubble is also a great way to leak test. you don't want to be working on a leak in the middle of a move.

Move day have plenty of new water pre-made and ready. If you don't need it'll be ready for your water change if a few days.

Pump water from old tank into the holding containers, I have three. One for fish one for corals and third for LR as I aquascape the new tank. The containers all have heaters and small power heads for water movement. This way you can relax and take your time, if something goes wrong they will survive just fine for several days, while you fix your issue.

Move corals to holding containers first, then LR that I can get out without stirring up the sand bed into holding. If I can pump out more water I do that now to make catching the fish easier. Keep as much of this as possible. Move fish to holding.

I now carefully take a few cups of the cleanest sand off the top and put in the new tank to help seed it.

I now move and aquascape the LR. Using the old tank water I kept to bring the water level up in the new tank. I let any sand storm settle. In the move to the 56g I waited a couple of hours. the Aquascaping of the 75g took longer and had a bigger storm so I waited over night.

Now move corals, then fish adding water from their hold containers as I went.

In both cases the new tanks had sump/fuges that were tested during the initial fill with sand and leak test. They were drained and left dry during the move. Return pumps were off. Heater put into DT during move with a small powerhead.

Now that the move is done and I've used all the old water I could, but none after I stirred up the sand bed. I add new water to fill the sump and bring it to full running level. Move heater to sump and position and adjust powerheads as needed.

Everything survived fine I never had a spike in any levels but did get what I call "new tank syndrome" Diatoms, hair algae, etc.. for a few weeks while it settle in.

Plan ahead and take your time. Have more water and containers than you think you need. Plan your aquascaping in advance, easier said than done

Good luck!

[AquaMonkey]

Thanks for the info Drparker
I am getting ready to move from my 55 gallon to a 90 I bought. The 90 gallon already has live rock and sand and has been established a while.
I am hoping to get it cleaned up, and wash and reuse the sand, but I keep reading how reusing sand can really mess things up. I really don't want to buy new sand while sitting here looking at more than enough to go around twice.

[macchicks]

I THINK>>>>

If you rinse the sand in a bucket with plain water several times tiill the water comes crystal clear it will be considered new.

The bad reuse of it is to move the sand from one tank to another with out cleaning it.

Yes you loose the life in and on it but it much better than haveing problems.

[sebrofjr]

Here is a sand question since were on topic. I plan to move some rock/corals/ and livestock from my nano to my new 90g in a few months. But I still want to keep my nano running so not all of the rock will be taken out as i want it as a quarantine tank.


Now here is the tricky part. I do though, want to physically move the nano tank to basement in the fish room so all the tank stuff is in one place. Can I drain all the water down to the sand bed (keeping just enough on the sands surface). then move the tank -> refill -> add previous rock.

The 2 things im worried about is

1. Will the wait of the sand/water on the bottom be too much to move? Possibly splitting the tank?

and

2. Will moving like this disturb the sandbed too much?

[Lyotim88]

What if the sand is only like 2 months old?

[Sir Edward]

drparker, thanks for this info. I am in the early stages of going from a 72 bowfront to a 220. Just finishing up with the stand. I am really taking my time, want to do it right. Have been milling over this whole move thing. I have many nice coral that are my originals (3+ years), and don't want to loose anything. I will start with new sand. I will make sure I have plenty of containers on hand too, thanks

[Henry Bowman]

Originally posted by sebrofjr
Here is a sand question since were on topic. I plan to move some rock/corals/ and livestock from my nano to my new 90g in a few months. But I still want to keep my nano running so not all of the rock will be taken out as i want it as a quarantine tank.


Now here is the tricky part. I do though, want to physically move the nano tank to basement in the fish room so all the tank stuff is in one place. Can I drain all the water down to the sand bed (keeping just enough on the sands surface). then move the tank -> refill -> add previous rock.

The 2 things im worried about is

1. Will the wait of the sand/water on the bottom be too much to move? Possibly splitting the tank?

and

2. Will moving like this disturb the sandbed too much?

I helped a friend do EXACTLY the same thing, We moved his 30gl on a piece of plywood. It was fine.

I would make sure you have a board to place the tank on to move it.
Lower the water level to the sand or barely above it.
His tank was fine and crystal clear within 2 days of moving it.