Combining Tanks

LuckyInk · 11-21-2003, 10:14 AM

Hi everyone.
This weekend is going to be a busy one. I have noticed a small leak in my 29 gallon reef tank. Soooooo I am going to replace it with a 40 gallon breeder. I like the size of the 40b and it fits nicely on my DIY stand.
Anyone have any tips for combining my 29 gal and my 46 gal pentagon?
I have about 90 some lbs of live rock between the two and the following livestock:
1 yellow tail damsel
1 maroon clown
1 tobacco basslet
1 sixline wrasse
1 flame angle
3 blue green chromis
Skunk cleaner
peppermint shrimp
serpent star
multiple snails and hermits
and one big @$$ purple longspine urchin

Coral:
canycane coral
bubble anemone
branching frogspawn
numerous mushrooms
green star polys
TOO MUCH XENIA ELONGATA
pink pulsing xenia
kenya tree coral
a few gorgonian frags
a huge rock of zoos

I plan on doing this tank as a bare bottom, and want to move my aragonite sand in the 29 gal to my refugium. I have silica sand in the pentagon tank and that crap is going out to the garden!
Anyone have any tips or steps to follow during the move? I have a pretty good idea as to how it should go down, but would love your input. I plan on doing this over the course of two days, so I should have plenty of time.
Thanks in advance everyone!
-Lucky

Flipper · 11-21-2003, 10:54 AM

This is a detailed description of what I did changing out my work tank. Smaller scale, of course, but maybe something will be useful to you. This is from a post I wrote a few weeks ago. HTH:

"I killed the power on all the appliances, and then began scooping the water into a styrofoam fish box (one of those they ship the fish in). I moved the rock and shrooms into the box and finished removing the top two-thirds into it, so the rocks were covered. I caught the ocellaris and dottyback easily with a bag (I never net my fish), and moved them to a specimen container, and covered it. I put that under a desk in the dark to minimize stress. I caught the serpent, and he went into, well, a 20 ounce coffee cup with a lid. Lastly, I removed the hermits.

Next I set the new tank in place, with a new inch of Southdown in the bottom, and removed the remaining water and existing sand to the new. As I began to get the tank filled, I started moving pieces of rock back. This was the hardest part, as I couldn't see through the 'milk' at this point (you all know Southdown!!!). I got the heater, skimmer and power head into position, and fired them up.

After the dust cloud had cleared just a bit, the animals went back in. Of course my clown has been swimming around the front all night since returning, but the dotty is still in hiding. I suspect I'll see him on Monday morning."

Good luck with the transfer!!!

LuckyInk · 11-21-2003, 11:54 AM

Wow! Great info in your post Flip.
Anyone else have an experience they would like to share?

Flipper · 11-21-2003, 05:05 PM

LuckyInk · 11-22-2003, 04:49 AM

What a night!
I started the transer last night at about 6pm, and got everything combined at 11:30pm! And ofcourse, my 4 month old decided he wanted to get up at 3am this morning!!!! So far I still need to aquascape and make the canopy, so pics will be up soon!!! But for now... Coffee and breakfast!
-a very tired Lucky

11-21-2003, 10:14 AM	#1 (permalink)
LuckyInk Reef Painter Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 565 View Gallery Karma Komment	Combining Tanks Hi everyone. This weekend is going to be a busy one. I have noticed a small leak in my 29 gallon reef tank. Soooooo I am going to replace it with a 40 gallon breeder. I like the size of the 40b and it fits nicely on my DIY stand. Anyone have any tips for combining my 29 gal and my 46 gal pentagon? I have about 90 some lbs of live rock between the two and the following livestock: 1 yellow tail damsel 1 maroon clown 1 tobacco basslet 1 sixline wrasse 1 flame angle 3 blue green chromis Skunk cleaner peppermint shrimp serpent star multiple snails and hermits and one big @$$ purple longspine urchin Coral: canycane coral bubble anemone branching frogspawn numerous mushrooms green star polys TOO MUCH XENIA ELONGATA pink pulsing xenia kenya tree coral a few gorgonian frags a huge rock of zoos I plan on doing this tank as a bare bottom, and want to move my aragonite sand in the 29 gal to my refugium. I have silica sand in the pentagon tank and that crap is going out to the garden! Anyone have any tips or steps to follow during the move? I have a pretty good idea as to how it should go down, but would love your input. I plan on doing this over the course of two days, so I should have plenty of time. Thanks in advance everyone! -Lucky __________________ When you can feel the humidity pouring off the canvas and the salt spray on your face, my job is done.

