So Deciding To Move From Tropical To Marine...

[nick87]

Lest question for now sorry.

I am assuming that with Marines it is an absolute killer to move from a smaller tank to a larger? ie it would be insane to convert my 125 and expect to be able to transfer it all to a 300 litre tank later?

Changing tanks can be a pita but it doesn't need to be difficult, i used to change tanks all the time.

 

[seffieuk]

Not at all, Its exactly what i did, I went from my 120 litre to a 400, was easy. I learnt a lot from the small tank

Seffie x

 

[Ryandsimmons]

I lied, questions still abound!

Assuming a 125 litre tank, external filter and 15 - 20kgs of live rock what livestock would I be looking at? Everything seems to require much much larger tanks. So far all I can see is...

Certain seahorse varieties
Clown Fish
Mandarins (which are stunning)
Gobies.

What else is there? Or what would people suggest to go along with the cuc and coral?

 

[Harry1996]

fish:
certain wrasse
dwarf angels (im getting a dwarf angel
blennys

cuc:
about 5 cerith snails
about 5 nassarius snails
you may need more but thats what i have in mine.
5 astrea snails you dont have to have these
turbo snails
or some mexican ones these grow big.
hermit crabs i have 6
2-3 shrimp
later one
tuxedo urchin

corals:
depends on what you want to keep and lighting but under 2 t5s
mushroom corals
star poylps
zoanthids
toadstool corals
like all soft corals
here are some lps corals you can keep (take a look at my journal tomorrow im getting a load tomorrow.
torch coral
plate coral (lots of colours im getting a purple one)
frogspawn coral
hammerhead coral
duncans
brain
trumpet coral i think thats most of them covered.

 

[Ryandsimmons]

Awesome! Great list and help there, thank you very much.

After a long chat with my wife last night, which involved her showing me my bank statement *gulp* amongst other things I have decided to convert my 125 litre tank for now, with the aim of upgrading to 300 litres middle to end of next year. As such any equipment I buy I will aim to have oversized in anticpation.

Having a read around I think this is the plan.

Fluval Roma 125 tank.

Deltec MCE300 Skimmer - Expected £75 on ebay. This to hang external.

My current heater will be fine that was supplied with tank.

I have a Fluval U3 filter, this will provide some current and I can fill with media as recomended.
Powerheads: I can get one or two. I was considering 2 weaker ones rather than one strong. Combined with the U3 filter that should provide 100% movement, whereas using one strong one may be too powerfull for the smaller tank. I expect to pay £30 for 2 powerheads.

Test Kit: Around £25 on ebay for API liquid kit.

Thermometer - On tank already.

Refractometer - £30

Total Equipment: £160

Optional Equipment:
Spare heater (To heat salt water in bucket ready for tank) - £10
Reverse Osmosis unit: £80 (But given size of tank I may as well buy RO water from LFS until I upgrade tank.)

____________________

Then Coral sand: I guess 20kgs. That looks around £20
Live Rock: Given I have no sump etc I would need 15 kg. Probably £100
Salt: Around £30? I don't know recomended brands or anything.

Now as far as I can see that will keep me going for a few weeks up until it is time to introduce the CUC. Am I missing anything?

Edit: I will need to replace the lights. I'm trying to find out what specs the current unit is and whether I can just replace bulbs or will need to replace the full unit.

 

[Ryandsimmons]

Dagnabbit! I have the willpower of a juvenile goldfish.

While browsing Ebay I came across this

225 litre tank, with all equipment and 46 kilos of live rock. The rock alone is worth £300 so paying £100 for the tank, lights, skimmer, filter, refr.... You get the point.

I like that it is just rock and not had livestock yet, it means I start the tank partially cycled and have free reign to create a scape and livestock display of my choice.

Woohoo!

May even sell off some of that rock as it is a huge amount for a tank that size I gather.

I can taste the salt already! So excited, picking it up on saturday.

Not as much fun as picking everything up piece by piece, but my wallet loves it and it is still bigger than my 125 which I was looking to have to settle for.

