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Skimmer Juice
03-01-2006, 05:24 AM
I was just worried about switching tanks.I have a 50 gallon reef tank and Im switching to a 125 gallon.I have a mandrin fish.Do you think this will affect the food situation?I am useing everything from the fifty gallon even the substrate.
mark
03-01-2006, 01:25 PM
While back moved a 75g across town, sure I lost some pods but when I looked the following night, tank was still crawling with them.

If a DSB, careful about disturbing the layering of the substrate.
Doug
03-01-2006, 01:33 PM
:smile: Moved to the Reef forum.
SeaHorse_Fanatic
03-01-2006, 06:03 PM
If you have time (doubt it) set up a small tank as a fuge & load with some extra pods from your tank or the LFS. Then, after to move everything over, if it looks like there isn't enough food for the mandarin, release the pods.
danny zubot
03-01-2006, 06:29 PM
When I moved my tank last spring I lost most of my pods and eventually my manderine. I think the stress of moving made him stop eating because there were still enough pods in the tank after the move IMO.
TheReefGeek
03-01-2006, 07:33 PM
Mark, how can you be carefull about the layering of a DSB? There is no way to move it and keep the layers in-tact that I know of.

You also have to decide whether or not to clean out some or all of the substrate when making the move as well.
Skimmer Juice
03-01-2006, 08:03 PM
How would you go about seting it up.You would have to move the sand in first.Then put the cycled water from my 50 gallon but what would you use for the other fifty gallons?Would you just use fresh saltwater?I use r.o water stored in plastic tubs at room temp.
TheReefGeek
03-01-2006, 08:10 PM
You could use brand new water, or start doing some water changes now, say 20% a week for example, and keep the old water. Then use this, plus some new water, and it is not as much of a shock to the tank, because the change is a bit more gradual.
Skimmer Juice
03-01-2006, 08:13 PM
A perfect solution thanks.:biggrin:
mark
03-01-2006, 09:39 PM
Mark, how can you be carefull about the layering of a DSB? There is no way to move it and keep the layers in-tact that I know of.

You also have to decide whether or not to clean out some or all of the substrate when making the move as well.

Seen posts where people would take a inch at a time out, bag and label then place back in order.

What I did was just toss out all the sand and set the tank back up BB. If I was to do something like that again (and had time and tank), I would set up a new DSB and just hang on to a bit of the old sand to seed the new.
TheReefGeek
03-01-2006, 09:52 PM
Seen posts where people would take a inch at a time out, bag and label then place back in order.

Wow, now that is patience and precision. :)

If you are concerned about kicking up detrius and spiking your tank, rinse all the sand many times, and just keep a little not rinsed to seed the sand again. Seems like a waste to throw it out, unless it is a nano tank or something where it doesn't cost much $$$.
G1GY
03-05-2006, 06:32 AM
You could use brand new water, or start doing some water changes now, say 20% a week for example, and keep the old water. Then use this, plus some new water, and it is not as much of a shock to the tank, because the change is a bit more gradual.

This old water will have to be kept heated and circulating also.
Quagmire
03-05-2006, 02:43 PM
Seen posts where people would take a inch at a time out, bag and label then place back in order.




Not sure this would even work.Unless you only took enough sand at a time to have an inch or 2 in the bag.If you put too much in each bag (bucket),say ending up with 6 or 8 inches in each.The creatures in the lower parts would sufficate causeing a spike.
Johnny Reefer
03-06-2006, 04:26 AM
Not sure this would even work.Unless you only took enough sand at a time to have an inch or 2 in the bag.If you put too much in each bag (bucket),say ending up with 6 or 8 inches in each.The creatures in the lower parts would sufficate causeing a spike.

When I did a tank switch out three months ago I bagged all my sand in Ziploc vegetable bags. Those are the ones with the tiny holes in them. Held all the bags in holding tanks along with the Live Rock. The bags were in the holding tanks for about 10 days. Seemed to work out okay, but I do have a bit of a cyano problem right now. I'm not sure if that's related.

HTH and cheers:smile:,