Changing Tanks 03/27/2008
I just have a quick questions, right now I have a 90 gallon fish only tank.
I only have two small puffers and a lionfish in the tank right now, I have been lucky enough to be given a complete 125 setup, mostly cause this individual just upgraded to a 300 gallon tank, I'm very jealous but anyways, In my 90 gallon tank I have been battling with hair algae for about 4-5 months,. I have done everything to taking out the rock and scrubbing the algae off. My question is this I have about 100 lbs of live rock that I have cured in a separated container. Can I take the water from the cured rock, all water level are normal in there, and also take the water from the 90 gallon and move the fish into the new tank with causing a problem. I'm not going to move the rock or substance that is in the 90 gallon because I don't want to deal with the algae in the new tank. Or do I need to not use any water from the 90 and start fresh??? Or if you have any other ideas, that would be great, I'm just trying to minimize the time that I have two systems setup and I don't want to lose any fish or the tank to cycle again. Thanks in advance for your help
<<I would use the water from the rock tub and the rest new saltwater. You don't mention anything about filtration on the new tank. Any new filter system put this tank will have to be cycled before you can add fish to it.>>
<<On the algae plagued tank, getting to the source is the key as there is obviously something feeding the algae, whether it over feeding, high nutrient levels in the change water, bad lighting>>
<<Hope this helps. A Nixon>>

Recycling old substrate, Moving Tanks 3/6/08
I'll start by saying thanks for all the effort put into the site.
<Thanks for using it.>
I currently have a 55g reef tank that has been running for 3 years and this is the first question I have had to send. The rest have always been answered through searching this site.
<Excellent>
With that said, I have read various postings that have a little conflicting info and wanted to clarify. I recently purchased a complete 150 setup and need advice on making the switch. My current setup has approx. 3" Caribsea AragAlive and around 80-90lbs LR., Remora skimmer and Eheim canister with livestock being a yellow tang,
<will appreciate the new home>
2 ocellaris clowns, royal Gramma, engineer goby and Firefish goby, 2 BTAs (not on purpose, had a split and can't get the newby out yet), frogspawn, various mushrooms and polyps, Kenya tree, pulsing xenia and umbrella leather. I was told by my LFS that I could transfer all of the sand from the old tank and mix with the new and transfer the whole tank right then and that any cycling that occurred would be minimal and not affect the livestock with sufficient water change and monitoring.
<Hard to say for sure, and a big risk. I'm a big fan of the slow, conservative approach.>
Then I consulted your site and found some differing opinions.
<This hobby was made for differences of opinion.>
Some of the posts said take it all (barring excessive detritus and bad smell), some said take only the top inch or two and some said use only a small amount to seed the new tank as transferring all of the old sand will cause a big cycle of the new tank due to die off of organisms from different layers.
<I would go with either of the latter options. I agree that taking all the sand will lead to problems with little benefit. As soon as the lower levels of the sand are exposed to oxygen rich water or air many of the organisms will be killed of. I would just take a fair amount of sand from the top inch or so and use it to seed the new sand bed.>
I can only remove all the sand and deal with the cycling if I leave everything else in the old tank (engineer goby would stress with glass bottom only I would think). Can you clarify if one is better or just up to individual preference?
<I think seeding the new tank, letting it cycle without the fish (should be pretty quick) is the way to go.>
There is a lot of life in the old sand and I hate to lose it.
<Can't be helped to some degree, but will reestablish itself in the new tank if allowed. Another benefit of letting the tank cycle without fish.>
Once everything is out of the 55g tank I will use it for cycling 130 lbs of incoming LR.
<I would use the new tank to do that with, keeping the fish in their normal home.>
The second issue is with the refugium that came with the 150g. This was a used tank and the refug has about 4-5" of mud that has been sitting submerged in stagnant water for about 3 weeks.
<That is going to smell nice I bet.>
I will remove the old water but wanted to know if the mud is still safe to use or should I clean it and start with new mud?
<I would replace if economical, lots of dead stuff in there now I bet. I would come back but not before fueling a nice algae bloom.>
Last question is regarding lighting. In searching for lighting I found some setups that are "generic" from China that are much cheaper ($600 for 3x250 HQI, 4x96w PC). Should I follow the "you get what you pay for" approach and steer clear of these?
<I would be wary, especially if not UL listed. A few hundred dollars saved here could cost you your home, tank, everything.>
Sorry for the lengthy post and hopefully I won't have to post again for another 3 years.
<No problems, good luck with the new tank.>
<Chris>

Properly Storing Tanks And Equipment 1/5/08
I am breaking down a 90G, 55G, and 30G tank. I will not be using the tanks or equipment for a period of time, perhaps a year. Is it safe to store the equipment and tanks for that period of time without any ill effects?
<Sure.>
Do the glass aquariums have to be in a climate controlled environment?
<If storing in freezing temperatures, let the tank acclimate to room temperature before adding water.>
Is the equipment best stored in a clean dry container?
<I would.>
Is there any specific cleaning process to ensure the equipment doesn't rot or anything. It will be filters, protein skimmers, lights, heaters, etc.
<I would clean and dry well before storing.>
Is there any specific way to store my RO/DI unit? Should I remove all the filters before storing it?
<The membrane in the RO unit should not be allowed to dry out. I'd probably want to store this in a sealed jar full of RO water and keep in a dark storage area. As for the RO filters, I'd discard and replace when you set up again, not that expensive.>
Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated. I have a LOT of money invested and would hate to see it go to waste.
<Do understand here.>
Thank-you
You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)

Upgrading to a Larger Tank 12/23/07
Greetings Crew,
<Hello Mark.>
I have been a regular reader of the website for many years. (I guess being addicted to WetWebMedia is better than some of the alternatives.) I appreciate all your insights and have learned a lot over the years.
<This whole hobby, more a way of life, is addicting!>
I have read the site thoroughly and have found a number of varying answers to questions about upgrading to a larger tank. I would like to get your take on the current thinking.
My situation is a 10 year old 55 (18" tall x 15" deep x 48" long) gallon tank will be upgraded to a 70 gallon tank (18" tall x 24" deep x 48" long).
I would prefer to let the new tank cycle before transferring the livestock BUT the new tank must go where the current tank is located. Also I want to use the live sand (5"+) and the live rock in the new tank and I really can't afford to buy new sand and live rock.
Here is my current plan. I know it has risk but does it have a good possibility of a successful conclusion?
1. Transfer water in the existing tank to a 35 gallon Rubbermaid container so the existing tank and stand can be moved out of the way.
2. Move the existing tank and stand.
3. Set up new tank and stand.
4. Transfer fish to temporary holding bin (six line wrasse, a matched pair of percula, and a purple tang - all about 2" in length.)
5. Move sand with critters to new tank.
6. Transfer water from Rubbermaid container to new tank.
7. Transfer live rock to new tank. (live rock has 4 BTA all clones (the original has split 3 times) red mushrooms, various Zoanthus, anthelia, and a couple of leather corals (also clones) attached to it.
8. Transfer live stock to new tank.
Given that the above is really my best option given my circumstances, this leads to a specific question.
<Not only is it the best for your situation, it is the best way period! You are essentially taking your filtration to the new tank. No problems here.>
Is it better to let the tank settle down for a few days OR add the 20 gallons of pre-made water immediately.
<Add it at the same time.>
I really would like to get your input on the above plan or what else I could do to increase the likelihood of success.
<I would just suggest you be sure to keep the water temperature up while everything is between tanks and perhaps provide a little water circulation/aeration. All in all it sounds like a good plan. Have fun and congratulations on the upgrade, Scott V.>
Mark Hill

