Tank Transfer Advice

[JohnCena]

Hello guys, 

 

Finally I'm planning to move from my IM Nuvo 20 to IM Nuvo 40 tank. My 20 Gallon tank has been established for about 9 months and everything is going smoothly. The live Stock, Corals and Equipment list is mentioned below.

 

AI Prime HD - No Upgrade (Please Suggest)

XPAqua Duetto ATO - No Upgrade

IM ghost skimmer (old Version) - -https://aqualabaquaria.com/products/skimmate-ghost-protein-skimmer-innovative-marine - Will update to New Ghost Skimmer

Jebao Doser - No Upgrade

All for Reef for Dosing (https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/all-for-reef-tropic-marin.html) - 1ML every two days -  No Upgrade

Red Sea Pro Salt - No Upgrade
Chemipure Elite -  No Upgrade

Jebao Wavemaker (2000 GPH) -  No Upgrade
sicce silent pump 1.5 -  upgrade to Innovative Marine Mighty Jet Return Pump

 

Coral List

Hollywood Stunner, green Stylo, Red monti, 3 hammers, 1 frogspawn, 1 Torch, Few Zoas, Neon Green Tyree, Xenia, GSP, 3 Goniopora

 

Live Stock

2 Clowns, 1 Sailfin Blenny, 1 Conch Snail, 3 Hermits, 4 Snails, Small RBTA

 

I have around 3 med size Rocks and thin layer or sand.

 

Please suggest me how to move all the corals along with rocks and live stock without creating a big cycle. I want to have a nice rock work (planning to buy Caribsea Life rock) and will place the new rock work on the old rocks from the tank and also a thick sand bed this time (will use caribsea live sand), thinking to add new sand and not to transfer any sand from my old tank. I have small worms in my tank which come out when I turn off all the circulation and lot of spaghetti worms which I want to get rid of it in my new tank (the whole reason for not using the sand from my old tank). 

 

Also, Please suggest if AI Prime HD would be good light for a 40 Gallon Cube AIO tank. If not what would be the best option. I have RED SEA 90 Led as an option, but I have read some reviews that AI Prime would be sufficient for a 40 gallon cube to grow some SPS and most of the LPS Corals. 

 

I'll build the rock work and will keep it ready before transfer, will mix all the salt water with required temp that is needed for the new tank and will transfer 50% of water from old tank. Will move all the bio balls that I have. 

 

So, how can i do a smooth transfer without affecting any corals or live stock. I appreciate any suggestions for this transition.

 

PS: Attached my current tank pic to show the rocks that I want to transfer. 

[mitten_reef]

@Clown79 did a write up on tank transfer a while ago. For the most part you shouldn’t have to worry about cycling as it’d be relatively similar to 50% water change as you’re doubling in size/water volume. 
the big caution is your sand bed when you’re doing the transfer, best to not disturb it if possible and leave an inch or two of water above sand in the old tank - all depends on how well you kept the sand clean. 
 

 

[jservedio]

Make lots of saltwater, fill up a Rubbermaid or some buckets with tank water and drain 90% of your water saving what you can. Transfer the rock, coral and fish into the holding container then break down the old tank. Toss 90% of the sand and any water left over.

 

Set up new tank using new sand plus the little bit of old and fill with any saved water. Transfer your rock, coral, and fish back in along with any new dry rock or fully cured live rock and scape away.

 

If it's going to take hours to set up, make sure you've got an extra heater and powerhead to keep everything happy.

[Clown79]

I detailed step by step what I did and continue to do when I do a tank transfer.

 

It's in my journal for my lagoon.

 

2 things I highly recommend is using all new sand thats been washed and a seachem ammonia badge for monitoring as it's easier than testing and if you need to use Prime, the results are not effected by it.

 

How deep a sand bed do you plan because a deep sand bed works differently

 

 

 

[JohnCena]

Thanks @Clown79, @jservedio, @mitten_reef 

 

I'll check the post added by Clown79. 

 

Can I leave all the sand from old tank and add completely new sand so I can get rid of all the spaghetti worms. Im not sure, the moment my tank had Spagetti worms, my sand started looking good so Im confused to add them or not. I saw they are really good cleanup crew. 

[Ratvan]

3 minutes ago, JohnCena said:

Thanks @Clown79, @jservedio, @mitten_reef 

 

I'll check the post added by Clown79. 

 

Can I leave all the sand from old tank and add completely new sand so I can get rid of all the spaghetti worms. Im not sure, the moment my tank had Spagetti worms, my sand started looking good so Im confused to add them or not. I saw they are really good cleanup crew. 

Yes, new sand is your safest bet. You could re use the old but would need some serious effort to clean it before adding 

[JohnCena]

Thank you. Should I transfer my Spaghetti worms or not. Would it be a problem in future?

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

32 minutes ago, JohnCena said:

Thank you. Should I transfer my Spaghetti worms or not. Would it be a problem in future?

I'm not 100 percent sure, but I would say it shouldn't be a problem. I think they are good guys.

[Ratvan]

35 minutes ago, JohnCena said:

Thank you. Should I transfer my Spaghetti worms or not. Would it be a problem in future?

personally i would 

[Clown79]

1 hour ago, JohnCena said:

Thanks @Clown79, @jservedio, @mitten_reef 

 

I'll check the post added by Clown79. 

