Migrating from 55 to 75 - How do I do it?

[revoohc]

Hey everyone,

I'm in the process of upgrading my reef system. Currently, I have a 55 gallon main tank with a 20 gallon refugium and ~ 20 gallon sump. I want to move this system to a new area of my house and also change the system. I have purchased a 75 gallon tank and stand to replace the current 55.

I am planning on replaceing the current sump with one that is a bit larger and fits inside the stand. The 20 gallon refugium is staying. I would like to plumb the original 55 gallon tank into the system to be a fish only tank.

What is the best way to make this move without risking my current inhabitents (mostly corals)? Mostly I'm concerned about where to get my water from and what sort of timeframe am I looking at to make this move.

Thanks,

revoohc

 

[esmithiii]

Make sure the tank cycles before moving anything over. Should take about a month. When you fill the 75, after the water is mixed w/ the salt, do a water change on the 55 and use some of the "dirty" water from the 55 in the 75. I would then wait a week and do the same thing again. This will help you "jump-start" the cycling process.

Adding LR to the tank will also help the cycle. If you are adding LR from an existing tank then you don't necessarily need to run the skimmer while it is cycling. If you are adding LR that is not cured, or LR that you are ordering MO, you should run the skimmer.

Will you have a sand bed? I highly recommend that you have 4-6" of sugar-sized sand. If you have existing sand in the 55, transfering some of it to the 75 is a good idea.

Plan on some algae blooms with the new tank. If you have a good skimmer, use RO/DI water and have a sand bed then the blooms should be short lived.

Do not transfer fish, coral or other inverts until your tank has completed the cycle!

Good luck. I hope this helps.

Ernie

 

[whusband]

I recently upgraded my 29 gallon reef to a 55 gallon reef. i used 100% of the contents from the old tank in the new tank and added r.o. filtered salt water to make up the volume difference. i put all the livestock in buckets and other containers during the move. i also added some nitrobacter into the sump before i put everything back in. the move went fine and the tank didn't cycle. everyone survived