Tank Upgrade Question

[Mikek]

OK, knowing how brutally honest many of you are, I figured you guys were the best to ask. If you all approve, then it MUST be ok ;)

I want to upgrade my completely healthy functioning 20g long Reef/Fish tank to something larger again, maybe 40 to 55g. I'm thinking that if I use regular sand, and add some base rock, that if I just move everything (my live rock, same filter that is rated for 75g, coral, and fish) directly from my current tank, to a larger one with salt water already in it, it would be like a 100% water change, and I should not have to worry about die off or cycling.

So...am I even close to right? Have at me! :)

 

[emmett0122]

IMO if you can and have the room setup your tank with the new sand and base rock and put a piece of LR out of your 20 in to help seed and let it cycle then move your stuff over but you will have to acclimate all your critters to the new water unless and im not 100% on this but im sure someone will correct me if im wrong but if you can use a common sump for both so the water mixes between them then you wouldnt have too

 

[Mikek]

Good point...acclimation...admittedly didn't think of that...so now what if 30-50% was my current water switched over? Then it wouldn't be much different then a 50-75% water change.

 

[emmett0122]

you could put all the water out of your old tank into the new one with all your live rock i would think would work but not sure some that has gone thru this would better with that part but i think it would work

 

[BL1]

When you say regular sand and base rock are you meaning dry sand/rock. Some people mean different things when they say base. Also we're you planning in using any of your current sand? Because that will also make a difference.

Using all new sand if you move everything over the same day you "should" not see a cycle. I would definitely monitor the params closely the first week or two for any spikes.

If you have no current water quality issues I would use as much of your current tanks water as possible. Doing that you're still going to be adding over 50% new water.

 

[Mikek]

Yeah, I meant completely inert sand and rock, to be seeded by my current Live Rock. The whole idea came from the fact that other than 20ppm Nitrate (though I recently added a refugium), I'd just like to expand my near perfect tank...8-8.4ph 300ppm Alk, 0 Amm, 0 Nitrite, 420 Cal, 1.023 Sal...and I fear starting from scratch I won't get near these levels. I have had this tank operating for nearly 3 months with no spikes.

 

[salt_for_brains]

I agree with BL1----- I have moved a lotttttt of tanks and have upgraded as well without any cycles. I have always used new sand, existing live rock and water from the established tank. You should not have any issues going that route.

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

Also, don't wash the filter that you switch over. It's storing a lot of beneficial bacteria. And, are you doing corals? If so, you're going to want more in the 1.025-1.026 SG range. And, if you plan on doing corals, I'd try my hardest to get those nitrates to 5ppm or less. Good luck on the upgrade! Bigger is always better :)

 

[ErinCahir]

All good advice here.

I'm going to throw in looking into a 75 instead of a 55. Its the same length (four feet) but wider (eighteen versus twelve inches) making it easier to aquascape. You could also do a bristletooth tang in a 75.

The 40 breeders are great, though, too. It's one of my favorite tank sizes.

 

[2XAl]

+1 Erin, the upgrade from a 55 to a 75 is minimal cost wise and you won't regret it.

Alex

 

[Greenman]

When I moved my 29 gallon into my 55 i moved everything, water, sand ect. I did have a small nitrate spike because I did have some of my CUC end up dying but other than that everything turned out alright.