LowezAkar24

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Location
Long Island
Rating - 94.6%
35   2   0
SimplyZBest2000

You can go to home depot and get a large 55 gallon garbage can (save the receipt because you will get every dime back after the conversion) with a good powerhead. Put everything you can from your existing tank into the garbage can carefully EXCEPT the live sand. After this is done, put the sand in Home Depot 5 gallon buckets (save receipt for return). Do your plumbing, tank relocation and all moves at this point. Make sure when you do your plumbing that you get all the right stuff because you will lose a lot of time going back and forth. Once you get your new tank in the desired location add your new live sand along with your old sand but make sure that your old sand is clean. If you use regular sand make sure you wash it thoroughly or your tank will be cloudy for a long long time. Just make sure the sand is clean that you are using.

Once you are ready, pour in the sand and shape it to your liking. You may want to use a plate in the sand so that water don't disturb the sand bed. Your water options are RO Water or Tap Water with PRIME (Seachem I think makes it). I used tap and prime and the appropriate dose of PH Buffer. Once you hit the half way point, I put my live rock in and then put as much of the water from the 55 gallon bucket into the tank with a heater to match the temp the fish and inverts were in. When the tank clears up, acclimate everything as if it was the first time you were adding them. I hope this helps, I did everything in one day with the help of a good friend of mine. I am no pro but I am learning.

This was a quick summary so if I missed anything, just ask me and I will explain better.
 
Last edited:

Zuska

Cherry Collector
Location
Brooklyn
Rating - 99.5%
430   2   0
You can go to home depot and get a large 55 gallon garbage can (save the receipt because you will get every dime back after the conversion) with a good powerhead. Put everything you can from your existing tank into the garbage can carefully EXCEPT the live sand. After this is done, put the sand in Home Depot 5 gallon buckets (save receipt for return). Do your plumbing, tank relocation and all moves at this point. Make sure when you do your plumbing that you get all the right stuff because you will lose a lot of time going back and forth. Once you get your new tank in the desired location add your new live sand along with your old sand but make sure that your old sand is clean. If you use regular sand make sure you wash it thoroughly or your tank will be cloudy for a long long time. Just make sure the sand is clean that you are using.

Once you are ready, pour in the sand and shape it to your liking. You may want to use a plate in the sand so that water don't disturb the sand bed. Your water options are RO Water or Tap Water with PRIME (Seachem I think makes it). I used tap and prime and the appropriate dose of PH Buffer. Once you hit the half way point, I put my live rock in and then put as much of the water from the 55 gallon bucket into the tank with a heater to match the temp the fish and inverts were in. When the tank clears up, acclimate everything as if it was the first time you were adding them. I hope this helps, I did everything in one day with the help of a good friend of mine. I am no pro but I am learning.

This was a quick summary so if I missed anything, just ask me and I will explain better.

thanks for the info!
 

DrHarryLopez

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 100%
32   0   0
When i upgraded I temporarily plumbed my 220 to my 90g the end of Feb 2010. I ran the system for ~3 weeks. Any new rocks i introducted into the new tank once every few days. My goal was not to cycle my tank. During my first water change i removed 40 gals from the 90 then added another 150g. The subsuquent water change I removed 50g then added the balance nedded (~180 gals). Tested the water for any signs of cycling. No cycling was detected. Over the next week or so I started moving the largest rocks from my old tank into the new tank. Everything was moved within 3 or 4 wks. I finally cutoff the umbilical cord and separated the tanks the end of April 2010.

I avoided cycling of my tank however the 220 did eventually go through new tank syndrome (Cyano, Hair Algea, Dinoflagellates) after a couple of months.

I did not lose any fish nor coral! However I did not have any real SPS like you have in my old tank. I know how sensitive SPS is so you may need to run your systme longer.

Good luck
 

JARRETT SHARK

Addicted to coral
Rating - 100%
84   0   0
when i upgraded i temporarily plumbed my 220 to my 90g the end of feb 2010. I ran the system for ~3 weeks. Any new rocks i introducted into the new tank once every few days. My goal was not to cycle my tank. During my first water change i removed 40 gals from the 90 then added another 150g. The subsuquent water change i removed 50g then added the balance nedded (~180 gals). Tested the water for any signs of cycling. No cycling was detected. Over the next week or so i started moving the largest rocks from my old tank into the new tank. Everything was moved within 3 or 4 wks. I finally cutoff the umbilical cord and separated the tanks the end of april 2010.

I avoided cycling of my tank however the 220 did eventually go through new tank syndrome (cyano, hair algea, dinoflagellates) after a couple of months.





I did not lose any fish nor coral! However i did not have any real sps like you have in my old tank. I know how sensitive sps is so you may need to run your systme longer.

Good luck



+1 as long as you dont panic and have everything ready you should be fine. I bought like 200 more lr to make sure
 

LowezAkar24

Advanced Reefer
Location
Long Island
Rating - 94.6%
35   2   0
SimplyZBest2000

DrHarryLopez's post is EXCELLENT and opposed to the one I mentioned but my conversion was a lot more short term and time/space sensitive. I needed the space and did not have the time to have things laying around. My way was the get in and get out strategy. Everything is still alive and all my fish is healthy. Hope it was helpful.
 

Zuska

Cherry Collector
Location
Brooklyn
Rating - 99.5%
430   2   0
When i upgraded I temporarily plumbed my 220 to my 90g the end of Feb 2010. I ran the system for ~3 weeks. Any new rocks i introducted into the new tank once every few days. My goal was not to cycle my tank. During my first water change i removed 40 gals from the 90 then added another 150g. The subsuquent water change I removed 50g then added the balance nedded (~180 gals). Tested the water for any signs of cycling. No cycling was detected. Over the next week or so I started moving the largest rocks from my old tank into the new tank. Everything was moved within 3 or 4 wks. I finally cutoff the umbilical cord and separated the tanks the end of April 2010.

I avoided cycling of my tank however the 220 did eventually go through new tank syndrome (Cyano, Hair Algea, Dinoflagellates) after a couple of months.

I did not lose any fish nor coral! However I did not have any real SPS like you have in my old tank. I know how sensitive SPS is so you may need to run your systme longer.

Good luck


good feedback;) helped me alot just by thinking about what you wrote...
 

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