Question switching tanks

Ramon84 · Monday at 9:30 AM

I am switching to a bigger tank I have a torch hammer zoas on rock 2 clown fish and snails and hermits either live sand wanted to use same rock and sand and water is there anything I have to do to swap I was going to get a tote and drain tank water in to it adding my fish rock coral and snail and hermits moving the sand and remaining water also topping off with fresh salt water. Is this a good way of swapping tanks ?

JTP424 · Monday at 9:32 AM

I would recommend new sand altogether, and rinse it. You can re-use the sand but you'd have to rinse it as well, probably more than the new sand.
Everything you want to do it fine. The rock transfer allows you to skip a "cycle" since it's already done

tobster · Monday at 9:34 AM

I personally would not move the sand because it may have stuff in it. I’d start with clean sand.
Also, I’d use clean water. The rocks should cycle the tank quickly if they have been in your current system for a while.
Just make sure your water temperature and salinity are the same.

Ramon84 · Monday at 10:09 AM

tobster said:
I personally would not move the sand because it may have stuff in it. I’d start with clean sand.
Also, I’d use clean water. The rocks should cycle the tank quickly if they have been in your current system for a while.
Just make sure your water temperature and salinity are the same.

I have had it up for around 6 months now

Ramon84 · Monday at 10:11 AM

Ramon84 said:
I have had it up for around 6 months now

I’ll just get new live sand

Ramon84 · Monday at 10:15 AM

JTP424 said:
I would recommend new sand altogether, and rinse it. You can re-use the sand but you'd have to rinse it as well, probably more than the new sand.
Everything you want to do it fine. The rock transfer allows you to skip a "cycle" since it's already done

If I get the new sand is it safe to add everything after or will I have to wait?

JTP424 · Monday at 10:20 AM

Ramon84 said:
If I get the new sand is it safe to add everything after or will I have to wait?

So long as you use the existing rock you should be good, i.e. don't keep the rock out of water while transferring to make sure minimal bio-load death.
Make sure to rinse the new sand too.
Think of it like a 100% water change. You're not changing the bio filter in anyway, just putting new saltwater in.

Ramon84 · Monday at 11:14 AM

JTP424 said:
So long as you use the existing rock you should be good, i.e. don't keep the rock out of water while transferring to make sure minimal bio-load death.
Make sure to rinse the new sand too.
Think of it like a 100% water change. You're not changing the bio filter in anyway, just putting new saltwater in.

Great Thank you!

JayM · Monday at 11:35 AM

I don't know if it's a big deal or not, but when I upgraded tank size last month, I used about 60% of my old water in an effort to avoid big parameter swings. It may or may not have helped, but it definitely didn't hurt.

Ramon84 · Monday at 11:43 AM

JayM said:
I don't know if it's a big deal or not, but when I upgraded tank size last month, I used about 60% of my old water in an effort to avoid big parameter swings. It may or may not have helped, but it definitely didn't hurt.

Okay I was thinking the same but was not sure appreciate the advice