Best way to switch tanks?

[scott4506]

I have a 58 gal tank with a deep sand bed and about 100 lbs of live rock in the system. I am upgrading to a 100 gal. I want to use my existing live rock and sand for the new tank. My only problem is that the 58 has a Harlequin Tusk and a Snowflake eel that will be going into the new tank. What do I do with them untill everything gets switched over and cycled?

[a1amap]

If you are using the same live rock, sand, and water there shouldn't be a problem with cycling. The biggest problem is the sand bed being disturbed. You can put you fish in a tupperware bucket with a heater till you get the tank up and running and give it time to settle down.

[Rustynuts]

Ah, that's a tricky one.

I had the same problem on a recent tank upgrade. What I did was water change about 25% out of the tank I was using, and put that water into the new tank. Then I topped it up to about 50% full with fresh mixed salt water, and got the heater working. Then small water changes for a few days to top it up further to about 75%, and occasionally moving some live rock pieces in. Then on the changeover day I topped it right up with the old tank water and moved the rock over aswell. This left the fish & critters etc. in a small amount of water in the old tank, easy to catch and move over into the new tank.

Admittedly mine was only about half the size of your new one but it worked ok for me. No fish lost and all doing very well now thankyou.

[coral reefer]

In short, the best and safest way to switch tanks is to have additional saltwater made up at the right salinity and temp. Then try to use as much of the water from your old tank as possible to place in the new one. remove the fish first and place them in a separate bin. Then remove the water from the tank and place it into the new tank. Then take the live rock out as well as the sand and place the sand into your tank slowly, then the live rock. then the fish will go in.
If you don't have inverts and live corals, it won't be as much of a problem for you IMO.

[chubbydoll]

My biggest problem is the fine sediment the sand bed is stirring up. Also i had followed some bad advise a year ago when I set up my tank and used bottled water ( later found out it was just municple water that was dechlorinated) so I have high sicates...and a cynobacteria ( red slime) bloom . I purchase a 150 gpd 4 stage ro/di system last month and have been gradually changing the water in the old tank ( 55 gal 130lbs lr, 65lbs ls). Now I'm gradually trying to change all of this to my new 55 gallon in the family room ( much better placement than the old tank).
Let me know how you move turns out as I am having a hard time too!!!
Good LUck!!!!!!!!!!!!