 

[Harry1996]

thats a good deal. one thing i would ask the person if they have used chemicals etc in there.
also i would buy new sand
it looks bigger than 225L

 

[Ryandsimmons]

thats a good deal. one thing i would ask the person if they have used chemicals etc in there.
also i would buy new sand
it looks bigger than 225L

On the listing they confuse inches and cms.

It is 4 foot by 38cm by 50 cm. So 120x38x50 = 228. (Said 225 on the phone which is close enough for me.)

I have to make a shopping run in preparation. Need salt, RO water and sand (I'll listen to you) in preparation. Oh, and epoxy, with that volume of rock I'll need to make sure it is stable.

I've never moved a tank like this before, I am hoping that bringing 100 litres of the water back will be enough, with the live rock in damp newspaper. (It's only an hours drive.)Ditch the sand.

Then back home put rock in tank, add sand, add the water I brought and then add 150 litres of premixed water from home. Connect up everything, including sump.

Then leave for a few weeks with regular water tests.

 

[seffieuk]

How you going to heat all that water before putting the rock in?

Seffie x

 

[Ryandsimmons]

How you going to heat all that water before putting the rock in?

Seffie x

I haven't been able to sell off my old tropical freshwater set up yet. So I'll grab the heater out of that tank (and probably buy a spare heater for future use anyway.)

Plan is then (I am sure there are holes I'll find soon enough.)

Thursday... Run to LFS and pick up 100l of RO, Salk and sand.

I'll have to use my bath for the majority of the mixing. (I don't have 100 litres of spare buckets.) I can leave my spare heater in there, getting the water up to 24 odd degrees ready for when I get the new tank home.

Saturday: Pick up new tank, put live rock in wet newspaper,Will buy one of these to transport 100l of the water from the new tank.. At home it will take me a few hours to get the new tank set up. During this period I will put the Live rock in my premixed salt water in my bath to keep it alive.

After 2 hours or whatever it takes to get the new tank hooked up an in position I can move the rock from bath to tank and add in 100l of water from the bath. (Have to get it all set up now as once water is in I cannot move.) Then add in the 100 from the water butt. Then I will have to premix more salt water in the butt, wait for it to heat up, then finally top up the tank.

Voila.

 

[seffieuk]

Looking forward to those photos

Seffie x

 

[Ryandsimmons]

Looking forward to those photos

Seffie x

Does that plan sound feasable?
THis is going to be very hard work I can see.

 

[seffieuk]

Does that plan sound feasable?
THis is going to be very hard work I can see.

Mmmmm, I was just sitting here wondering how I would do it:

Think I would buy a drum/container larege enough for the water and rock, nah that wont work.....

Right,

Buy a container or use another tank large enough to store rock ( put all mine in a 180 litr)
Fill with enough salted ro water and bring up to temp, before getting rock, with flow as well
Go get the rock and tank

Put rock straight in container/tank and you then have no stress re: setting tank up

Buy or borrow some water containers - get salty water before the day you collect tank (the containers will be useful but would be better if you could borrow a couple and buy a couple)
Set-up tank
Add water to heat up
Add rock
Add sand
Wait for cycle

Down side is you will have to lay out a few more £s, but stress wise its priceless - also means you can still have a bath

Seffie x

 

[Ryandsimmons]

DAMNATION!!!!!!

Just got told "I am sorry, my partner sold the tank on another site at the same time."

I am not a happy bunny. Just sent off a stinking letter to ebay, really hope they cancell her account or something. So back to square one.

This really really tempted me. Unbelievable coral, but I wouldn't have the first clue how to transport something that amazing or care for it.

Also found a stunning 200l tank which I almost bought. However when I had a look at the stocking I realised it was just asking for trouble... it had 1 Batfish, 1 Regal Tang, 1 Emperor Angel, one other angel... My brief calculations (ie guess) would be yuou would need 600 litres minimum for those fish. http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110579603185&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Still looking though.

 

[seffieuk]

When things like that happen I always think its fate taking a hand - so you are probably well out of it the other one I would give a miss as well

Patience, the right tank will come along sooner than you think

Seffie x