How to Move an Existing Reef Aquarium

[@Anthonym_323]

I literally just moved my tank to a new home this weekend. Basically did everything said on this video. Except I kept my original sand and my tank did not go through a cycle at all. Everything is doing great and everything looks happy.

[@WaterboxAquariums]

That is awesome!

[@milkspotscausemetospazzout6813]

Yea I was saying to myself...uh no..I'm not gonna toss my sand I have 100 pounds of Tropic Eden Live Tonga Pink Sand that I just put in there..I really like this sand.

[@deenice48]

Waterbox team makes it look so easy

[@WaterboxAquariums]

The right support (and knowledges!) can definitely make it a little easier.

[@BlindedMind]

How long will corals and fish survive in the buckets?

[@Pecch]

fish and corals are shipped for 1-2 days in little bags with what 1/2 a gallon of water? theyll be alright

[@Jommybutler1234]

Helpful tip…once you have emptied everything but the sand a remaining water…put shims under one end to elevate it. All the water/sludge will go to the other end for easier clean out.

[@WaterboxAquariums]

Thanks for sharing that tip! It's a great way to make the cleanout process even smoother.

[@lownrangr]

Yesterday I moved my old 10 gallon reef to the floor so I could set up my Cube 20 on the same stand and this is pretty much how I did it. I'm not sure who was stressed more, me or my corals and fish, but everyone is ok!

[@WaterboxAquariums]

We're glad to hear that everyone is okay! It can definitely be a stressful experience.

[@pyj1119]

Do you need to take vacuum filter out while sucking wet sand out?

[@johnatella8498]

You mentioned not reusing your sand. How can you wash it so that you can use it again?

[@AWardle18]

How would you go about upgrading a tank at the same time as a move? I will be using the same sump so I won't be able to plumb it fully until the day of. Any tips?

[@bethanygraham8559]

It is suggested you put your rocks in before your sand so that the aquascape is secure and can't be tipped or moved especially if you have inverts.

[@savisavi5432]

Would of been helpful if you’d spoke about temps, fish, keeping the rocks ok, reusing water. Basically anything other than how to physically move a tank

[@Arborpress]

Waterbox Aquariums helped me a ton in setting up my first saltwater tank. I bought a used nano AIO cube for my first tank and it's lasted me 3 years before it just started to slow leak at seams. I just purchased a Waterbox 20 cube and I've been dreading the transfer thinking of all the SPS colonies I'm going to shatter and fish I'm going to stress out. 😩

[@kiddt1999]

About to have to move my new reef lx. It is 7 months old. I should be able to keep my sand correct? Maybe vacuum real good before?

[@willmar2778]

Great video and advice, I Move 5 years ago and didn't change my sand which was a mistake at the time, my tank cycle again after 3 weeks even after using Bio spiral Bacteria/30G of tank water and fresh saltwater lost a yellow Tang, Blue Tang and Rabbit Fish.

[@WaterboxAquariums]

Oh no-- so sorry to hear that! Loss is definitely the hardest part of this hobby. :(

[@digger_jon2778]

This is what I needed the anxiety of moving a tank that's been setup for 12 years is very real I'm scared to death to take this one.

[@joeb1906]

Did you have any issues with SPS since the new tank had no bacteria established yet

[@alaskacosplay]

The one benefit about not having corals is that, if you kept the rocks loose and movable, you can rescape the whole tank to your heart's desire. I always bring home huge live rocks from the beach in my province town and I always redo my scape so I can maximize the rocks I have to create as many hiding places as possible before I place sand in afterwards to prevent rock slides.

[@mradams5455]

Hello do you use same tank water ? I have high nitrate and phosphate. So was thinking new sand and water? I have a 55 gallon tank

[@jesuscolch5329]

I’m curios on what you ended your doing? I would probably have probably kept most of the original water and changed the sand

[@jamesbulk3225]

Great video

[@WaterboxAquariums]

Thanks for joining us!

[@therightmindset5000]

The way she poored that bacteria mix in like a boss with no Measurement I see you😂

[@bobjoachim9710]

Great video you guys I just didn’t like the fact that you were putting the rock back in before the tank was even close to filled up the whole time you were doing that all those corals and everything is being exposed to air if you had been beneficial things on there like sponges their long gone but thank you for the video. I’m going to use this advice when I move my tank in the next month.

[@liammurray8502]

I disagree with not keeping the sand. You can rinse it with clean saltwarer through a filter. If you add new sand you'll start a new curing cycle which will cause a massive diatom outbreak and dinos. You may even kill off your acros. Same as adding new rock. You don't want to do it if you can avoid it. Sand can be rinsed and cleaned. The only reason I'd do new sand is if it was infested with bristleworms or something. Also, good tip, if you get a diamond goby your sand will be pristine, no gases or build up of detritus.

[@Arborpress]

I'm about to transfer everything to a brand new tank and was thinking the same thing. I have a pistol shrimp + goby that are constantly overturning 80% of my sandbed and figured it wouldn't be as big of a problem vs. people who just have stagnant sand that has never even been overturned from siphon cleaning.

[@margaretskitt8821]

Should you really move fish with rocks? If rocks move fish may get squashed

[@timchampion8679]

I'm worried my starfish might starve if i don't re use some of my old sand

[@fishncorals]

You can get away with reusing the same sand bed. Just make sure you don’t mess with it to much leave a little water just enough to cover. You will be just fine!

[@RGMLLC]

I don’t feel comfortable changing the sand because I feel like all you good bacteria is there any comments

[@savisavi5432]

Yes, but you’re adding more and your sump should do most of the heavy lifting. I think the risk of ammonia pockets in the sand is greater than the risk of not having enough bacteria in the sump, on your rocks ect. And after adding beneficial bacteria out of a bottle

[@robing8705]

It also depends on what the state of your sand is? I have a diamond goby and an engineer goby, they turn my sand over all the time so i'm not afraid of any pockets.

[@MakenzieRobertson-y2d]

You could also use new sand but mix in about a cup of the old sand for every new bag 20lbs

[@JonVlogs123]

First. :D

[@WaterboxAquariums]

Thanks for joining us!

[@anime_coven4017]

I reuse my sand and nap from all my tanks.It's got beneficial bacteria and it even for cycling