What to Do When You Outgrow Your Saltwater Aquarium
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support our work, but it does not influence our opinions or recommendations.
Every aquarist knows that one day, they will outgrow their aquarium. If you are reading this right now, then today is that day.
Plan your new saltwater tank setup
Outgrowing your saltwater aquarium is a major achievement, but upgrading your tank can be daunting. These are the tips that helped me navigate my tank transition and hopefully they will help you, too.
When you outgrow your saltwater aquarium, the first step is to explore your options and decide on the new tank size that suits your marine life. Upgrading to a larger tank is often the most straightforward solution, providing ample space and better water quality for your fish, rocks or corals. You want to choose the right size tank based on your current and future aquatic needs, as well as the available space in your home. Once you have your new tank, your current equipment may not be enough for the larger aquarium. If you have the original packaging or instruction manuals from when you purchased your equipment the first time, revisit it to see if the settings for your equipment are adjustable. Doing this helped me save some money during my tank transition as I did not need to get all new equipment, just a few additional pieces to accommodate the larger tank.
Setting up a larger tank fundamentally is no different than setting up your first tank. The basic cycling, water conditions, and parameters procedures to ensure a stable environment for your marine life remain the same. But keep in mind that even though the process is the same, larger tanks typically take longer to cycle and require regular maintenance. However, once your tank is stabilized, maintaining stable water conditions can be easier in a larger tank than in a smaller tank.
Prepare your new tank
While my tank cycled, I kept my fish in my original tank until the new tank was ready to keep their stress levels as low as I could. I transitioned my fish into the new tank very slowly and tried to make sure their new home was as similar to their old home as possible. Even though the substrate I used was fresh, it was the same brand and color as the substrate in my old tank. Since I have a fish-only saltwater aquarium with live rock, the rocks were also the same. I also arranged the rocks so that the aquascape in the new aquarium was similar to the old one.
How you transition your live rock matters though, make sure that you keep them submerged in saltwater to preserve the bacteria and any beneficial organisms living on them. That way the rocks can help the larger tank stabilize faster. You may see a slight “mini-cycle” in the new tank as the bacteria adjust to the larger volume of water, so monitor water parameters closely.
If you have a reef tank, you want to make sure the larger tank is fully cycled and that water parameters are stable and similar to those in the original tank. Before you move the corals, be sure to check them for any pests or algae to avoid transferring unwanted organisms to the new tank. When you are ready to move the corals, acclimate them slowly to avoid shock from the new water chemistry. The drip acclimation method is a great way to introduce your corals to the water in your new tank. Once acclimated, place the corals in the larger tank, and arrange them based on their specific lighting and flow requirements to help them thrive. Keep a close eye on their health and color for the next few days and adjust the light and water flow as needed.
If you have outgrown your tank, but are not quite ready to upgrade to a larger one, you do have options. Instead of a single larger tank, you could set up a second, similar sized tank or redistribute your aquatic life to already established tanks to help with overcrowding. Rearranging your aquascape with more vertical structures can also help create more space in your current tank without adding more volume. Be sure that any new structures that you add to your tank are properly acclimated to avoid harming your aquarium. Upgrading your equipment to handle a higher bio-load may help maintain water quality in your tank, but this is only a temporary solution if your fish are outgrowing the physical space.
Outgrowing your saltwater aquarium does not have to be intimidating. Whether you choose to upgrade to a larger tank or explore different alternatives, you do have options. With the right steps, you can create a spacious, balanced environment that supports the health and growth of your fish, corals, and other marine life, allowing you to fully enjoy the beauty and serenity of your underwater world.
Just starting out in the hobby?
Get your copy of How To Set Up A Successful Saltwater Aquarium ebook today.
This ebook will help to guide you past the mistakes I have made over the years.