what's the best process for upgrading tanks?

[madhattertcm]

What's the best process for upgrading tanks if you want to keep all of the livestock/sand/rock/corals?

I'd be going from a 50 gallon to 120 gallon.

My original thoughts were
1. Get new tank/equipment
2. Add the additional rock/sand/water to new tank. Also I'd put in some of my current LR.
3. Let that cycle completely
4. Quarantine fish/corals in old water and acclimate with new water till it's about 50/50.
5. Add old sand, rock and water to new tank
6. add livestock/coral to new tank.

Thoughts? What's flawed about this? What do I need to consider? I imagine that once I add the old water/sand it may cause a mini-cycle? Would it be better to have all new water/sand?

 

[Cheeser]

if ur gonna transfer your old sand i would do it very gradually so u dont start a cycle. i learned that the hard way. when i upgraded to my 65 from my 55 i added all my old sand and it caused a huge nitrate spike. 90% of my corals died.

 

[madhattertcm]

ouch - so maybe I should just start with all new sand/water?

 

[Cheeser]

u can use some of your old water.
u can use some of ur old sand too but keep in mind that ur sand is alive and when u disturb ur sand bed it will stir up all that stuff living in there and definitely piss it off.
i would just take like a cup of ur old sand and mix it into a small part of ur new sand bed. u can probly do it like 3 or 4 times on each side of your tank. but try not to stir it up as much as possible.
but imo i would just buy all new sand and use as little of ur old sand as possible.

 

[Ted]

The main worry is the sand. You have to rinse the heck out of it and still wont get everything. The water isnt a issue actually would be good to use as much seasoned water as you can.

 

[bjohanson1234]

I would just replacle all your sand. IMO, the money you spend on that will provide piece of mind.

Set up your new tank, if possible, then after it cycles, acclimate your fish to the new tank. While they are doing that, transferyour rocks over. I would have a bucket of old salt water to swish off any detrius that might have accumulated.

Since you transferred all your current rock, and cycled the new base rock, you should not see any mini cycle.

Good luck with the upgrade. You are also lucky that you can have the new tank set up while the old tank is running.

 

[madhattertcm]

makes sense. I'll go with all new sand then. :)

And yes, I am lucky. It's mainly because the 50 gallon is in one room, and the 120 is too big for there, so it's going to be getting placed in another room.

 

[Bifferwine]

I would also go with all new sand. Other than that, your plan is solid. :)