Upgrading to new tank... moving... incl. livestk.  12/2/07
Dear Bob & Crew -
<Hello, Scott V. with you.>
My son (and I) have a 55 gallon Marine FOWLR tank in his bedroom that's been established for right around a year now. It's amazing how, with a lot of your help, things settle down and become wonderful and stable after the initial settling in period -- we've had nothing but healthy and happy fish for almost 8 months now!
<Great to hear.>
But it's time for a change. The original tank had some scratches on the front glass that have become a magnet to and haven for algae, so for that reason we plan to upgrade to a 90 gallon tank in January (Same width & height, just deeper).
<Nice step up, congratulations.>
We only do water changes with water from the same source (fish store - R/O Reef Crystals) and we'll have 100 gallons of "new" water from that store available to us. Since we'd like the water in their existing tank to be as close to that as possible, I'm planning to double up on the water changes (from 10% a week to 10% twice a week) for the month prior.
Does that sound reasonable? <Yes> Another thought was to take the 100 gallons of new water (2-50 gallon plastic trash cans with bag liners) and connect them in series with the existing tank a week before so that it is truly only one eco-system. Would that be of any real benefit in stress reduction?
<This could be done, making the water the same between the tanks. I tend to be obsessive about consistent water parameters, so this is what I would do (it is overkill). Another option would be to use your existing water from your 55 and using new water to accommodate for the balance in the 90. This would be just like a big water change to fish (water quality wise anyway).>
Beyond that, the old tank has to be pretty well drained in order to move the old tank out and the new tank in, so the inhabitants have to be moved twice. My only thought was to put a trash bag into the old tank and herd the fish in and then place that bag in a tub -- and then begin and old fashioned race to place the new tank, move the sand, add the additional sand & rocks, fill it and reintroduce the fish in minimum time? Any thoughts or links on how to do it better?
<Simply netting them individually will likely be less stressful for you and the fish, personal preference. It sounds like you have a good plan. That is what it is all about here, planning and having your fish moved in a minimal amount of time. Be sure that any new rock is properly cured before introducing into your system. Have fun with your new tank, Scott V.>

Downsizing from 110 gallons to 55 gallons. Moving Contents Of Existing System To A Smaller Tank...Still A Need To Cycle System And Acclimate Fishes – 08/31/07
Hello guys/gals.
<<Greetings>>
First of all I would like to thank you all for this great site, the information I have found here has helped me and my sea critters so much.
<<Good to know>>
Here is the deal, I have a 110 gallon FO tank that I would like to take down and move all its residents into a 55 gallon.
<<I see...gee...folks usually go the other way around [grin]>>
The 110 houses 1 tomato clown, 1 blue devil, 1 snowflake eel, and a sailfin tang (plan on giving him up before the big move).
<<Good...much too small a volume for the tang...and pretty much “full-up” with the eel and the two very aggressive damsels you have>>
Should I completely cycle the new tank or should I try to transfer every thing at once?
<<My preference is to cycle the new system first. This can sometimes be greatly sped up by adding rock/substrate/water from the old system to supplement/seed the new>>
It seems that way I would know all water parameters would be the same.
<<Mmm, nope...just the act of handling and moving the rock and substrate and the subsequent disturbance of detritus and other sequestered elements along with die-off of some organisms/bacteria will affect water parameters/quality of the new system. Regardless of how you proceed, the fishes will need to be “acclimated” to the smaller tank>>
Any advice on what to do would be very helpful.
<<You have my take on it. Regards, EricR>>

Re: Moving Contents Of Existing System To A Smaller Tank...Still A Need To Cycle System And Acclimate Fishes – 08/31/07
Thanks a lot crew.
<<Quite welcome>>
This site is amazing and has saved more than a few pets.
<<Ah, very redeeming to know...is our goal...along with preserving hobbyists/the hobby too! [grin]. Regards, EricR>>

Moving a DSB    8/25/07
Hi Guys!
I'm setting up my FOWLR (no corals for now) and I want a DSB for nitrate reduction. Problem is, I will be moving this thing from Virginia to Colorado in 3 years when I graduate from vet school. I already have started planning for the move (I'll adopt out my fish to my parents whose salt tank I'm managing and I'll move the live rock and re-cycle upon arrival).
<...sounds like a good plan.>
I'm simplifying my life with no coral until after the move, but I just can't let go of the DSB. It's a 23-27 hour drive and I was wondering if you had any advice on the feasibility of moving a DSB. I can leave it in the tank (it's only a 29 gallon), so in theory I'd be able to move without exposing too much of the anaerobic areas.
<Even a DSB in a 29g tank can be extremely heavy! (Trust me. I know, I have one.) That said, if you're personal friends with the Incredible Hulk and can manage to get it in your car and to its new location without breaking the tank; go for it. Of course, you should keep just enough water in the tank to keep it submerged. And you'll have to be careful to keep it from getting too hot/cold during the trip. Also, you might want to let it "cycle" for a few weeks at the new place. Even if you're really careful, you'll inevitably stir up some bacteria poo.>
So, attempt to move the DSB or chuck it and start again (groan!)?
<Even if you decide not to move it, don't pitch all of it. Carefully take out a chunk of it to use as seeder sand for your sand bed at the new place. And you could share the rest with local aquarists looking to seed or refresh their sand beds.>
Thanks a bunch, and if you ever need the advice of a then-seasoned salt keeper with a DVM and an interest in fish, call me in 20 or 30 years!
<You're going to make us wait that long?!>
Casey
<My pleasure,
Sara M.>

Going from 75 g tank to 125  8/20/07
Hi Bob,
<Neil>
Fabulous website.
<Doomo>
I spent some time on your website looking for answers on steps to moving a current tank to a newer (larger) tank.
<Exciting>
This is my current situation: I have been running a 75 gallon FOWLR tank for just over a year. I recently bought a 125g. I am looking to keep the tank in the same spot as the current 75g.
<Ah... the olde presto chango eh?>
I know I will have to siphon the water out and move it into the 125g, but is there something that I am missing? Can I simply fill up the 125g with as much 75g water as possible and fill up the rest with ro water?
<Mmm, I'd be using pre-mixed, stored...>
I have 5 fish that I will also have to pull out. I was thinking about keeping them in a bucket with an air stone.
What do you think? Is this too much of an exercise or should I simply start from zero with the new 125g? If I do that, I will have to find a temp new home for my livestock.
I am looking to eventually add more sexy fish, such as a banded shark or blue-spotted ray.
<Nah>
Thanks for your help!
Neil
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/movingaq.htm
and the linked files above, and elsewhere on WWM re the cartilaginous fishes care. Bob Fenner>

