Is there a best way to tranfer tanks

shanet1975 · 06/16/2010, 11:15 AM

I will be upgrading from a 50 to a 92 corner soon and I am wondering what the best process is to follow. For instance....Rock, sand then water? Not quite sure what the order would be. Here's my thought.
Take out the coral and put them aside in some water from the tank in a tupperware container (have a few 45 gallon ones), then take out the rock and add some more water into another container. Then scoop the sand out and start with the sand and then water and then rock? Ugh, I'm confusing myself now

DreamMachine · 06/16/2010, 11:18 AM

I would say sand, rock, corals. In that order. Best is to make sure that all the gunk in the sand that is disturbed and goes all over your water in your new tank that you either filtered out or have plenty of newly made salt water to do water changes to change it out. Else there will be too much dead bacteria and will have toxic water. Don't put your corals into toxic water.

Allmost · 06/16/2010, 11:21 AM

do not transfer sand.

get new sand.

you can not possibly clean sand. there is no way to get organics that have binded in out.

shanet1975 · 06/16/2010, 11:23 AM

All new sand? Really? Never heard of doing that. I am also quite new at all this...

Allmost · 06/16/2010, 11:28 AM

well besides the gasses released which are toxic to everything, alot of po4 has binded in, alot of organics are trapped and also detritus. now u may be able to get the detritus out (MAYBE) but not the rest.

you can always give it a shot to see what happens

I never had good results though, plus, new sand = clean sand

of course DRY sand, not live.

shanet1975 · 06/16/2010, 11:31 AM

So no aragonite? What do you mean by dry sand? I'm sorry for the ignorant questions...

shanet1975 · 06/16/2010, 12:29 PM

Man this forum really moves. Don't want my post to get lost down there

What do you mean by dry sand?
Thanks

gallivanmk · 06/16/2010, 12:38 PM

I always take out the water first, before everything gets stirred up, then the rocks and then the sand. I would only use a portion of the sand. Maybe half. That way you can keep some of the worms and other good things to seed your new sand, but not take enough that you will have too much of a spike for your new tank to handle. When adding back, I do the sand first, then the rock and then slowly pour the water onto a rock so that it slides down into the bottom of the tank. That way, you don't stir the sand too much or create big holes from the water moving it around.

And to answer your question, dry sand is literally dry sand in bags. It is also possible to buy "live sand" in bags. It is sand that has water in the bag also and supposedly is "live". I have never tried it, but I would imagine this is a bad idea unless you are starting a full new tank and allowing a cycling period to take place. It seems like the bagged live sand would cause much more of a spike than seeding from your smaller tank would. Seeding would also cut down on how much new sand you have to buy....

shanet1975 · 06/16/2010, 12:42 PM

Thank you for that. That helped tremendously. I'll swing by my lfs on my way home and see about dry sand. Never even noticed it.

mdb_talon · 06/16/2010, 12:57 PM

I always do the rocks first (the base layer at least). I prefer to get my rockwork stable on the glass (or eggcrate) on the bottom of the tank and not having to dig through and stir up the sand to do so.

shanet1975 · 06/16/2010, 01:02 PM

Good point. That makes alot of sense. Thank you....
Now, the 1/2 of the sand I am reusing would go on bottom or on top?

Allmost · 06/16/2010, 01:04 PM

yes aragonite dry sand.

they are much cheaper too

best to mix the old sand and new together, but again use only a bit of old sand, not too much

shanet1975 · 06/16/2010, 01:06 PM

Thank you again. I can't wait to start.....

sir_dudeguy · 06/16/2010, 01:08 PM

Quote:

do not transfer sand.

get new sand.

you can not possibly clean sand. there is no way to get organics that have binded in out.

while i agree that just getting new sand is the easiest way of doing things (i mean really...its only 25 bucks a bag online for like 30lbs or more), i wouldnt go so far to say you cant clean used sand. I've used sand that was in other peoples tanks plenty of times and i've never ever had a problem. Yes, there's lots of dead stuff in the sand, but it comes out. I just run it through the hose outside to clean it thoroughly. It does take some time, but it will clean out just fine.