11-21-2003, 10:54 AM	#2 (permalink)
Flipper Sturgeon General Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: New York Posts: 156 View Gallery Karma Komment	This is a detailed description of what I did changing out my work tank. Smaller scale, of course, but maybe something will be useful to you. This is from a post I wrote a few weeks ago. HTH: "I killed the power on all the appliances, and then began scooping the water into a styrofoam fish box (one of those they ship the fish in). I moved the rock and shrooms into the box and finished removing the top two-thirds into it, so the rocks were covered. I caught the ocellaris and dottyback easily with a bag (I never net my fish), and moved them to a specimen container, and covered it. I put that under a desk in the dark to minimize stress. I caught the serpent, and he went into, well, a 20 ounce coffee cup with a lid. Lastly, I removed the hermits. Next I set the new tank in place, with a new inch of Southdown in the bottom, and removed the remaining water and existing sand to the new. As I began to get the tank filled, I started moving pieces of rock back. This was the hardest part, as I couldn't see through the 'milk' at this point (you all know Southdown!!!). I got the heater, skimmer and power head into position, and fired them up. After the dust cloud had cleared just a bit, the animals went back in. Of course my clown has been swimming around the front all night since returning, but the dotty is still in hiding. I suspect I'll see him on Monday morning." Good luck with the transfer!!! __________________ View my photo gallery 55 Gallon, 80 lbs. Live Rock, 3.5" DSB, 1.024 @ 80 degrees, Yellow Tang, Goldbar Maroon Clownfish, Blue Velvet Damsel, 2 White-Bonnet Clownfish, 2 Scissortail Gobies, Royal Gramma, Echinaster luzonicus Star, Red Linkia Star, Brittle Star, Pepermint Shrimp, Green Mushrooms, Protopalythoa Button Polyp colony, Feather Duster. Ocean Futures

11-21-2003, 11:54 AM	#3 (permalink)
LuckyInk Reef Painter Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 565 View Gallery Karma Komment	Wow! Great info in your post Flip. Anyone else have an experience they would like to share? __________________ When you can feel the humidity pouring off the canvas and the salt spray on your face, my job is done.

11-21-2003, 05:05 PM	#4 (permalink)
Flipper Sturgeon General Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: New York Posts: 156 View Gallery Karma Komment	Bump __________________ View my photo gallery 55 Gallon, 80 lbs. Live Rock, 3.5" DSB, 1.024 @ 80 degrees, Yellow Tang, Goldbar Maroon Clownfish, Blue Velvet Damsel, 2 White-Bonnet Clownfish, 2 Scissortail Gobies, Royal Gramma, Echinaster luzonicus Star, Red Linkia Star, Brittle Star, Pepermint Shrimp, Green Mushrooms, Protopalythoa Button Polyp colony, Feather Duster. Ocean Futures

11-22-2003, 04:49 AM	#5 (permalink)
LuckyInk Reef Painter Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 565 View Gallery Karma Komment	What a night! I started the transer last night at about 6pm, and got everything combined at 11:30pm! And ofcourse, my 4 month old decided he wanted to get up at 3am this morning!!!! So far I still need to aquascape and make the canopy, so pics will be up soon!!! But for now... Coffee and breakfast! -a very tired Lucky __________________ When you can feel the humidity pouring off the canvas and the salt spray on your face, my job is done.

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