Migrating to larger tank  8/9/07
Hello crew,
<Josh>
This is my first time writing, however I have used this site as a resource for about a year - it's been fantastic! Thanks everyone for making this hobby a whole lot easier to swallow!
<Welcome!>
On to my question. I have a 30 gallon reef tank that has been fairly successful for about 9 months. I have recently purchased a 65 gallon AGA with a 15 gallon sump. I have finished my plumbing (using a SCWD for my sump return), added 35lbs of live rock to the tank, 40lbs aragonite substrate, and 20 lbs sand. I also moved in a 6-7lb rock from my already cycled tank.
There is about 10lbs sand and 10lbs LR in the sump. I let that cycle for about 10 days and then added 3 green Chromis
<Mmm...>
2 days ago, after a week in qt.
This morning I awoke to find 2 of my Chromis have passed on,
<Not surprising... the genus sometimes takes a beating in being moved>
despite regular schooling and eating habits with all 3. My tests show up all normal (1.023, 0 nitrate, 0 ammonia, 0 phosphate, ~400 calcium, 79-81 degrees F) and I haven't seen any ammonia since before I added the Chromis. I appeared to have already cycled, but am not entirely sure. I am trying to figure out the cause of their demise,
<Mmmm, "psychological stress" mostly>
as well as asking advice on how to go about the transition from my smaller tank to my new larger one. Also, should I get more Chromis as I hear they do better in groups?
<Given enough space, yes>
I don't want to do that until I know the reason for the others deaths.
In my 30 gallon I have a bicolor pseudo (giving to a friend due to his aggressive nature - looking forward to finally being able to catch him), a neon blue goby, a cleaner shrimp, snails/hermits, pearl bubble coral, lots of zoos, variety of xenias, and a green cup coral. There is also about 30-35lbs of cycled live rock still in there. How should I go about making the transition? I have a SeaClone 150 on the 30 gallon, that I will be moving to the new 15 gallon sump - and I do not want to buy another one, so the two tanks will have to share it for the moment. Should I slowly move the animals over? Should I move the rock first?
All at once?
<The rock first, all at once; the animals by least to more toxic... the Zoanthids last>
Any advice on the procedure of moving all this life over would be great! I will be keeping the 30 gallon running for at least 6-8 weeks after the initial move to act as a larger qt tank for when I do get more fish for the larger tank; how much LR should I leave in it to act as a qt?
<About five pounds>
You guys are always an incredible help, thanks in advance,
Josh
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Moving 20 gal to 55 Gal
Thank you for the response. After much thought, I am leaning toward the standard 55 gallon aquarium instead of the 56 column.
I agree that the surface area will be much more with the standard 55 gal, and there will be more swimming room for my fish. ( I do plan on adding a FEW carefully thought out fish.. I'm going to be patient and wait though).
<Good traits, beh.>
As far as moving the setup from the 20 gal high to the 55 gal, here is my plan (utilizing your suggestions, my thoughts, and other word of mouth suggestions..)
First, fill the 55 gal tank w/ about 30 lbs of clean,
<Thoroughly rinsed>
sugar fine sand (or enough to make a 3/4 inch sand bed). Then, add the 35 gals of "new" saltwater. ( I will dechlorinate first, then add salt). Then, I will add about 5 lbs of live sand bought from the LFS. I will run the filters, heater, etc. for about 2-3 days.. ( I will have to plan on how to lower the intake so it reaches the water.. but that's another story.. I will figure this one out-- not worried about this).
I will then add about 5 lbs of live rock (bought from store, cured, cleaned first). Then I will take the sand out of my current tank, add that to the mix. (while keeping the 10 lbs of live rock in the 20 gal.)
Wait for 1-2 days. This should leave about 1in sand bed total.
Then, remove in this order: live rock, filter (along w/ the media... so I will have 2 filters running on the 55gal tank), the fish, then the ornamental rocks. This process should all be done within a few hours max.
I will of course acclimate the fish just like I am taking them home from a LFS.
How does this plan sound? I have been reading re, asking questions to local fish store employees and friends, and have received different answers.
Thank you once again for all your excellent help!!!!!!!!! It's much appreciated!
E
<Mmm, I would extend the time frame twixt setting up the new tank, adding a source of cycling microbes (e.g. with the LR) and testing to see if the system cycles... ahead of the movement of materials from the extant 20 gallon system. Bob Fenner>

Moving a glass tank into basement – 07/18/07
Hi Crew
I have been a big fan of your site for years now. Great job everyone, thank you for all your hard work.
I have been planning my first saltwater aquarium for about a year and a half now. I final have figured on a 180 gal. glass tank (72x24x24) . After much debate on where in the house my wife would let me keep it, we have decide to put in in the basement as part of the rec-room. At first the living room sounded like a great spot, but with all the maintenance equipment being out of reach. the basement seems like a much better choice (concert floor, dedicated fish room and water supply.
My question is, my basement stairs are the kind that go down half way and then does a 180 degree turn to go the rest of the way down. With a tank this big it would have to be turned on end to make the corner. Will this be a problem with a glass tank or would acrylic be a better choice because of this. I don't want to ruin a brand new tank .
I have determined this is the biggest tank I can go, and have planned all my equipment and stocking plans around this size. Thanks for all your help!
>>>Greetings Robert, Jim here.
A glass tank is more than strong enough to stand up to this treatment...the limiting factor is the back muscles of the people moving it. A 55 gallon should be no problem, but be careful.
Cheers
Jim<<<

Re: Moving a 55 gallon glass tank.  – 07/19/07
Thanks Jim
Thanks for the info. Unless am wrong on my math, I was wondering if a 180gal. tank would handle the same stress of being tipped on end to get it in my basement. Thanks again
>>>No problem from the tanks' point of view, your back, legs and arms may say otherwise. I'd definitely go acrylic if you're planning in trying this. Glass tanks get very heavy, very quickly.
Jim<<<

SW Aquarium Transfer   – 06/19/07
Hello, ladies & gents,
<Howdy>
I am beginning a plan for this switch, and I read the info on http://www.wetwebmedia.com/movingaq.htm, but I think this will be a bit different, so this is what I'm planning, please point out any flaws you see or any thing you think would be better. I'm the guy with the 5" passer angel, the baby banded cat shark, dogface, and yellow tang. We are purchasing a 200 gal to replace the 80 gal, and it will be here in roughly a month. The hitch is that due to our house layout, it needs to go exactly where the 80 gallon sits. I have approx. 50 - 60 lbs of live rock. I'm thinking of making it as dim as possible, and placing the live rock in a 72 qt cooler (rinsed thoroughly), siphoning as much of the tank water into the cooler as it will hold, then placing the fish into the cooler as well.
<Mmm... for how long? I would use another cooler or such to keep the fishes in... easier to move, remove them from. And I'd save more of the old water as well>
I should be able to hook up the Fluval FX5 so that it runs in the cooler, theoretically aerating the water and preserving the bacteria and the biofiltration system. Then once all the live guys are out, using the gravel vac to remove the rest of the water and clean the substrate. Using a second cooler, I'll put the tank substrate in it, maybe trying to put an air pump on it to preserve the live bacteria there. At that point we can make the tank switch, getting the new one in place. I'm going to add another 100 lbs of substrate (which should replenish the dissolvables) and then add freshly mixed saltwater.
<Pre-made and stored...>
Our tap water is good, no nitrates or other undesirables, and is at approximately 78 degrees out of the faucet,
<Wow!>
and I use it for my 20% changes every week or so. Before we make this swap, I'll PH test it also, so that I can get it to the correct level. Right now the tank PH is about 8.2 and is stable. I'm thinking of trying to preserve as much of the original tank water as possible, perhaps using 5 gallon buckets or another 72 qt cooler to keep the new water % to around 50. My guess is that this transition is going to take 4 to 5 hours. At some point I am going to want to put the FX5 back on the tank for circulation of the new water. There will be a wet/dry system, too, but obviously it will take a while for the bio capacity of the wet/dry to be established.
<Not long in this circumstance>
I can put the protein skimmer on the tank as soon as the water level is up (Jebo 180) for aeration as well. The old substrate will be in the tank with the new substrate, and the new water will be at the proper mix and temperature (and dechlorinated) before it goes into the tank. How long would be a safe bet to keep the fish/live rock in the 72 qt cooler after removing the FX5? 5 minutes?
An hour?
<Hours>
Would it be beneficial to add something like Stresscoat to the water to ease the stress on the fish?
<Mmm, I wouldn't>
Is there a benefit to placing the fish & live rock in the same cooler, or should they be separate?
<I'd separate... some advantages, dis- to both... but more if kept apart IMO/E>
If this plan seems sound to you, please say so, but if you think there is a better way or improvements, please comment. I want to make this transition as smooth as possible for my babies.
Thanks,
Thomas
<Sounds/reads good. BobF>