I've never run into any issues with sand leaching out any amonia or nitrites or nitrates after cleaning it very good with hose water.

tang0v · 06/16/2010, 01:21 PM

I didn't xfer sand when I moved... Just the lr and everything else

Allmost · 06/16/2010, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sir_dudeguy

while i agree that just getting new sand is the easiest way of doing things (i mean really...its only 25 bucks a bag online for like 30lbs or more), i wouldnt go so far to say you cant clean used sand. I've used sand that was in other peoples tanks plenty of times and i've never ever had a problem. Yes, there's lots of dead stuff in the sand, but it comes out. I just run it through the hose outside to clean it thoroughly. It does take some time, but it will clean out just fine.

I've never run into any issues with sand leaching out any amonia or nitrites or nitrates after cleaning it very good with hose water.

you have cycled a tank with old sand from someone elses tank,
but have you added sand from someone elses tank to an already stablished aquarium ?

its like adding live sand to an already stocked tank

I threw out more than 200 lbs of Live sand from my old DSB cause of this, lol, trust me I tried everything, let it sit in water and test after 24 hours and see the ammonia, no2 and no3 and all the other stuff I couldnt test for

gallivanmk · 06/16/2010, 02:30 PM

I did the rock on eggcrate, then add sand thing in my 240 because of the size of the rock, etc. If something big shifted and it all tumbled, it could have broken the glass or something else. In my smaller tanks, I have eggcrate down, but I put the rocks in after the sand. Keeps the rocks from getting covered in sand and keeps things a little less stirred up. The rock work isn't big enough to cause an issue if it shifted and wouldn't go anywhere. And my sand beds are usually 1-3" deep depending on where the clownfish has dug her latest corner...

shanet1975 · 06/16/2010, 05:27 PM

I've decided to start fresh with the sand. I really like the look of the pure white sand. Is that OK? I have crushed coral now. Here is what I am thinking. And would 2 20 lb bags be enough for a 92 corner?
Thanks again

sir_dudeguy · 06/16/2010, 05:35 PM

Quote:

you have cycled a tank with old sand from someone elses tank,
but have you added sand from someone elses tank to an already stablished aquarium ?

its like adding live sand to an already stocked tank

I threw out more than 200 lbs of Live sand from my old DSB cause of this, lol, trust me I tried everything, let it sit in water and test after 24 hours and see the ammonia, no2 and no3 and all the other stuff I couldnt test for

he's starting a new tank...its not established yet.

shanet, I think you'll prob need more than 40lbs for a 92, but being that its a corner, you might get by, just depends how deep you want it. But if you've got crushed coral now, i wouldnt even consider transfering it to the new tank. CC can cause more problems than its worth.

gallivanmk · 06/16/2010, 05:49 PM

Yeah, I definitely wouldn't use the crushed coral either. I'd probably use a couple more bags too. I just bought about 90 lbs for my regular 90. It may be a little much, but I'll take back what I don't use. And since a corner tank doesn't have as much floor space, I'd probably go with about 60-70 lbs

shanet1975 · 06/16/2010, 05:52 PM

Thank you kindly. I'll get a 40 lb bag and a 20 lb bag.
Sounds like the way to go...

shanet1975 · 06/16/2010, 05:56 PM

This is not a new tank. I am transferring from a 50 to a 92.

shanet1975 · 06/16/2010, 06:09 PM

I also read somewhere that you can use play sand from home depot/lowes. If so, is there any certain kind to look for?

Jstdv8 · 06/16/2010, 06:15 PM

Ive always used my existing sand in all three of my upgrades. only time I had a problem is when I didnt take the sand out during a move with my 90 gallon. i left all the sand ina dn a littelw ater over the top. the water stirred up the sand so bad it was terrible, big ammonia spike. Since then i have taken the sand out, put it in 5 gallon buckets and then when i add it back in I fill the bucket with a bit more saltwater so that sand has to sift through the water before it gets out of the bucket. leave all of the elftover water in the bucket. perfect white sand that is still alive.
my rocks and sand are my only bacteria filtration so its very important to keep it up as much as possible to prevent a spike when the fish get added back in.
If you have a mechanical filter of some sort on the tank then you just need to keep it wet the whole time you upgrade and you will keep most of your filtration going with or without the sand

gallivanmk · 06/16/2010, 06:18 PM

I don't know too much on this, but I know that there are only one or two kinds (that are usually hard to find) that work well in a reef tank. Most play sand types have minerals that will constantly be in your aquarium and can affect your corals. I'm sure someone else can chime in with more info. on that. I would not go with play sand....

