How to change a tank with live stock?

[Boonboy]

Need some advise.

I have a 2 feet display tank that was not made for marine (5mm thick). Was worried that it cannot take the weight with lightset mounted and HOB overflow so I ordered a new tank of similar dimensions that is 10mm thick to replace it.

The new tank will arrive tomorrow.

Hoping to achieve the follow

...

1. Minimum stress to live stock (6 fish & corals)

2. Less messy

3. Only one man show

Any idea how do I "swap" the tank?

[angmoh]

1) When your new tank arrive, move all your livestocks / water (may not necessary to be all, but at least 50% and above) / rocks/substrate to pails , with airstone.

2) Mix new salt water (if required)

3) Empty the old tank

4) Place the new tank on the rack and dump everything inside

[Boonboy]

1) When your new tank arrive, move all your livestocks / water (may not necessary to be all, but at least 50% and above) / rocks/substrate to pails , with airstone.

2) Mix new salt water (if required)

3) Empty the old tank

4) Place the new tank on the rack and dump everything inside

Thank you. With you suggestion I have a problem. I don't have enough pails that is big enough to hold the live rocks where the corals are on.

[angmoh]

If yours is a standard 2ft x 1ft x 1ft tank, you may wish to consider to draw half of the water out.

Request help from the tank delivery guy, to carry the old tank down. i think 2 adults should be able to carry the tank down.

[solasido]

Buy plastic storage container from FairPrice. There are different size available including a huge one.

[Boonboy]

Transfer 1: take out everything from DT and put in a temp storage(pails)

Transfer 2: take out everything and put in to the final DT

do you think 2 man can carry 2x1x1.5 tank for few meters with water and live stock?

Trying to bypass the 1st transfer and the pails issue.

[Ahhyi]

Transfer 1: take out everything from DT and put in a temp storage(pails)

Transfer 2: take out everything and put in to the final DT

do you think 2 man can carry 2x1x1.5 tank for few meters with water and live stock?

Trying to bypass the 1st transfer and the pails issue.

Nope. Cannot. Unless 2 chuck Norris. I once tried moving 322 with 1/10 water inside without rocks with 4 of my workers. Cannot move.

Ps : I'm a machine movers. My guys move heavy things for a living

[Boonboy]

Nope. Cannot. Unless 2 chuck Norris. I once tried moving 322 with 1/10 water inside without rocks with 4 of my workers. Cannot move.

Ps : I'm a machine movers. My guys move heavy things for a living

Yeah... you are right, cannot even slide it to the edge.

Come to think about it, while moving, the tank will rock and the scape will collapse. I will end up with lots of broken corals!

Well, back to 2 transfers...

[smallbutmighty]

Got one more troublesome way will work but double job.. 1. Put ur new tank on a place you can transfer all the water from ur current dt. 2. Use ur available pale to put ur coral and fish. Leave one pail to store sands. 3. lay many layer of news paper on the floor and transfer out your live rock put on top of the papers. 4. Use a pail for storing the sands. 5. Bring down the old tank 6. Transfer the water back to the old tank 7. Place your new tank where you Wann be, then put in the sands and live rock.. If your rock leave outside too long, drip Abit of water on them. Like this also easier to scape the rock. 8. Add water, start filtering then in the live stock.. I m not expert but this is what came into my mind if I have such issue.. If can when transferring the old tank water to your new tank you can place Abit lower then your old tank but not on the floor so when everything finish put your old tank on the floor. This will smooth the flow of the water.. But if u have pump then can ignore this point =)) Hope you have a smooth relocating. Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[black tank]

1. Prepare 50% of new saltmix in pails.

2. Wait for new tank to arrive n test for leak

3. Transfer 50% of existing water to pail/container including livestock (never do first in case delivery delay).

4. Fill the new tank with 1/2 new n 1/2 existing water.

5. Transfer livestock and rock.

6. Top up with the remaining 50% new n old water.

I hv done twice from 3X2.5X2.5 to 3X2.5X2 n finally 422 with no loses.