Tang Stressed From Move – 6/09/07
Hi
<Hello Tammy, Brenda here>
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. I have had a hep tang for 10.5 years, and he was seemingly doing quite well. We just moved and we had someone professionally come over to take down the tank at the old place and reset up at new. We have a 55 gallon tank with a clown, two damsels, an urchin, a chocolate chip star and the tang. ALL of them have been with us for 10.5 years or longer.
<A 55 gallon is a bit small for a tang.>
Before the move the pro said he noticed the tang was swimming in circles (I hadn't noticed it but...) and then after the move, it was lying on its side at the top of the tank. It looks majorly stressed. He said he thought it might have taken on air and that it would pass....sooooo sad, I hate to see it like this. It did move from the top of the tank to the rocks overnight but it is basically lying upside down now, constantly trying to right itself.
What would you suggest? I'll do anything to try to help it thru this, I'm really sad about it.
<Closely monitor your water parameters. Your system has been disrupted from the move. Be prepared for water changes.>
THANK YOU (The stressed tang, thanks you too)
Tammy
<You’re welcome! Brenda>

I Need To Drain And Drill My Tank...Please Critique My Plan – 05/25/07
Hi crew!
<<Cheers Glen!>>
I have been madly studying all the articles and FAQs and I am learning a tremendous amount.
<<Excellent>>
I am driving my wife mad, she thinks I have turned into an aquatic lunatic.
<<And this is bad how?  [grin]>>
But I am happy.
<<Ahh...well then...>>
We recently bought a 6x2x2.5 (200g?)
<<A bit more (224), but close enough>>
tank with HOT skimmer (AKS SK100 http://www.aquariumsrus.com.au/filters/skimmer.htm).  I have 100kg of base
rock and 20kg of live rock cycling with 9000lph of circulation on a 1" sand
bed, Ammonia has gone back to zero, but Nitrites are still at 2ppm.
<<A bit more cycling to do then>>
The cycle was hastened by the addition of some colonized bio-noodles from the LFS.  A few creatures are emerging from the LR, which is wonderful: a little brown crab, some segmented worms, 2 anemones and some dark green algae.
<<Do be cautious of the crab (would remove were this my tank), and the “anemones” are likely Aiptasia or Anemonia majano and best to control at this early stage.  Do peruse/search/read on our site re these organisms>>
The LR had only been at the LFS for 1 day, but I didn’t mind, as I had no livestock in the tank.
<<Indeed...I like to obtain my rock “fresh” as well for the added benefit of “extra” organisms one will usually obtain...though this also means keeping an eye out and dealing with the “undesirables”>>
I have been looking at gravity feeding my 3' sump with an overflow box, but I have to get a custom one due to the top bracing in my tank.
<<Mmm, yes...I once had a custom “Euro-braced” tank that presented the same issues.  My solution was to modify the bracing at the location of the overflow>>
When I was talking to the Aquarium and glass people here in Brisbane (AquariumsRus),
they mentioned that would come and drill the tank if it was empty.
<<A better solution...>>
I would much prefer a drilled tank over an overflow, but I am not willing to dump 850 litres of salt water, the salt is expensive and I just put it in there 2 weeks ago!
<<Understood...and no need to “dump” this water>>
Nitrates are only ~10ppm.  Would you be so kind as to peruse my plan and suggest improvements or outline silliness?
<<Gladly>>
1) I will unload all the base rock and LR into big tubs and clean plastic bins
2) Circulate and aerate the tubs after filling with tank water
3) Siphon out 1" sand substrate (after battling with sand storms I have decided to go 7" DSB in sump and BBT in Display)
4) Get glazier to drill 2 x 1.5" holes in the base of the tank, one in each back corner
5) Install 1"bulkhead fittings into the new holes (with 100% silicone sealant)
6) Attach 27" high PVC tube risers to the bulkhead fittings to set water height in the tank (3" from tank top?)
<<You can this...though I would consider installing sealed overflow towers around the standpipes/risers to prevent draining the tank in the event of a problem with a bulkhead fitting>>
7) I am considering NOT drilling the back of the tank and have the return water come in over the top at the back via 1" PVC
<<Not sure I understand this sentence.  Are you saying you won’t consider drilling the back panel (my preference over “bottom drilled” tanks) for the throughputs as opposed to drilling the bottom?>>
8) Install base rock and LR back in the tank, pump water back in
9) Monitor possible re-cycle from LR disturbance?
<<Yes>>
Some peripheral questions if I may?
<<Of course...>>
1) Are glass weirs required in the above solution?
<<Not “required”...depends much on the installation...but do “suggest” them in this instance>>
I think I have seen PVC tubes used in the LFS from holes in the bottom of tanks.
<<Indeed...have even set up such systems myself>>
2) Will the ceramic bio-noodles function well at the bottom of my sump DSB for NNR or should I just keep them underwater in the sump?
<<Honestly, once the tank cycles I would remove these altogether...though if you wish to leave them in the sump (but not under the sand) this too is fine>>
3) How long will the LR survive in the tubs while the silicone cures?  The silicone says 7 days!?
<<You are just using the silicone to “seat” the bulkhead fittings as described on our site, yes?  No need to wait 7-days for the silicone to completely cure...give it 24-hrs to “set up” and you can return the rock/water to the tank>>
Thanks very much for your input and advice.
Glen Hendry
Brisbane, Australia
<<Is a pleasure to share.  Eric Russell...Columbia, South Carolina>>

Tank Moving 5/11/07
Hello again,
<Hello Gary.>
I will start with the same comment I always make when writing you guys.....THANKS!!!  This site has always been more than helpful with your articles and answers to questions.
Ok, I am moving...and am NOT looking forward to moving my tanks.  I have 40gal FO and a 30gal coral only tanks.  The FO tank I am not too worried about, the puffer and wrasse are VERY hardy and can carry that tank with about 10gal water in it saving 20 more gallons in bottles to put back in at the new house, only needing 10 gal of new water after arrival.  I will put the fish into some plastic shipping bags for the 10 mile trip and reacclimate slowly.  That all sounds ok, yes?
<Yes.>
As for the 30gal coral tank I am a bit more worried.  The tank has been established for 5 years and has a plenum.  I only have a week to get into the new house.  I have a 10 gal that I will setup with old water from the 30gal tank and bring most of the larger corals over in plastic bags leaving them sit in the 10 gal till the 30gal is brought over (with pumps on).  As you know with aged coral tanks, there are a million things growing and I don't want to lose too much of it.  I am worried that carrying the tank down stairs and into a SUV for the 10 mile trip will mix up the plenum and cause all kinds of stuff to be released.  ANY SUGGESTIONS?  And yes I do feel fortunate that it is only 30gal and not 50-120gal. Any help, hints, tricks are appreciated, thanks again,
<Gary, do read here for helpful info.  
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i6/Moving.htm
Also search our site for FAQ's on
subject. James (Salty Dog)>
Steve

