switching tanks

I have a 34gal and I am thinking of up grading to a 66gal. Anyone know the best way to transfer everything(fish , live sand and rock ect...) from one tank to another. The tank has only been running for 3 months and I kinda started fast and dont want to make that mistake again.

 

Keep an eye on your water chemistry. 3 months now, it should have already finished it's cycle. Do some water tests to make sure that everything is up to par. And then you can start moving things around. Move the rocks and corals first and then your fish last. I'd still drip the fish and corals even if both thanks' tests match up.

 

Im gonna need more sand for sure so start setting it it filling it half way with my salt water then add the live sand. Finish it and start it up. Then Add the sand and live rock from the 34 to 66., leaving just the fish and coral in the 34? Let the 66 run for a few weeks? Then transfer the fish and coral? Would that be a good plan?

 

Add rock first, then sand goes around rock. Then you can poor water over the rocks as to not stir up the sand. It will trickle over the rocks. This prevents rock from moving and shifting after it's all said and done. If you are only using what is already IN your 34 gallon, then take little bits at a time or it will stir up your original tank like crazy.

Here's how I would do it:

First, add an extra filter cartridge to your filter and let the old one fill up with bacteria. (Or add a sponge SOMEWHERE where bacteria may collect on it, i.e. running water) When you are ready to swap it for a new cartridge, take the old one out and use this to help you cycle your new tank. For instance, right now I have a foam filter sponge from a powerhead sitting in the well of my hob filter. It is still in the water and currently filling up with bacteria. I will use this in the powerhead in my new tank.

If I were you I would get new sand and only transfer some of your old sand. I would do a water change in your existing tank like almost 50%. Make sure the rest of the water that you will be adding back into your tank is the same temp and SG. And add it slowly, but take no more time than 30 minutes without circulation in your tank. While you are performing this water change go ahead and try to syphon/gather some of your current sand that you can to place in the new tank. Mix it up with the new sand in your new tank.

So now you will have a new tank with new sand and a little old sand as well as half of your old tanks water. The old tank will be half full so while it is, also grab a piece of live rock.

If there is anything dead on the live rock submerge it in a bucket of the original tank water and try to turkey bast some of the gook off. Dead bacteria does not help to cycle. So get it cleaned up...not TOO clean, but use your judgement. Then put this rock into your new tank. Fill both tanks up with fresh, hot, conditioned new water.

At this point I would test everyday until your levels in the new tank stay stable. This happens after you read spikes from ammonia, then nitrite, then nitrate. I would not do water changes till you are ready to put the fish in. I would add a bit more original sand each few days to let the new sand oxygenate and then become further infested with old bacterias. You can probably just grab some old sand with a fish net every few days.

This way, your new tank will be running and cycle very quickly. Once you are ready to transport everything over you can probably do it in one day, since the new tank is big enough and accepts more room for error. But I would wait a good month for your new tank to cycle before adding anything.

WHEN you are ready to add these guys, just act as though you are performing another water change. Empty half old tank water, save this. Then empty half new water. Use the old tank water to fill up the new tank, this way your fish still have some of their own water. Try to empty your current tank as LOOOOWWW as you can, so it's easier to catch the fish and you can save more old water. Even though I saved half of the old tank water, I didn't acclimate my fishies and they all did fine, to my better judgment I prolly should have. I would if I were you....OH, also a hint in catching fishies. Use a clear bag from LFS, have a friend hold it in a corner of your tank, then scurry it with a net towards the bag.

Make sure you leave tank light OFF for a day, maybe even cover a couple tank walls with a sheet. Enough so they can still see their new surroundings, but so they cannot see YOU.

BTW, forgot to ask if your were getting a whole new setup, not just the tank. But this means you will be upgrading your protein skimmer and sump as well?