Tank Transfer

[daharley]

Suggestions on transfering from 60 gallon to 125. Had some questions....use old sand or not to use old sand? Don't have the room or eqipment for a new cycle is using old water rock sand ok? Would love to hear others techniques.

[epleeds]

i would use everything except for the sand. I would keep a few cups to help seed the new sand, but I would start with a new sand bed. maybe let the new stuff soak for a week or two in some ro/di water to help lessen a cycle if it would happen.

[WaterDog]

I just tranferred my 46 to a 65 a month or so ago. I used the old everything except the sand. I didn't have any cycle, or at least any I noticed.

[steveoutlaw]

I've transferred a tank or 2 in my time. I have ALWAYS used the old sand and never had an issue. If you make sure that once you transfer the sand you put the water in so it doesn't stir it up a bunch and get all the detritus in the water column all at once, you should be ok. I usually use an inverted frisbee and point the fill hose right at the center. That way the force of the water doesn't stir up the sand.

 

Just my opinion.

[Dragon Eye]

We've always gone with new sand and about 50%-70% new water. I'll second the pour new water into a bowl method to keep down the sand.

[daharley]

by the way it is dsb 3-5 inches thanks to dragon goby. and fish only if it matters

[davelin315]

I almost never use any of the old water. My method is to take out whatever I can and remove only enough water to cover what needs to be covered. I then remove about 1/2 of what's left and start stirring up the sand as much as possible. I then vacuum out whatever I can and then add back water and stir again and again. I try to get as much detritus out as possible before I transfer it over. I then rinse it a bit in the new system if I have enough water, put my rock in, then add all new water. I then acclimate my critters back into the new tank and water.

 

I really have yet to hear a good reason to use old water over again when I can do a wholesale water change. Once you start moving water over from an old system to a new system that has had rock and sand moved around in it you're bound to introduce nutrients that you don't really want in the new system.

 

Typically the only times I use any significant amounts of old water is if I don't have enough new water to fill the tank.