Combining Two Tanks Into One

clancaster23

Reefing newb
I have been wanting to get one larger tank to combine my 75 and 40 gallon tanks onto one large tank. I have a chance to pick up a 125 gallon for just $125. I won't be able to set it up right away as I do not have a six foot light to put over it just yet. Anyways, it might come with sand in it. Can this sand be cleaned out and reused or am I better off not taking it (or tossing it out) and just combining the two sand beds I have in my two tanks now (after rinsing) or can I rinse my sand and the sand that would come in the 125 and have a nice deep sand bed?

Also, wondering about combining my fish in the same (although larger) tank.

My stock:
75 gallon
Kole Tang
Pink-spotted Goby
Two tomato clowns


40 gallon
Two occellaris clowns
Coral beauty
Six-line wrasse


Mainly concerned about the combining of two different clown species. Can I expect problems there?

Also, regardless of what I do with the sand, as long as I keep all of my rock wet, I can just put the sand in the 125, fill with water (salt water obviously) and put in my rock then livestock and I shouldn't get too bad a cycle should I?
 
Combing two pairs of clowns will definitely cause some problems. It would definitely be a battle to the death unless by some miracle they pick separate corners of the tank and never ever come into contact with each other. I doubt it though.

If you use the sand from the new tank I'd suggest washing it thoroughly first. If you use your sand from your 2 tanks, agitating the sand might cause a little cycle. Wash wash wash would be the best.

Filling the new tank with the water should be fine. Just add new water. It should be like a big water change.

I'm sure the other LR peeps will chime in. Good luck!
 
You are better off tossing all of the sand and just buying new sand for the 125. You can try to clean/rinse your old sand very well if you want to reuse it, but that's generally not worth the hassle and work involved. Old sand tends to have a lot of muck in it and that gets released into the water when you disturb it, so it's safer and easier to use new sand.

I think you can expect to see problems mixing the four clowns. Usually, you are limited to one pair of clowns per tank, even in big tanks. SOMETIMES people have been successful keeping multiple pairs of different types of clowns in one tank, but this is pretty rare. I think you should make a choice between the clowns and find a new home for one pair. If you want to take the risk to try mixing them, be ready to have to catch some of them if they fight!

If you keep your rock wet, you shouldn't see a cycle. Sometimes you'll see a quick mini-cycle, but keeping the rocks wet usually avoids that.
 
Well, one reason I am combining the tanks is to have on eless tank to take care of even if it was a small one. The wife really doesn't like the tomato clowns, she thinks they are too mean so they would probably be the ones to go. I was actually considering just putting in new sand and avoid the whole cleaning process. From what I read it's what is in the rocks that really keeps the tank running anyways, the sand is just substrate and doesn't do much unless you disturb it a lot and release all kinds of baddies.

Another plus will be I can get a few more new fish! Gotta get me a six foot light first though before I can even set it up.
 
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