Re: First Marine Tank - compatibility of the current fish with those that we would like to buy. Buying and moving complete setup - 4/28/07   5/10/07
Thank you very much for your reply below <Thanks for including previous note to jog our memory!> - we've now bought the tank which came with 2 yellow tailed damsels and a firefish.
<Good for you!>
The maroon clown was sold separate by the previous owner.
Setup of the tank went extremely well, though I've gotta say I never
realised the weight of such a tank, or even the weight of a 23ltr jerry can full of water!
<Unbelievable, isn’t it!!>
But we got it all back together within a few hours and got the fish back in as soon as possible too. They even ate this morning when we fed them which is great!
<Yeah! Happy fish!>
We've had the tank up since yesterday and testing today showed pH at 8.2, ammonia at 0, nitrites at 0 and nitrates at 20ppm. All excellent values except the last, is this because of moving the tank?  
<Excellent that you are not seeing any ammonia and nitrites, that means you didn’t lose too many of your good bacteria in the move.  Maybe the nitrates were a little high before the move?  20 ppm is not terrible for a fish only tank, but as lightly stocked as it is and has been, it is a little surprising that it is this high.>
We're planning on adding the yellow tang and flame angel fish in about a month thanks to your previous advice.
<Do invest in a quarantine tank.  If it saves one batch of fish in the main tank, it will pay for itself.>
We are also now considering an anemone and a Percula (or Ocellaris) pair. We understand that anemone need particular conditions and we were wondering if ours were suitable.
<You are asking yourself all the right questions!  Keep researching.  A good place to read and the links in blue about lighting:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm >
The system is a ~100 (us) gallon tank, with a 3ft miracle mud/Caulerpa sump, 2x 150watt halide + 4 blues. Flow is from 2x 4,500 ltr per hour fans and then the return from the sump.
So I guess our questions are:
Should the nitrates return to 0 with a little time, or do we need to take action now?
<Give the refugium and live rock some time to work their magic.  Do consider adding a deeper sand bed, maybe seed some from another established zero nitrate tank, to allow for additional opportunities for denitrification.  And of course do some extra water changing for a while and help bring the nitrates down.  You should have a good bit of detritus settling after the move anyway that you will want to vacuum out.>
Is the light and flow sufficient for an anemone?
<Depending on the wattage of the “blues”, you may be ok.  You want 5-6 watts per gallon.  If the blues are 65 W each, then you are in the right range.  You may want to replace at least 2 of the blues with 10,000k daylights to get a more effective spectrum.  And you have a variety of heights and positions to allow for choice of light exposure. Flow seems reasonable depending on sump return rate.>
Are the damsels going to be a problem with the anemone/clowns?
<No, they should be fine, in this size tank.  Damsels can be territorial, and clowns also, but their territories are small relative to this size tank.>
Thanks once again for your help!
Geoff.
<You are welcome!  Alex>

Moving BIG Tanks    5/3/07
Ok, now you can start a whole new section on your website for me.... "Moving Fishtanks 101".
<Okay>
So I've moved my 90 gallon tank several times, no problem there.  How does one go about moving a 200gallon tank that is likely around 300# of glass?
<More planning, friends...>
I'm not sure if the movers will take it or will be equipped to take it.  Ultimately, if the thing was dropped or damaged, I'd have a lot of critters homeless and would take about 8 weeks to get one built.
<If you would rather... and have the money, there are likely aquarium service companies about that will move it all for you...>
That aside... my real question is, if I clean out my ShopVac, get a new filtre... is there anything wrong with ShopVac'ing out my 200lbs of sand?
<Nope... we/ our service co., used to use these... the "top" of the vac actually fits quite well on a regular "pickle bucket"...>
I'm just thinking it's gonna be a real pain to get that tank sand free if I don't vacuum it out.  Just rinse it really good when I go to put it back in?
<Yes... Bob Fenner>
David Brynlund

Tank Moving and Cycling – 5/1/07
Hi ya'll!! Love the site!
<Hey there! Thanks!>
I'm a newbie to saltwater and am asking this question for more for my own edification than anything else.
<ok>
I just mixed water and salt mix in my 75 gallon tank.  I added 60lbs of live sand and 72lbs of live rock.  Within 24 hours of doing this, I had a tank-filter hose leak bad enough where I had to break down the tank, move it, pull up the carpet / padding and have to have the carpet pad replaced and the carpet replaced.
<Eeek!  That’s not fun.>
My questions are
(1) now that I've setup the tank in a temporary location, I'm presuming that I will use the test kit to determine if the cycle has finished and perform a water change as needed to get the levels down just like it were in it's original spot?
<Yes.  When your ammonia and nitrites are back down to zero, it is cycled. If they do not rise much, you may want to add a tiny bit of fish food to get it going. If it is well cured live rock, you may not see any cycle, and readings will stay at zero. Read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/estbiofiltmar.htm >
(2) When I get ready to move the tank back it's original position, will it need to recycle b/c the live rock will exposed to air, albeit a short time, again b/c of the breakdown process?
<No.  If you just remove it all to containers while you move the tank and setup, you should not have any appreciable loss of bacteria.  Don’t leave the rock out of water, just set it in the containers of water.  Buy some Rubbermaid stock if you are planning on being in this hobby for long – we keep them in business.  Hee!>
Is there anything else that I need to worry about or can do to take
preventative measure - or am I just extending the time before I can get fish and inverts by doing another move?
<This should not slow you down.  It is just very inconvenient.>
Many thanks in advance!
<Welcome. Alex>

Buying and moving complete setup - 4/28/07
Hi,
<Hello>
We are buying a complete established tank setup including fish:
HYPERLINK
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=006&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=160109784398&rd=1&rd=1
First of all does the current setup look ok? We are new to the hobby, and
advice is appreciated.
<As far as I can tell, this does look like a nice setup.  I would add more substrate.  There is some algae on the rocks that might give you a little trouble, but the fish you are looking at might help with it also. I was going to worry about the butterfly, but then I saw that it was not included.>
We are very interested in adding a yellow tang, flame angelfish and a coral beauty angelfish.
<You probably need to pick only one of these angelfish.  Multiple Centropyge species do not usually get along in this size tank.>
It seems that the maroon clownfish may not be compatible with these, is this correct?
<The maroon clownfish should be fine with these.  They just do not get along with other clownfish.  I have this same mix, and they are fine (yellow tang, maroon clownfish, and flame angel, yellow tailed damsel).
If so we would probably give the clown to our LFS.
<Keep her unless you want a different kind of clown.>
Are there any other incompatibilities with the existing fish and those we’d like to add, or any other problems?
<This should work.  Just keep reading, and learning.>
We will be adding the new fish about 3 weeks after getting the existing tank and fish.
<This may be fine, but be prepared to wait longer in case of any trouble settling back in.>
Finally, once we’ve transported everything (taking water too), how long
after putting the water back into the tank should we wait before re-introducing the existing fish?
<If you are moving water and everything, then the sooner you get them back in the better.  The longer they are separated, the more differences you will have in temperature, pH, etc.  If you put it all back together quickly, things don’t have as much time to get askew.  A little cloudy water is not a problem for the fish, but extreme temperatures, lack of oxygen, and pH drops are problems.  Stock up on plastic tubs!  Rocks and water are heavy!!
Read here and links:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i6/Moving.htm>
Many thanks for your help and your excellent website!
Regards,
Geoff Hannam.
<You are welcome.  And Enjoy! Alex>

Moving a live saltwater tank   4/11/07
Hello crew,
<Hi there! Jorie here>
long
<Long - please use sentence case when writing in to us, otherwise someone on this end has to re-type for publishing purposes...I'll fix your message this time, as it's relatively short, but next time (and if you get another crew member), your query will likely be returned for you to do this...>
time follower of your site. 3 years successful because of you guys.
<That's great to hear - and don't forget to give yourself some credit here!>
After having a 3 year 40 gal tank with a clown percula, coral beauty, and royal Gramma, along with 50 lbs of great live rock, Fiji pink live sand and flourishing soft corals, I am in a situation that I have to move. Unfortunately, the house I am selling must be fumigated and I have currently sold my tank with all of its live stock. the person who is buying it lives an hour to an hour in a half away. What is your best recommendation on doing this
<Lots and lots of 20 gal. "Tupperware/"Rubbermaid" type containers. I'd suggest taking 1/2 of the water with you, the rock, at least some of the substrate, and obviously, the livestock. A general word of caution - don't overload the containers, as they get quite heavy. When my boyfriend and I made a similar move, we ended up with almost 10 of these types of containers to move a 46 gal. SW tank, a 29 gal. BW tank, and a 44 gal. FW tank. It is a lot of work, but it can be done.>
I also am using an Eheim Pro 2 canister as back up and have a Bak Pak reef skimmer. I propose to double bag each fish separately with tank water and add liverock with soft corals attached in Rubbermaid containers.
<We actually moved the fish in their own Rubbermaid container, but the double-bagging should also work. Just make sure that the bags are large enough to accommodate the waste that will likely occur...>
The live sand will be in buckets along with critters with tank water just over the top slightly.
<Sounds good.>
The Eheim filters are always clean, so I will totally clean it as the live rock is the majority of the filtering and of course the skimmer will be cleaned as well.
<Makes sense.>
What are your opinions?
<I think your plan should work fine. The only thing you haven't mentioned is heating and aeration of the Rubbermaid containers just prior to and just after the move - just as a precaution, you may want to throw one heater and one powerhead in each container, obviously to be turned off during the move itself.>
Of course I will not feed the fish for 2 days before I send them of on the 1 1/2 hour journey.
<Also a wise idea.>
Thanks for your input.
<Sounds like you have this well thought out. Best of luck, Jorie>