[Boonboy]

Got one more troublesome way will work but double job.. 1. Put ur new tank on a place you can transfer all the water from ur current dt. 2. Use ur available pale to put ur coral and fish. Leave one pail to store sands. 3. lay many layer of news paper on the floor and transfer out your live rock put on top of the papers. 4. Use a pail for storing the sands. 5. Bring down the old tank6. Transfer the water back to the old tank7. Place your new tank where you Wann be, then put in the sands and live rock.. If your rock leave outside too long, drip Abit of water on them. Like this also easier to scape the rock. 8. Add water, start filtering then in the live stock.. I m not expert but this is what came into my mind if I have such issue.. If can when transferring the old tank water to your new tank you can place Abit lower then your old tank but not on the floor so when everything finish put your old tank on the floor. This will smooth the flow of the water.. But if u have pump then can ignore this point =)) Hope you have a smooth relocating. Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Thank you for the suggestion. It is a good plan. I am a little worried that if I am not fast enough(or have some hiccups) my live rocks will become dead rocks. I have actually glued most of my corals to the rocks so it may not be a good idea for me to leave them without water. Guess I must find a container big enough to house the rocks and some water.

[Boonboy]

1. Prepare 50% of new saltmix in pails.

2. Wait for new tank to arrive n test for leak

3. Transfer 50% of existing water to pail/container including livestock (never do first in case delivery delay).

4. Fill the new tank with 1/2 new n 1/2 existing water.

5. Transfer livestock and rock.

6. Top up with the remaining 50% new n old water.

I hv done twice from 3X2.5X2.5 to 3X2.5X2 n finally 422 with no loses.

You have pointed a very important point: "test for leak". It never cross my mind that the tank maker will deliver a leaking tank. It is a great idea to mix new water, it can serve as water change and buffer for any spillage.

I have a dilemma... Prepare in advance but risk late delivery and my live stock will be more stressed. Start work only after tank is delivered but will be one man show as the delivery man is not going to stay and help carry the tank.

All your advises are great! I will need to consolidate and use them to form my master plan!

Should have thought about this before I happily ordered a new tank.

[smallbutmighty]

U can house those that has coral to a pail ba or mix it with the live stock. If only life rock is okie De.. When we buy life rock from lfs they also just rap with a wet newspaper only. So it should be okie. =)

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[Boonboy]

Managed to "beg, steal, borrow" the white container on the left. Do you think it is safe to use to house live stock? How should I treat it? (Eg. Use dettol to sterilize?)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - now Free

[rudy17]

sorry noob question.. do we need to cycle the new tank? Or is it ok if we recycle the old tank's water? :wacko:

[tunicate]

Bro, the Toyogo box you borrowed will do. Just clean with normal dish detergent, then rinse properly. It should hold your LR, corals, & H20 temporarily while you swap off the old tank.

Just prepare more newspapers on the floors & extra cloths for spills.

Have fun.

[Boonboy]

Bro, the Toyogo box you borrowed will do. Just clean with normal dish detergent, then rinse properly. It should hold your LR, corals, & H20 temporarily while you swap off the old tank.

Just prepare more newspapers on the floors & extra cloths for spills.

Have fun.

Thank you for the encouragement. I hope to achieve zero casualties.

Hmm... Maybe I will document the procedure for others attempting similar "stunt". Ha ha...

[tunicate]

Oh btw, put on rubber gloves when you handle the LR. The water will be muddy once you disturbed the water. You don't want to be bitten while reaching down.

[Boonboy]

As mentioned, I will document the "procedure" here.

Tank will arrive between 11am - 12pm.

Time now: D-1

Mixing new salt water.

Removed mounted lights on display tank(DT).

[Boonboy]

Awaiting chiller to finish the temperature pull down before powering off.

[Boonboy]

Switched off...

1. skimmer

2. return pump

3. Wave maker

4. Chiller & feed pump

Reverse siphon kick in. Water return to sump via return piping.

Siphon water from DT to temp storage.

50% of water left...

Started transferring live rocks(LR) and corals.

Thereafter transfer fishes and invertebrates.

Transfer chiller piping and wave maker to temp storage. Activate chiller and wave maker.

Temp drop from 26.6 to 28.5. Chiller bringing the temp back to 26.6 now.

[Boonboy]

New tank arrive right in time.

[Boonboy]

Removed the old tank.

Positioned the new tank.

Added 1 pail of tap water to test for leakage.

Used the water to rinse/clean the tank.

Removed the water and use sponge for the last few drops.

[Boonboy]

Stop wave maker and chiller.

Transfer 50% water from temp storage to DT.

Transfer live rocks ands corals to DT.

Spent some time scraping.

Transfer fish.

Transfer remaining water.

Setup chiller and wave maker.

Start up chiller and wave maker.

Setup overflow box and return piping

Start up return pump.

Plumb the overflow box.

Start up the skimmer.

Setup the lights.

Start up the lights.

Finally, clean up the mess!

[Boonboy]

Acclamation of the live stocks with actinic lights.

Acropora released some mucus.

Fingers crossed... Polyp extensions observed on all corals.