So, I am taking upgrading my 55 gal to a 75 gal(wish it could be bigger but it will fit the existing hole in the wall) this weekend. verdict_in So I am going to use my new prize-my beautiful rimless cube-as a qt! >LOCO<
Here are my ideas. I am going to put some of the existing cc substrate from existing dt into the new qt. Going to siphon water from the existing dt into qt halfway full. After that I will add new salshtwater to fill the remainder of the new qt. I will put one or 2 live rocks in the qt. I will probably start that process today to get the fish into a safe place and out of the war zone. I have just an old florescent light fixture that I will use on the qt and I will put existing heater from the dt into the qt. What can I do about the filter? ANy suggestions? Also, I have no idea what to do with the rest of the live rock and corals! :think)
So that is step one. Step 2 is after I asked (more like forced) slap-stick my obliging husband to make a new support for the beast. After that I am thinking I will siphon out most of the water from existing dt and take it down to put up new dt. I have no idea what to do next! Should I get all new substrate? Should I use some of the existing? Should I use existing water? Aghhhhhhh!!! Oh to make matters more fun I am going to turn existing dt into a sump. I have bought some acrilyc so I can set it up into 3 compartments.I know I have to work quickly and let the silicone dry before I can put any water in the new sump. Has anyone done anything like this before? Any suggestions are extremely appreciated!
Well let’s see what we can offer as far as assistance here:
QT - You can use the CC if you want but personally I wouldn’t bother with a substrate in a QT tank. For filtration a simple hang on back filter should be sufficient. Good idean to use some of your exsisting rock and water.
Making a sump is easy just remember that your fuge and your return should be your biggest sections - the protein skimmer section just needs to be large enough to house the footprint of the skimmer and the baffle cut the the proper operating height for the skimmer. Don’t freak if your baffles aren’t perfectly water tight - mine used to leak like a siv - but they remained functional. Just make sure that the water is forced over the first baffle and under the second, and over the third (in each set - you’ll have 2 sets of baffles) - this will make sure that any microbubbles don’t find their way back to you tank. If you need help building a sump just ask - I think most of us have done it at least once.
As far as new substrate in the tank I’d go with sand instead of CC - CC is a pain to keep clean and is the downfall of many a new hobbyists tank.
While you’re tkaing the 55 down and setting the 75 up you can take all of the rock, fish, coral and water out and put in to rubber maid totes with heaters and a power head while you make the switch. Plan on taking a full day to move everything - this is not going to be a 2 hour job - trust me.
When the 75 is up and in place then you can start moving rock in to the tank and setting up your structure - start moving some of the water back in to the tank so you can move your fish in. Once the tubs are empty use your return pump to pump water form the totes back in to the DT.
Again - if you need help with any of this - ASK - we’ve all done this before andit can be quite an undertaking if you’re doing it alone.
Here’s a pic of a 20L as a sump, i also have the same, but a 30g version, both work well, and no micro bubbles…but like most other aspects of our hobby, you’ll get 10 diff opinions about how to make one… i like the skimmer in the first compartment,( and baffled to maintain a certain water level which is important for most skimmers) with the water coming into the filter sock, it has the first crack at the dirty water, and it keeps the fuge after the skimmer so all the little critters… ( copepods and such) don’t get skimmed out, and it keeps the skimmer and its bubble filled effluent water far away from the return pump… i used cheepo $10 walmart cutting boards to make my baffles… the silicone doesnt adhere as well as it does to glass, but i have no leaks in either…
as a qt i would go bare for ease of cleaning and seeing all corals and fish that are placed inside. also your new prize will scatch easily. and agree with a nice hob filter on qt is fine. if you dont have any large brut trash cans yet i would invest in 2 atleast 40 gallons. when moving a tank, ect its great for rock water ect. can even get wheel cart for them so you can roll them around. i would not use the cc with new sand. eventually the cc will always rise to the top. just not as nice looking. i would use agorgate and maybe a cup or two of the cc with some new sand. :TWOCENTS
Thanks for all the advice guys! That sump is exactly what I pictured in my mind! So thats good. I was debating slap-stick sand and cc with my husband and I was on the fence so I think i’ll go with the sand. I am going to set up the qt today and just grab a cheap hang on filter for it. I am also going to do a 25% wc today as my po4 is a little high and I dont necessarily want to put that in my new tank! So Tomorrow will be the removal of the lr into a bin (I got several at target)with just enough water to cover them. On Saturday I will siphon out the remainder of the water and the corals come out. So you guys don’t think I should save any of the cc just to get the bacteria started in the new dt?Even just like a cup or so of it?
[quote=“JCoyne, post:1, topic:3950”]
I know I have to work quickly and let the silicone dry before I can put any water in the new sump.[/quote]
Why do you have to work quickly? If you plan on setting up the tank properly there is no reason you have to go from a 55g to a 75g with a 55g with a baffled sump all in one day. You should be able to fill your 75g 90% of the way with out adding the sump. No water should leak out of the tank when it is 90% full. A tank made buy a brand name should have an overflow box that doesn’t get water in it until it is very very full. If you drilled holes in a 75g they should be near the top and not be touched by water until the tank is pretty full.
Take your time working on the sump. Also it’s less of a shock for the animals if you don’t have a massive about of new salt water. It’s also less stress on you. If you can start early on a day when you will have the next 48 hours to work on it.