 

Can I leave all the sand from old tank and add completely new sand so I can get rid of all the spaghetti worms. Im not sure, the moment my tank had Spagetti worms, my sand started looking good so Im confused to add them or not. I saw they are really good cleanup crew. 

To use old sand without issues, it needs to be completely washed otherwise once its disturbed through the transfer it can cause a boat load of issues from cycling, releasing nutrients, etc etc. 

 

Saving a cup or 2 of it and adding to the new sand is a good. 

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

2 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

To use old sand without issues, it needs to be completely washed otherwise once its disturbed through the transfer it can cause a boat load of issues from cycling, releasing nutrients, etc etc. 

 

Saving a cup or 2 of it and adding to the new sand is a good. 

it's crazy the stuff that gets trapped in the sand. When I switched to my water box 20 I wanted to go bare bottom. The shit that settles on bottom of that tank is nuts.

[Ratvan]

Just now, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

it's crazy the stuff that gets trapped in the sand. When I switched to my water box 20 I wanted to go bare bottom. The shit that settles on bottom of that tank is nuts.

like H2S gas 😄 

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

2 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

like H2S gas 😄 

yup #truth

[Clown79]

1 hour ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

it's crazy the stuff that gets trapped in the sand. When I switched to my water box 20 I wanted to go bare bottom. The shit that settles on bottom of that tank is nuts.

I have always vacuumed my sand and even stir it mid week when I remember and when I transferred my 15g to the 25g, omg the remaining definitely unsaved water was poo brown!

 

It was gross!

1 hour ago, Ratvan said:

like H2S gas 😄 

That's the stuff. Lol

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

1 minute ago, Clown79 said:

I have always vacuumed my sand and even stir it mid week when I remember and when I transferred my 15g to the 25g, omg the remaining definitely unsaved water was poo brown!

 

It was gross!

That's the stuff. Lol

Oh yeah! It was so disgusting. It was good I moved everything to buckets before I even attempted to move any of the rock. I should have tested that water for curiosity sake, see what the results were.

[Clown79]

48 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

Oh yeah! It was so disgusting. It was good I moved everything to buckets before I even attempted to move any of the rock. I should have tested that water for curiosity sake, see what the results were.

That's what I do too.

 

It would have been interesting to test that water, maybe I'll try that next time just for curiosity sake

[JohnCena]

I'll try to post those results guys, will save a cup of sand, clean it for the new tank and will test the water from the old tank after disturbing it. what results you all would like to see? Ammonia, Nitrates, Phosphates? Anything else you would all like to know?

 

Thanks again for all the suggestions, will move few Spaghetti worms as they are good CUC.

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

Just now, JohnCena said:

I'll try to post those results guys, will save a cup of sand, clean it for the new tank and will test the water from the old tank after disturbing it. what results you all would like to see? Ammonia, Nitrates, Phosphates? Anything else you would all like to know?

 

Thanks again for all the suggestions, will move few Spaghetti worms as they are good CUC.

I'd be interested in at least ammonia. Maybe nitrites?

[JohnCena]

Sure, will add the results to this post itself. Will update the transfer with pictures and the outcome. 

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

2 minutes ago, JohnCena said:

Sure, will add the results to this post itself. Will update the transfer with pictures and the outcome. 

Good luck with the transfer

[Ratvan]

If you have dark grey/black areas of sand with trapped bubbles open a window and put a fan on before you do anything to it. That's where I found the gas pocket that set off the alarm in my office. 

 

Would be interesting to see the phosphates and nitrates

[JohnCena]

Thank you. I'll be picking up the tank by next weekend. Should buy some drum to prepare RODI water and few buckets. 

 

What do you guys suggest about the Light. I have AI Prime currently and thinking to use same for new tank. I have few SPS right now but I'll be having mostly SPS in my new tank. Please suggest.

 

If not AI Prime HD, im thinking of Red Sea LED 90 or Kessil 160WE or hydra 26/32 HD

[JohnCena]

7 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

If you have dark grey/black areas of sand with trapped bubbles open a window and put a fan on before you do anything to it. That's where I found the gas pocket that set off the alarm in my office. 

Currently my sand is little clean (I don't want to jinx it), but will follow your suggestion to be safe. 

[A.m.P]

4 minutes ago, JohnCena said:

Thank you. I'll be picking up the tank by next weekend. Should buy some drum to prepare RODI water and few buckets. 

 

What do you guys suggest about the Light. I have AI Prime currently and thinking to use same for new tank. I have few SPS right now but I'll be having mostly SPS in my new tank. Please suggest.

 

If not AI Prime HD, im thinking of Red Sea LED 90 or Kessil 160WE or hydra 26/32 HD

Kind of an awkward footprint, the Prime should still have coverage over the whole tank, but penetration might be an issue. If you can find someone willing to swap /partial-trade out to the higher-watt kessil or hydra you may have a better go of things, but it mostly depends on what and where you want to keep things I think.

[Clown79]

54 minutes ago, JohnCena said:

I'll try to post those results guys, will save a cup of sand, clean it for the new tank and will test the water from the old tank after disturbing it. what results you all would like to see? Ammonia, Nitrates, Phosphates? Anything else you would all like to know?

 

Thanks again for all the suggestions, will move few Spaghetti worms as they are good CUC.

The cups of sand shouldn't be cleaned before adding it, the purpose is to take some of the life in the sand to seed the new sand