New Tank Setup? Please Help!

spuzio · #1 04/01/2005, 10:10 PM

I am in the process of setting up a new 220 Gallon tank and I have run into a dillemma. Just some background, i currently have a 110 gallon setup with a 100 gallon fuge, and a 40 gallon sump, that are both plumbed into my basement. Now here is the problem... The new tank needs to be in the exact location where the current 110 is for support reasons. Now should i just empty the current tank into 30 gallon buckets, and then remove the old tank? Then just setup the new one and what? put all new water into it and connect it into the sump? Also, do i need to let the water cycle at all before i place everything back in?

Manon · #2 04/02/2005, 11:45 AM

I cannot help you but I'm also interested in the answer people have for you b/c I want to move one of my tank!! I must say that I envy you, I really want to set up a 200-250 gal tank with everything in the basement. What kind of support do you need under that tank???

It sounds to me that it would be easier to build new support at a different location instead of dealing to transferring water back and forth!!!

Mia

spuzio · #3 04/02/2005, 02:43 PM

I have two concrete pillars directly underneath the tank, and also, it is across about 4 beams where it sits. I would not trust that much weight anywhere else in the house. Plus the sump is almost directly below the tank.

bigreddog · #4 04/02/2005, 09:10 PM

I recently helped a fellow reefer upgrade from a 125 to a 210. We drained most of the water into a rubbermaid stock tank and transferred the fish and corals into it and setup temporary lighting and filtration. The rest of the water went into buckets. After we swapped the tanks and got the 210 in place we transferred the sand, rock, buckets of old water and new water, and some of the water from the stock tank. Once it settled down we gradually added the livestock until the transfer was complete. It took us nearly two full days and we reused everything from the 125, especially the water. The best part is that we didn't lose a single fish or coral in the process. We also added about 120 pounds of new live rock that he had cured in the stock tank for over a month before the switch. I know it seems like a lot of work but it was well worth taking the time to reuse everything.

spuzio · #5 04/02/2005, 11:56 PM

Thank you very much for your input. The only thing i am worried about is the lighting aspect of this whole project as all that i am using now will have to be transfered to the new tank.

bigreddog · #6 04/03/2005, 04:24 PM

We laid a couple 2x4's across the stock tank and set his MH's on it while we worked on setting up the new tank before moving everything. We also waited and pulled an all-nighter moving the fish and corals and that gave us some time to hang the lights over the new tank without interrupting their normal lighting cycle. It probably reduced the stress on the critters too. My buddy has far more experience than I do with reefs (20+ years vs. 1 year) so he thought it all out very carefully before we began. No worries if you plan it out beforehand.

johnpoole · #7 04/03/2005, 06:48 PM

i did almost the same thing when i moved up to a 125 from a 55, i aged the water and then put added it to my water column with an overflow and a small pump. the plan was to do the move in one day without any new water. lots of work, lots of worry, and didn't loose a thing. i think the trick was to make the new water and sand part of the system ahead of the move. having three plumbed rubermaids in my den for 2 weeks like to got me ran off. but the fisw were happy.

johnpoole · #8 04/03/2005, 06:53 PM

btw i used cinderblocks to arrange the three containers in a stairstep style, plumbed in series and pumped water into the top one, ran downhill until it reached the wet and dry, where a pump sent it back to the top. each step had a protion of sand. i didn't have any extra lamps or i would have used them

reeferkid · #9 04/04/2005, 08:16 AM

put all of the watrer, sand, rocks, fish, inverts and coral into a holding tank and put the new tank in place, then put in about 1/2 a tank of SW that you have aged then place alll the sand, rocks, water fish etc into the new tank this is how i did mine from a 30 to a 75gal and i never lost a thing.

spuzio · #10 04/04/2005, 08:37 AM

Should i just buy new sand for the tank since it is so cheap, and just use some of the old sand in the tank?

reeferkid · #11 04/04/2005, 03:32 PM

use all of your old sand and some new sand as your old sand will be biologically active already.

palabok · #12 04/05/2005, 01:02 PM

you can also buy the sand already bagged with the saltwater already in it, including the micro bacteria. try to use 50% of your old water to make the cycle easier and faster if you decide new water as well. make sure the new water has the same temp. as the existing water so you dont stress the specimens or have biological die off

Manon · #13 04/17/2005, 09:37 AM

I'm also planning to move one of my tank and I'm surprised that you were able to use the sand without releasing any gaz that might have been trapped in the sand which propably would have killed the fish. Perhaps the trick is to clean the live sand first?? Did any of you do anything like that?? I want to reuse all of my stuff too!! Mia