New 90 gallon...with or without fish?  – 03/09/07
Hi guys:
<Amy, what's it all a boot?>
I have a question and could really use some advice.  I have just come across a really good deal for a new (to me) 90 gallon setup.  He is offering everything to me for a really good price, and throwing in the fish for free (Scopas tang, maroon clown, 5 Chromis and a small purple lobster). Plus 70 pounds live rock and sand.
<Keep your eye on that tropical lobster... can be predaceous>
The problem I have is that I hadn't planned to actually set up the new tank until we are able to get our living room painted, which will take a week or two.  I had planned on putting the live rock into a large Rubbermaid container with filter, lights, powerheads, skimmer  and heater until I was ready to put it into the tank.  
So my question is...can I do this with the fish too?  I won't be able to bring a lot of the original water with me, as the deal I'm getting is 3 hours away, across the border  and I don't have much more room in my van for more containers.  Would this be feasible...and what would be the best way to make the fish most "comfortable" with their new temporary home?
<Mmm... a bunch to state... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/movingaq.htm
and the linked files above... make a tools and materials list... steps to completion... Plan>
I'm not getting the new tank for another week, so if you think this would work, I would go out right away and set up the temporary tank.  I would take the filter off of my 29 gallon and do a large water change to fill up the tub with established water.  I could even take some of the substrate from there to go in the tub if needed, along with a couple small pieces of rock.  I also have an established though fishless 10 gallon that I could put somebody into.  Which one or two  would be most comfortable in there short-term?
<I would use the larger volume... the first choice>
In my 29 gallon, I have an ocellaris clown, royal Gramma, firefish and cleaner shrimp,
<This may have issues with/from the lobster...>
so I suppose someone could go in there temporarily but I'm worried I wouldn't be able to get it out again without removing the live rock.
<I would plan on carefully removing this, separating the livestock, then re-placing it>
Plus, I would only be housing the tang and clown for a couple of days until I could trade them to an LFS that is an hour away (opposite direction from where I'm getting the new tank).
Any advice would be appreciated  If you do think the idea won't work, the guy will just transfer the fish to  his other tank until he can give them to someone else, but I'd rather not pass up such a great deal.
Thanks so much!
Amy in Canada
<Can be made to work... read, plan... execute against the plan... Bob Fenner>

Re: new 90 gallon...with or without fish?  – 03/09/07
I appreciate the response, Bob.
<Welcome>
I decided to leave the tang, maroon and lobster and just bring home the 5 Chromis.  So I will set them up in their temporary Rubbermaid home for a couple of weeks until the big tank's ready.
<Sounds good>
Your website is the first place I go for advice...it's given me a lot of insight into how to properly care for the creatures under my care.
Thanks,
Amy
<A pleasure to aid your successes. Bob Fenner>

Upgrading tanks and related Q's 1/23/07
Thanks for such a great site!  
<Thanks for the accolades! Wouldn't be here without folks like you.>
I have a few fairly stupid questions about moving tanks.  
<Moving tanks can be scary, so I understand/applaud you covering your bases!>
I have read through the FAQs, but feel free to forward me to a site if I'm asking stuff that's already there!  <Oh, I will.> We are upgrading a 90 gallon reef to a 240 reef.  
<I love going bigger...>
The new tank is going in a different spot from the old one and we are not in a hurry, so that will hopefully make things a bit easier.  Here is the plan so far......place a new deep sand bed in the new tank and a small amount of new live rock (40#).  
<That *is* a small amount. is that because you plan to utilize the rock from the 90?>
After the tank has
cycled, add a school of chromis and allow the tank to settle for awhile (2 weeks, month, longer??).  
<How long do you have? After cycling is complete, and you add the Chromis, 2 - 4 weeks is a good observation period. If you have longer, you can only gain if you wait a little longer. >
Then, we would start moving the livestock to the new tank. Livestock consists of:
1--6" Naso tang
1--3" yellow tang
2--2" Sebae clowns
1--2" Mandarin
2 cleaner shrimp
1 peppermint shrimp
2 green crabs
1 sally light foot crab
numerous hermit crabs, snails, etc.
1--3" sand sifting starfish
hammer coral
frog spawn coral
bubble coral
star polyps
Heliofungia
torch coral
mushroom
feather duster
Now on to the stupid questions:
<Goody, goody!> <<You're cracking me up Graham. RMF>>
1.  I know that I put several cups from my established DSB into the new sandbed to seed it.   Should that be taken from only the surface or from all levels of the sandbed?  Do I need to worry about release of toxins to the fish still living in the 90 gallon when I disturb the DSB?  I hate to lose the established DSB (and kill all those little critters) in the 90, but I can't think of a way to transfer it to the new tank without releasing toxins into the 90 while the fish are still living there.
<Here's a link that also links to some other good reads. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dsbmaint.htm If you use a toolbar that can keyword search for you, then you can try looking for toxin(s), gas, etc. For the most part, "seeding" a DSB is marginally successful, and creates as much or more die-off as moving "established" bacteria to the new sand bed. All I mean here, is that you don't get a fast-track to DSB NNR with the seeding, just faster cycling, and the probable migration of beneficial life forms.>
2.  Should the fuge be moved to the new tank from the start to begin establishing pods in the liverock or should it remain on the 90 gallon to supply food to the mandarin before the move?
<The latter, as I would be concerned for the life forms if the new system spikes.>
I'm guessing the 90 gallon since the 240 will not have anything preying on pods initially.
<Bingo.>
3.  Would our 4' lighting be adequate lighting for the new 6' tank?  The darker edges of the tank could house coral specimens requiring less direct light.
<That is true, and I would probably agree with you here without even knowing what kind of lighting you employ. It will be a little awkward, to be fair. You might not enjoy the darker areas, but, you may at that.>
4.  Can all fish, remaining live rock, and inverts then be moved at one time or should this be spread out over several days/weeks?  The fish all get along very well and I am worried that in moving, the two tangs may develop aggression toward each other.  The two tangs are inseparable in the 90 and we want that to continue so I was worried to not move them simultaneously.
<Move the tangs together. In most cases, they will retain their bond, but you may not see it for a while. Keeping the livestock secure in the old system while moving each specimen one by one has it's own problems, and is a hard call to make. On the one hand, the fish staying in the system keep getting stressed as you remove livestock and rock. On the other hand, you have fingers! ...That is to say, er, moving them all at once may be hard to keep track of and observe reactions. Go with your gut is what I say.>
5.  Should I keep the new tank with less water and then move some of the water from the 90 to the new 240 when the fish move?
<Here's another good read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/movingaq.htm look for the section on keeping old water to lessen shock.>
6.  Unrelated to moving questions.....is a school of 9 chromis too much fish
for a 240 with the other inhabitants?  
<Maybe a little, as they do get large... how about 3-5 instead?>
We do not plan on adding anymore fish after the move and would like a "lightly" stocked tank in terms of fish.
< I reiterate: 3-5 specimens.>
7.  Are we giving the Naso a fair chance at life with a 240 or is this still way too small?
<If you are talking about Naso lituratus, it depends on who you ask. If you ask the "Burgess's Atlas", then you need 500L (130+/-gal), but I think an eighteen inch fish is pretty large for a 130, or even a 500gal. I guess it depends on how fast he grows, and whether you have a LFS to trade him to if he does outgrow your system.>
8.  I have read numerous different opinions on sand sifting starfish (Asteroidea sp. maybe?). Opinions seem to range from easy to care for to very difficult.  
<As they are usually based on experience, you can understand this...>
Also, I have read they are beneficial to clean the sandbed
<Yes.>
to detrimental from eating too much from the sandbed.
<Mmm... beyond my experience here, sorry. Stars in general aren't hard to catch if you have a problem with them, so if you've done some reading and think it's a good choice, just make sure you LFS will trade it in if you have a problem. I don't foresee one, but I'm not hugely experienced with many different stars.>
Any opinions?
<Um... sort of, above.>
Thanks, and my apologies if I'm asking things that I missed in the archives.
<No, and that is a common misconception that crewers think posters "missed" something. Any of the many times I link to a page here, I do so because I know how hard it can be to think of the right search criteria for google to act on. In many cases, I can remember reading what you are asking, or I just know it's here, and where to look for it. Of course, there are some posters who just take the shortcut and send a message, typos and all (...And we KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!! ;) and I *do* appreciate the effort you put into writing a well-prepared query.
-GrahamT>
MLF

