Tank Upgrade Timeline

[kmf507]

I have it on very good authority (I accidently saw it) that my wife splurged on a 90 gallon RR tank as an upgrade from the 55 I am now using. I'm obviously going to need more LR and sand, but am curious about the best method. Should I have both tanks running concurrently? This is an option because the new tank will not be placed where the 55 is. This may give me the time to cycle the tank.

Or am I better off switching everything in one day? There will be new sand, but since I will get cured LR, I would think that I can make the total switch in one day, with just more frequent water changes for a couple weeks until everything stabilizes.

FYI: currently a yellow tang, two fales percs, blue devil damsel, yellow tail damsel, flame angel, misc corals and inverts

Thanks in advance.

Bonus question: Any strong recommendations on the additional fish (or two) that should eventually move into this Lesser Barrier Reef?

[JxMetal]

I'd do it all in one day. Get a few scoops of live sand into your new sand. Just drain one tank into another. I'd drain just 50% water into the new tank and think of it as a big water change. while you're switching livestock over you can get those damsels out since you'll want to add new fish I assume.

[kmf507]

Actually, the damsels have never been a problem.

[geoxman]

You are at your limit for a 120gl with the fish you now have let alone a 55. A 90 will be moderately to heavily stocked with the fish you already own-JMHO and good luck

[JxMetal]

6 fish is the limit for a 120? I'd give him a little more leway, but then again, I don't own a 120.

[Shooter7]

I've got 8 in my 120 and it feels kind of empty sometimes...have two more waiting in the wings to go in after a couple more weeks in QT.

[JxMetal]

i got 5 in my 30! ahh.

I guess the tang puts out a lot of bioload?

[kmf507]

I don't think I'm overstocked now, and will be adding a fish or two to the 90. 6 fish is fine in a 55.

[Shooter7]

FWIW, if I had this situation where I didn't have to move everything right away, I'd probably go ahead and set up the new tank, get some more rock and put in there, and let it run for awhile while I made sure that all my new plumbing, equipment, whatever was all running smoothly and no glitches before I moved all my established stuff over. If there isn't really any hurry, then I don't see any reason to hurry it....JMO though. You're probably ok to go either way.

[Hobbes8017]

Since you have the room, I would set-up the new tank and get it ready. Running with some new (additional) rock and seed some from the old tank. Let it cycle and get ready. Then move the rest of the rock and livestock over.

I had all my rock (180 lbs), 80 lbs of substraight, a few coral and a Coral Beauty living in stock tank set-up. I put the 215 together with the Fuge and Sump and ran it for several weeks with the new substraight and alittle live rock. When everything was good and cycled, I move the rest of the rock, alittle bit of the substraight, and the live stock.

The only thing I gave up was about 70 lbs of sand that was left in the Stock Tank. Giving that to Farmer to make plugs with.

[Reggae Fish]

I agree with hobbes. Especially with using all new sand. If using the same color sand, put your new in the tank and use some of your other sand to seed the rest. Also, put some of your LR in the new tank. That is where the majority of your bacteria is. Water means almost nothing except for the fact you'd like to keep them both similar.

If you are not putting it in the same place there isn't really any good reason not to let it run for a bit rather than trying to get it right all in one day and possibly cause problems rather than taking is slow with no need to go fast.

[bkh24]

FISH POLICE......220 galon=1 fish ........500=3 fish
I have had up to 9 fish in my 55. Would still have that many if not for jumpers...
Brian

[Hobbes8017]

Fade32's math!!!!!


450 Gallons = 29 Fish !!!!!!!!

[Kathy55g]

depends on the fish, I presume.

I know one gal that keeps 1300 fish in about 160 gallons, but they are really little fish, bare bottom, no other critters except bacteria. Daily siphoning and mechanical filter change, weekly 10% water change (discard water looks pretty clean! Very low nitrates despite 3-5 times daily heavy feeding). Labor intense! But then, she's a breeder, and the tank is not for show. I do love looking at it, though.

Hope that tang you have in the 55 is a baby, and I'm sure it will have a longer life in the 90, if it is long enough to give it a good swim. Good luck.

[saltyunderground]

We did last June what you will be doing. I forced myself to be patient because there was so much to potentially lose if I went too fast.

We did the following... 2/3 cured water from an established tank and 1/3 new water added to new tank with new sand (it took a week of filling buckets with cured water that had to be kept warm since we were doing water changes on the old tanks to get the cured water and since we were needed a lot of water to fill new system).

Waited two weeks with all systems running then added some cured rock from the old tank. We also set up the sump with some established live rock to get the organisms growing in there too.

Waited a week, and added a tough coral and a small fish.

Waited two weeks and then added half of the life and rock from the old tank.

Waited a week and added the other half of the life to make the change complete.

We tested for ammonia, ect. to make sure all parameters were steady along the way.

In hindsight we probably took a chance adding everything over so fast at the end. But it seemed to be okay. The tank is doing great for the most part after 6 months.

I would not add anything requiring filter feeding or live food as a main food source for a while til life gets growing in the tank. Wait about 3 months for anything that does sand sifting like nassarius snails so the sand has time to get up to speed.

We did our first water change at about 4 months.

[bmrescort]

Just the post I was looking for. I am getting ready to switch from a 55 to a 125g tank. I am going to go with 3 250w 10k mh's and some actenic's. So much planning that I think I am driving myself crazy looking for the best bargains. Why can't I find someone getting rid of some 250's for like $50. (ha ha) AS IF. I think I am going to take saltys advise on the switch over it sounds like a great plan since I can run them both right next to each other in the family room.

[saltyunderground]

We combined a 75g tank and some of the contents of a 120g tank into a 135g tank. Unfortunately, we did not have room for everything we wanted to keep.

We have a light system with three 250W 10K MHs and four actinic 36w.