salt water tank

Question
i have a 10 gal salt water tank with crabs and snells &live rock &a eel &a clown fish  how to put every thing and live sand into a fresh water 30 gal tank that has been set up for about 6 months with a wet &dry filter thanks

Answer
Hi Frances,

To put them into the other tank, just move them over, one by one.

Get five gallon buckets, 2, and put the fish, rock, crabs and eel into one bucket full of saltwater and then put the sand in another.  Wash that sand out before transferring it, since it's been used for 6 months.  

To wash saltwater sand:  Fill a five gallon bucket half full of saltwater and add the sand, swishing it strongly and keeping all dirt elevated in the water.  Do not let it settle, but take it immediately and pour the dirty water out.  You may repeat this by adding additional saltwater to the bucket and stirring until the water runs clear.

When it does, then you can add that sand to your new tank, alongside the sand in there.  It will still be alive, because you used saltwater to clean it, not destroying beneficial bacterial.

Put your same water, sand, rock and living inverts, and fish into the large aquarium, and add new saltwater to it.

Filter, light...put everything on you wish to use, and start it up.

Adding 10 gallons of the old water will make it cycle faster, with the new water and you may see a small cycle, but because you used live sand, live rock, live water and the same things from the other tank, you can expect it to be short-lived.  Be sure to change out 10% of the water once the cycle begins, every 3 days, til the brown cycle goes away.

Good luck,
Renee