Tank upsizing Q's (And why we use spell-check B4 sending 1/15/07
Hey <Horsey?> guys,
<Howdy, Mahendra! Graham T. with you today.>
I have a question.
<Then I opened the right message! (sorry, I'm a little odd today) >
I have a 60 gallon reef (18 months) and I just bought a 100 gallon tank.
<Well, at least you paid for it...>
My question is: can I move everything I have in my 60 gallon into my 100 gallon.
<Yup. Why would you think you couldn't?>
I will use the same livesand and the same 25 gallon refugium. The rest of the water I will top of with (100-60)=40 gallons of premixed saltwater (aged over two weeks).
<Sounds like a perfect plan to me!>
The 100 gallon tank has already been disinfected <?> and cleaned. Any advice?
<Just make sure you have lots of buckets, and a means to keep your creatures comfortable between tanks. Make sure your plan is all laid out before you take action, since you might end up stuck with a problem while you water is cooling fast.>
Thanks guys - you have helped me a lot during my journey of perfecting my hobby. Keep up the good work.
<You are welcome, Mahendra, but I would like to mention something that (unfortunately) is on the daily FAQs frequently in a week. I corrected more than twenty spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors before sending this back to you. While some of us don't mind terribly on a short message, it is ALWAYS tedious and, yup: annoying to have to capitalize your pronouns and put spaces after every comma, period or similar mark. Please try to consider the volume of emails we get in a day and decide if you would want to fix them all manually?
-Graham T.>

Moving Aquarium  11/12/06
Hi,
<Hello>
I'm moving my aquarium and wet-dry filter to a different location and was wondering which would be better;  
a) should I immerse the bio balls in a container filled with the  aquarium water, or
b) should I put the bio balls in a small quantity of aquarium water and cover the container with a wet cloth.
Which would let the bacteria last longer?
Thanks,
Rich Aylward
<If the move is an hour or two maximum, submersing is the route I would go... if much longer... just the moist cloth. Bob Fenner>

SW Tank transfer question   10/4/06
Hello,
This is my first time emailing you a question, however I have been using this website for quite a while for information. Here is my problem.  I am doing a fish tank transfer.  I currently have a 40 gallon hexagon tank with 20 pounds of live rock and 15 pounds live sand.  I don't have any special lighting.  For fish I have a dwarf lion, emerald green coris, and a bi color goat.  I also have around 5 crabs, and three snails.  For filtration I have a bio wheel hang on the back filter with a bag of Chemi Pure in it and an Eheim canister filter with a UV sterilizer on the return.   Here is where it gets sticky.  I just bought a 60 gallon tank and am planning on putting it in the same spot where the hexagon is now.  I am going to do a refugium under the new tank and keep my Eheim canister filter with UV sterilizer and use them on my new tank also.   How should I do this transfer?
<Mmm, I'll refer you to our "general" marine aquarium system Article/FAQs, but more specifically... I would double-check to make sure all the new 60 gallon system gear was on hand, including new substrate/s pre-washed and ready... drain most all the water out of the forty five, remove the rock there (watch out for that dwarf Lion!), and with a strong friend, carefully lift all and move over a few feet out of the way (leave the Eheim going, maybe re-add some of the old water)... set up the sixty, add water, adjust temp., spg... leaving a gap for the old water, substrates displacement... and move all (one fish at a time, natch) over to the new system>
  I was planning on keeping all my water from my 40 and all my live rock and sand and putting it in the new tank in same spot as my 40 is now, while my fish were in a 5 gallon bucket of water from my old tank.
<I would leave them in the 45 while waiting... less moves the better>
I was then going to top off the 60 with new water and let the temperature stabilized and then put my fish back in.  Would this work?
<Better to do all within a few hours... adjust the temp. just close with buckets of water...>
  I really don't have room to have both tanks running at the same time.  I am terrified of losing these fish as we have become attached to them.  Also do you have an in sump pump recommendation for my refugium?
<Posted on WWM: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/refugpumpfaqs.htm>
I need something that is quiet because it is going to be in our living room.  My new tank has two one inch bulk heads in a built in overflow.
Thank you!
Jeremy
<Here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/movingaq.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Tank Transfer Question 10/4/06
Thank you very much for the quick response and information. <Welcome on Bob's behalf.  Chris here taking over to save Bob a little time.><Yay! RMF>  When setting up the refugium in my new tank is there going to be a cycle period for it? <Yes, but small.>  I am planning on putting in a thick sand bed with Caulerpa.  Also I am planning on putting more live sand in my new tank along with the live sand already in my old tank.  Does the new sand also need to cycle?  <Will be some die off, so a small cycle may be noticed.> I was thinking about setting up my refugium maybe a couple of weeks ahead with just a powerhead inside to circulate the water and do some water changes on it, I could put the live sand in a bucket with a powerhead for a while if need be also. <Sounds like a good plan.>  
One last question, the people at my local fish store told me to clean my new tank (I bought it used from someone) with highly concentrated saltwater.  Is this a good idea?  Thank you again for the info, you are very generous to share your  knowledge with us rookies.
Jeremy
<Better to clean it with a mild bleach solution or vinegar followed by thorough rinsing.>
<Chris>

Moving...   8/23/06
I currently have a 29 Gallon fish/invert only tank. In two weeks I'm moving to a new place, so I've been looking up how to transport my tank. Today my  
girlfriend bought a 55 gallon complete with wet/dry system, protein  skimmer, a lighting system that could light up Candlestick Park,
<Heeee!>
and many extras  for a $100.00 (last time I ever complain about her going to garage sales again).
<I'll say!>
  Now my moving the tank task just got more complicated.
<Mmm, actually easier... setting up the new tank... move all livestock to it>
I have about 3-4" of live sand in my current tank, with a Penguin Bio-wheel 350 filter and about 30 lbs of  live rock. I can't take both tanks to the new place, I have to get rid of
the  29G one. I was wondering if I could use the filter from the 29G while I'm  waiting for the wet-dry to cycle?
<Yes>
I was planning on transferring the water from  one tank into another, then buying the rest of the water from a local
pet shop.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Chris V
<Mmm, please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/movingaq.htm
and the linked files above. Formulate a plan, gather the tools, materials... get some friends to help... and you're done! Bob Fenner>