[quote=“JCoyne, post:1, topic:3950”]
Has anyone done anything like this before?[/quote]
Thanks for all the input guys. My concern is that the new tank has to go into the same place that the old tank was. So I need to get everything out of the old one so that has to get emptied and taken down first. Then it needs to get turned into a sump while I put the new tank up and get that filled. So the new tank will have NO filtration until old tank/sump is made and cured. Fish will be ok in qt for a few days. I think the obvious answer is to put the corals in the qt also. Let me know if I am wrong.
Also I am not drilling anything. I am just going to use the existing overflow box. Sorry if I sound clueless, but I am just nervous and don’t want to kill anything!
This may sound absolutely shocking to many people, but have I ran many reef tanks for years with 0 “filtration”. The fish and corals won’t die when separated from sponges, protein skimmers, or activated carbon. They’ll be ok for weeks as long as they have oxygen(you have water movement from a power head or some pump) and the temp stays fine. Many of my tanks have nothing but heaters and power heads.
Obviously long term it is a pain to maintain tanks with out the filtration, at least weekly water changes becomes a must and most of my tanks don’t have a lot of fish so there isn’t as much poop.
It may be best to put your big poopers(fish) in one temporary holding vessel and your toxin releasers (corals, polyps, & anemones) into another. This way the fish poop and nutrients won’t bother the corals and if a coral releases a lot of slime and junk the toxins and oxygen stripping won’t bother the fish. Hope that makes sense writing in a rush.
Do not apologize for being nervous or asking questions. It is better to be over cautious and trust me all of us here understand being nervous about it. Keep asking questions, I gotta run hopefully someone else can answer some.
Well since you’rwe not drilling anything than it’s a really simple process.
Take all of your exsisting rock, water, coral, and fish and load up the rubber maids, buckts, Brute trashcans, etc.
Take the 55 out.
Put the 75 in place.
Start moving everything back in to the 75
Add a HOB filter - the rock you had in the 55 will serve as decent filtration alone but why not add some mechanical to it too. The HOB you plan to use on your QT will suffice.
The silicone holding the baffles in place in the sump really only need a day to cure. Once your sump is done and in place you can add the overflow box and return pump. Add water to proper height in sump and you’re all set.
Now what is the proper height of water in your sump? Here’s how you figure it out:
Turn off all pumps in the sump - that would be your return pump and your skimmer pump. Add fresh saltwater until the water line in the sump is about an inch from the top. Turn everything back on. Mark where the water level drops to with a crayon, a piece of tape, or a marker - this is your “safe operating level”.
Doing it this way guaruntees that if you have a power failure your tank isn’t going to drain more water in to the sump than the sunp has room to hold.
Also make sure any return lines running in to the DT from the sump have holes drilled in them right under the water line. This will act as a siphon break and prevent the return hose from turning in to a drain hose in the event of a power failure.
PoM I have everything up and running. Once I get the water to where you can see through it I will post some pics. Now any suggestions on aquascaping? I couldn’t get the putty to stay…
Ok this might be a stupid question but I’m a little green still. I thought you should’t put live rock in a qt tank cause the medications are no good for the LR. If you had to treat the fish.
If the “QT” tank is really just a holding tank it would help, but I agree if you need to treat the fish with anything the live rock should come out. Made a post similar to this in another recent topic thread as well. A “QT tank” could mean a lot of different things to different people. I recently acquired some fish and have them in a QT with some live rock just to monitor them for signs of ailments before treating them for anything. Also give them time to de-stress in a more natural, healthy, comforting setting from the transfer and 2 hour car ride.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:14, topic:3950”]
If the “QT” tank is really just a holding tank it would help,[/quote]
Which bring s up a very good point -that I think a lot of people overlook. In the world of simplification a lot of words get used interchangeably. A “QT” or Quarrantine Tank is just that - it’s designed to keep the fish/corals isolated from your “DT” - Display Tank -andobserve until you are sure they are healthy, stress & disease free - a “QT” is NOT a hospital tank - where you would put sick fish that require medication.
A QT can be set up just like a DT but with less bells and whistles, HOB filter, sand, rock, painted background, etc.
A Hospital tank should not have any sand, rock, or accessories - maybe a plastic plant, and a fake anemone - but nothing that can be harmed by medication.
ALL new inhabitants should be QT’d (if possible and practical) but not every inhabitant requires a Hospital Tank.
Yes, I agree the qt should have as much of a natural feel for your little critters so they don’t get extra stress from not having hiding spaces etc… and hospital tank is bare.
It should also be not as pretty as a nice rimless cube that someone won ;D so I am going to set up an old 10 gallon for the NEW qt, and make a pretty little reef elsewhere in my house with the cube!
The new tank is looking great. Thanks again for all the help. Now I am just going to start to aquascape. Got to drill the rocks! My husband is afraid I am going to try to use his drill while he is gone! Ha! :: He should have hidden it from me! Anybody have any luck with drilling rock?
I have seen some quite elaborate pvc structures online and am thinking about doing that. :think) Not sure why but the epoxy putty is just not working. Anyone have any luck with this stuff? I wonder what I did wrong?
I’m going to bow out of the conversaiton here as I’ve never drilled a rock - or stuck them together - I just stack neatly and safely. I’m too indecisive to permanetly affix rock together - I like to change structures around occasionally. I have a hard enough time epoxying corals in place.
I have read extensively on people drilling rockls and using acrylic rods to hold them in place. Jcling just epoxied a huge structure together, I think the key is to do it outside of the tank, and kneed the epoxy thoroughly before sticking the rocks in place.
: He should have hidden it from me! Anybody have any luck with drilling rock?