kitch40

Heres what I have done in the past when upgrading to a larger tank ( done it twice so far) I start by stepping up my water changes. The new tank usually has new sand/crushed coral then I take the old water out of the smaller tank and dump it into the new tank. I also make new water for the new tank and add some of that as well. By the time I'm halfway full on the new tank I've added a powerhead for flow and a heater. I will also add a couple of cups of sand from old tank. By the time I'm full I set aside a whole day and transfer everything in one day. So far I have done this and haven't lost a thing, usually there is a small diatom bloom but it generally goes away in a week or so. I don't reuse the old sand without rinsing it off first and don't disturb it until all corals and fish are out of old tank.

I agree, if you're transfering all your live rock directly from one tank to the other there's no need to wait. Just aclimate everything to the new tank. And of course use a couple cups of your sand to seed the new sand bed. You can rinse the rest and add it now, or save it to add later as the new sand settles and dissolves.

If you're adding new live rock then you'd want to wait till it was fully cured and stabilized first.

Phil

Doing a transfer is just that. Everything moves over, and in the process you endeavor to leave behind waste, pests, and dead stuff you no longer want to look at.

Try to avoid feeding too heavily in a new setup. Whatever you fed your 35g, that's how much food you'll feed the 120g. Let the system settle in and as you add new corals and fish, increase the feedings a bit at a time.

how long should this take?? How often should I change the water to fill the new tank? Thanks for your help...Kitch

Fill the new tank with clean new salt water. when it's been running for a day or two and the salinity is where you want, and the temp is stable you can start transfering.

My favorite method for a switch like this is to move all the livestock, including live rock, into rubber maid totes filled with water from the old tank. Set them next to the new tank and run an airline from the new tank down to the tote. Let it siphone water down, and transfer it back to the new tank with a pitcher as necesarry for a few hours. By that time the water in the tote and tank should be the same and the rock and livestock can be moved in.

Originally Posted by kitch40

how long should this take?? How often should I change the water to fill the new tank? Thanks for your help...Kitch

When I've done mine I did water changes every other day untill the new tank was filled. I do like Phils idea with the line and mixing the water. I've always just taken water from one and mixed it in the other a couple of times to make them both the same.

When I transfered everything over from my 150g upstairs to the 240g downstairs it took roughly 4 hrs with a buddy helping. We just used buckets and rubbermaid tubs to hold live rock, water and made a bunch of trips. I just put stuff in and let it settle in for a day or so before I aquascaped it. Seems like the first aquascape is never quite right so it gives me an extra day or so to think about it.

My next question is about the live rock.I have between 50-70 lbs of live rock in the 35 g tank but that will not be enough for the new tank.Can I just add new live rock afterwards? THANKS AGAIN

Yes, as long as it is fully cured. You need to look at it to make sure it is clean (no black areas) and smells fresh like the ocean (not rotten like sewage). If it passes the look and smell test, bring it home in a bucket of water so it stays submerged at all times. Now you can add it to your tank safely, as it didn't suffer any die-off during transit.

As for will it be enough, that depends on your preference. Some people like a couple small islands of rock and lots of open water, others have barely any open water there's so much rock. So it's up to you how much you need. I would suggest getting some dry marco or similar base rock to stack your live rock on if you go with a deep sand bed. Place the base rock, then add your sand bed around it. No point in burying your good live rock after all.

I have about 150lbs in a 240g tank, I don't like the 1 lb/gallon rule-makes the tank look like a big o'l pile of rock.

Can I use my tank mounted protien skimmer,,at first and then add a refugium later?

In your sump, or on the tank itself? The water level is fixed in a HOB skimmer, meaning that your water level in the sump has to be at the same height for it to operate correctly. Usually.

Thanks Melev, What I would like to do is set up a 125 gal tank properly but I am trying to find a "blueprint " for an ideal setup.Thats why I went to your other site, melevs reef and then I got caught up in this new site. Any ideas are really appreciated. I have a chance for a 240 gallon setup but am afraid I woulod be going to fast ...any thoughts?
Marc

Kitch40, the Ideal set up will vary depending on who you ask, and what you want for livestock. For example Melev used vodka dosing for nitrate control, where I have an algae scrubber. Both have the same result, undetectable nitrates and no nuisance algae. Some people swear by deep sand beds, others swear at them and go with bare bottom tanks.

I'm also using a hang on skimmer, so when I built my sump I set the first baffle so the water level would be as high as a display tank. The down side is I've got a very high waterfall into my return section which creates micro bubbles.

Like Phil pointed out, ideal is really just a state of mind. What I'm doing with my new 400g is going to be ideal to me, making major changes from what I did with my former reef. It's been a big task because I've been really particular this time, but I hope it will pay off long term. Just ask questions and share your plans prior to spending any money and we'll help you out.