Getting new carpet... Mmm, so are we... Moving SW system    8/7/06
Hi there,
    You have helped me in the past and I appreciate it, and I need your advice again.  In short I have a 55 gallon FOWLR, with a black saddleback clown, (in for about 6 months) and a blue tang (on it's 2nd week).  I have 50 pounds live rock, (about 3 months in the tank), Crushed Coral substrate, SeaClone 150 skimmer, turbo twist 18 watt uv, emperor 400 filter, 2 powerheads.... anyway I had the unfortunate event of having a leak from my tub drip enough water on my carpet that it is being replaced.  My tank is on that same carpet.  How can I get my fish out and drain my tank for a couple hours while the carpet is replaced without losing my fish.
<Mmm, not hard to do with a bit of thought, planning...>
    I've heard you can put them in a (clean) 5 gallon bucket for a while.  Or I have a 29 gallon QT,
<This would be best>
but I have 2 percula clowns that are always in there, and a small bicolor angelfish that came with the blue tang (I put the angle in the QT and the tang in my 55 right away).  Would I overload my 29 by putting them both or even one of them in there.  
<Not likely in a/the short while. I'd re-set up and move the fishes back in the day or two it takes to empty/move/replace the tank, have the carpet replaced>
The saddleback is a tough fish.  He's out survived a lot of others.  How would you go about this situation.  I have to drain the tank (I am going to save the water in a (clean) 30 gallon bucket and my water changing 5 gallon buckets) put the fish somewhere for a few hours, move the tank, move it back, refill it, and get the fish back in there.  I am very nervous about this cause I've never had good luck with blue tangs and this one seems to be doing great.  Please help me out.  I'm very stressed, and I think I'm gonna come down with the ICH before this is all over.
    Thank You Bob, You are a great help to me and all others..
Aaron Lysek
<No worries. Take your time... Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/movingaq.htm
and the linked files above... to help you formulate your thoughts here... Bob Fenner>

Re: Getting new carpet...   8/16/06
Thank You for helping me once again.  Moving my tank for my carpet was a success.  My 29 gallon had no spikes, I had the both fish in for about 10
hours.  Now they are back in their nice and clean home.
Thanks again for your advice.
Aaron
<Ahh, thank you for this update. Congratulations on the successful move. Bob Fenner>

Marine tank move and pesticide concerns   7/25/06
Hi, crew!  Thanks again  for this resource and your help in the past... I have a couple questions for you today.  The first one is pretty easy- I currently have a 20 gal. marine tank with live rock (not sure of the
weight, as I acquired the tank from a previous owner, but it covers the back of the tank 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up), a scrappy ocellaris clown ("Blooper"), a blue damsel ("Dex"), a 3-4" T. crocea clam showing signs of new calcareous growth, Astrea snails, a scarlet skunk
shrimp (carrying her second batch of eggs this summer!), mushroom corals, and one Nassarius snail.  I picked up an empty 30 gal. tank and stand for a song, and am going to move this crew to more spacious quarters, after first painting the back of the tank
with flat black water-based enamel and a mini-roller, as you suggest- the old tank is mirrored, which I hate.  I want to add a deeper sandbed to the new tank- currently it's in the danger zone of 1-3", would like to aim for 4-5".  Can I move most of the old sand to
the new tank, and top off with more?
<Yes... but best to place the new on the bottom... the old live on top>
Much of the old substrate is coarser than it should be, I believe... crushed coral perhaps (again, it came with the tank
from the old owner, so not sure exactly what he started with... tried to find out everything about it,
but a language barrier prevented full communication... also, when he suggested adding a yellow tang to the
tank because it "would look nice with the other fish" I knew we had a problem. He had had the tank set up
for almost a year with no water changes, just freshwater top-ups, and only a small powerfilter on the back for circulation. Yikes!
<I'll say... wonder if he ever flushes the toilet... Bad visual!>
Took a long time to get those nitrates under control).  I have one 20lb bag of oolitic aragonite, but more will be needed clearly, even with the old substrate to reach an adequate depth.  Can I move much of the old substrate over, and top it off with the finer sand?
<Same response>
My thoughts are to let the substrate cycle in the filled new tank, transfer the skimmer and one powerhead to the new tank, then arrange most of the live rock around this equipment, add the damsel first to the cycled tank to stake out a territory (he is bullied in the old tank by the clownfish), then move the clown and the shrimp, and the canister filter to the 30 gal.  Does this sound like a good plan?
<Yep>
My second problem is more tricky.  Our cat, who occasionally goes outside, has kindly picked up some fleas, and introduced them to our apartment as well. My roommates want to spray, as the Bio-spot drops Mr. Fleabag was just treated with will only deal with the
problem on him, and not on our carpets etc. Obviously, I'm highly concerned about the ramifications of introducing highly toxic pesticides into the aquarium environment.
<Me too.>
I'm considering setting up the new tank in a closet/alcove thing in our living room (currently filled with houseplants and
a small gecko and Betta tank), which has sliding doors that could be closed and sealed off "homeland security style"
<Hopefully better...>
with plastic film and duct tape- thereby segregating the reef, my gecko, and Betta from the bug bomb.  However, cycling a tank takes time, and I'm not sure how long I can convince my roomies to wait for bacteria to grow while fleas are nipping at their
ankles (uh... my roommates, not the bacteria, who to my knowledge, lack ankles, lol).
<Heeee!>
Given that I'm starting with an established tank and well seeded substrate, how much time would you recommend giving the substrate to cycle,
<A week>
and at what pace would you proceed with livestock transfer?
<Next day...>
I'm itchin' for an answer, ;-)
*Carla M.
<Wish you were my roomie... BobF out in HI>

Replacing a damaged acrylic tank   7/18/06
Hi Crew,
<Tom>
We have a healthy 120G reef setup for 2+ years now, much of the credit goes to the WWM database.  Around 170lbs live rock, 1-1.5" sand/rubble bed, several good size SPS (up to 12" across),
<Nice!>
a few nice LPS, xenia, 6" derasa, Lysmata shrimp, few dozen small hermits and Nassarius snails.  The fish range from about 4.5" down to 2.5", and are a purple tang, pacific blue
tang, flame angel, pair of Percs, yellow watchman goby, royal Gramma, twinspot/yellow hogfish, yellow Foxface - all healthy & active.  Salifert tests indicate quality & stable water. So what's the problem?  The old tank is giving out
<?!>
so we need to move the contents & gear across the room to a replacement tank of about 130G.
Could it be done as simply as the following plan?
1. Pump about 1/2 the old tank water into the new tank.
2. Keep the old tank circulating with powerheads.
3. Put about 1" of new sand into the new tank.
4. Seed the new sand with a few pounds of the old sand and let settle for a 1/2 hour or so.
5. Move the rock and coral & arrange in the new tank.
6. Move the fish and remaining animals into the new tank.
7. Pump the remaining water into the new tank.
8 Top off the new tank with enough saltwater, probably 10-20 gallons of aerated, buffered saltwater.
9. Keep the new tank temperature stable & circulating with powerheads while we move the existing gear (sump, chiller, pumps, skimmer, lights, Ca reactor, etc.)
<Sounds good, complete... will you move the remainder of the substrate ultimately into the new system?>
We've budgeted a day for the move and the next day to work out issues, and another day for wrapping up.  Is this plan OK?  What else could we do to
minimize the stress on the animals and make this a successful event?
<Plenty of towels, buckets... a reduction in any/all other distractions>
Is the new tank likely to have any re-cycling issues?
<Likely not>
Thanks,
Tom
<Welcome. Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

Re: Replacing a damaged acrylic tank  - 07/18/2006
Hi Bob,
<Hello Tom>
The current substrate is a mix of sand & rubble, and the plan was to use a kitchen colander to sift out rubble before putting the old sand in with the new.
<Ahh... I