06/16/2010, 11:15 AM	#1
shanet1975 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N Brookfield MA Posts: 154	Is there a best way to tranfer tanks I will be upgrading from a 50 to a 92 corner soon and I am wondering what the best process is to follow. For instance....Rock, sand then water? Not quite sure what the order would be. Here's my thought. Take out the coral and put them aside in some water from the tank in a tupperware container (have a few 45 gallon ones), then take out the rock and add some more water into another container. Then scoop the sand out and start with the sand and then water and then rock? Ugh, I'm confusing myself now

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Still in the market for a large tank	215reefone	Delaware Valley Reef Club (DVRC)	1	02/01/2010 06:39 AM
looking for a frag tank	justjosh	Reef Discussion	2	01/13/2010 11:07 PM
A new 60 gallon tank	opacheso	New to the Hobby	5	01/07/2010 04:43 PM
Looking to Purchase Tank/Set Up	215reefone	Delaware Valley Reef Club (DVRC)	2	12/27/2009 11:33 AM

06/16/2010, 11:18 AM	#2
DreamMachine Moved On Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: O.C. Posts: 169	I would say sand, rock, corals. In that order. Best is to make sure that all the gunk in the sand that is disturbed and goes all over your water in your new tank that you either filtered out or have plenty of newly made salt water to do water changes to change it out. Else there will be too much dead bacteria and will have toxic water. Don't put your corals into toxic water.

06/16/2010, 11:21 AM	#3
Allmost Moved On Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: canada, toronto Posts: 8,161	do not transfer sand. get new sand. you can not possibly clean sand. there is no way to get organics that have binded in out.

06/16/2010, 11:23 AM	#4
shanet1975 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N Brookfield MA Posts: 154	All new sand? Really? Never heard of doing that. I am also quite new at all this...

06/16/2010, 11:28 AM	#5
Allmost Moved On Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: canada, toronto Posts: 8,161	well besides the gasses released which are toxic to everything, alot of po4 has binded in, alot of organics are trapped and also detritus. now u may be able to get the detritus out (MAYBE) but not the rest. you can always give it a shot to see what happens I never had good results though, plus, new sand = clean sand of course DRY sand, not live.

06/16/2010, 11:31 AM	#6
shanet1975 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N Brookfield MA Posts: 154	So no aragonite? What do you mean by dry sand? I'm sorry for the ignorant questions...

06/16/2010, 12:29 PM	#7
shanet1975 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N Brookfield MA Posts: 154	Man this forum really moves. Don't want my post to get lost down there What do you mean by dry sand? Thanks

06/16/2010, 12:38 PM	#8
gallivanmk Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 663	I always take out the water first, before everything gets stirred up, then the rocks and then the sand. I would only use a portion of the sand. Maybe half. That way you can keep some of the worms and other good things to seed your new sand, but not take enough that you will have too much of a spike for your new tank to handle. When adding back, I do the sand first, then the rock and then slowly pour the water onto a rock so that it slides down into the bottom of the tank. That way, you don't stir the sand too much or create big holes from the water moving it around. And to answer your question, dry sand is literally dry sand in bags. It is also possible to buy "live sand" in bags. It is sand that has water in the bag also and supposedly is "live". I have never tried it, but I would imagine this is a bad idea unless you are starting a full new tank and allowing a cycling period to take place. It seems like the bagged live sand would cause much more of a spike than seeding from your smaller tank would. Seeding would also cut down on how much new sand you have to buy....

06/16/2010, 12:42 PM	#9
shanet1975 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N Brookfield MA Posts: 154	Thank you for that. That helped tremendously. I'll swing by my lfs on my way home and see about dry sand. Never even noticed it.

06/16/2010, 12:57 PM	#10
mdb_talon Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 94	I always do the rocks first (the base layer at least). I prefer to get my rockwork stable on the glass (or eggcrate) on the bottom of the tank and not having to dig through and stir up the sand to do so.

06/16/2010, 01:02 PM	#11
shanet1975 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N Brookfield MA Posts: 154	Good point. That makes alot of sense. Thank you.... Now, the 1/2 of the sand I am reusing would go on bottom or on top?

06/16/2010, 01:04 PM	#12
Allmost Moved On Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: canada, toronto Posts: 8,161	yes aragonite dry sand. they are much cheaper too best to mix the old sand and new together, but again use only a bit of old sand, not too much

06/16/2010, 01:06 PM	#13
shanet1975 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N Brookfield MA Posts: 154	Thank you again. I can't wait to start.....

06/16/2010, 01:21 PM	#15
tang0v Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 72	I didn't xfer sand when I moved... Just the lr and everything else

06/16/2010, 02:30 PM	#17
gallivanmk Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 663	I did the rock on eggcrate, then add sand thing in my 240 because of the size of the rock, etc. If something big shifted and it all tumbled, it could have broken the glass or something else. In my smaller tanks, I have eggcrate down, but I put the rocks in after the sand. Keeps the rocks from getting covered in sand and keeps things a little less stirred up. The rock work isn't big enough to cause an issue if it shifted and wouldn't go anywhere. And my sand beds are usually 1-3" deep depending on where the clownfish has dug her latest corner...

06/16/2010, 05:27 PM	#18
shanet1975 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N Brookfield MA Posts: 154	I've decided to start fresh with the sand. I really like the look of the pure white sand. Is that OK? I have crushed coral now. Here is what I am thinking. And would 2 20 lb bags be enough for a 92 corner? Thanks again

06/16/2010, 05:49 PM	#20
gallivanmk Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 663	Yeah, I definitely wouldn't use the crushed coral either. I'd probably use a couple more bags too. I just bought about 90 lbs for my regular 90. It may be a little much, but I'll take back what I don't use. And since a corner tank doesn't have as much floor space, I'd probably go with about 60-70 lbs

06/16/2010, 05:52 PM	#21
shanet1975 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N Brookfield MA Posts: 154	Thank you kindly. I'll get a 40 lb bag and a 20 lb bag. Sounds like the way to go...

06/16/2010, 05:56 PM	#22
shanet1975 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N Brookfield MA Posts: 154	This is not a new tank. I am transferring from a 50 to a 92.

06/16/2010, 06:09 PM	#23
shanet1975 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N Brookfield MA Posts: 154	I also read somewhere that you can use play sand from home depot/lowes. If so, is there any certain kind to look for?

06/16/2010, 06:15 PM	#24
Jstdv8 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Wasilla, Alaska Posts: 1,420	Ive always used my existing sand in all three of my upgrades. only time I had a problem is when I didnt take the sand out during a move with my 90 gallon. i left all the sand ina dn a littelw ater over the top. the water stirred up the sand so bad it was terrible, big ammonia spike. Since then i have taken the sand out, put it in 5 gallon buckets and then when i add it back in I fill the bucket with a bit more saltwater so that sand has to sift through the water before it gets out of the bucket. leave all of the elftover water in the bucket. perfect white sand that is still alive. my rocks and sand are my only bacteria filtration so its very important to keep it up as much as possible to prevent a spike when the fish get added back in. If you have a mechanical filter of some sort on the tank then you just need to keep it wet the whole time you upgrade and you will keep most of your filtration going with or without the sand

06/16/2010, 06:18 PM	#25
gallivanmk Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 663	I don't know too much on this, but I know that there are only one or two kinds (that are usually hard to find) that work well in a reef tank. Most play sand types have minerals that will constantly be in your aquarium and can affect your corals. I'm sure someone else can chime in with more info. on that. I would not go with play sand....