Moving soon. Advice appreciated

[lynxone]

So it looks like I'll be moving soon and I've never had to move a reef tank before so this should be interesting. Didn't want to hijack another thread so I started this one.

Here's what I'm working with:
72g bow display tank with 20g sump
Tons of live rock
3" cc substrate
System is set up with 2 holding tanks in basement for saltwater and fresh top off (Kalkwasser)
Controlled with apex
Livestock is:
Yellow tang
Flame angel
2 clowns
Bangai cardinal
Blue chromi

Corals:
Frogspawn
Hammer
Galaxia
Assorted zoos
Some leathers and toadstools
Mushrooms

I'm planning to replace the sand bed with new aragonite.

I need to figure out what supplies I should have rdy before the move. Extra power heads, heaters, containers and so on...

I'm planning to drain as much tank water as possible and use for the rock and livestock for travel (not moving far)
Put livestock and corals in 5g buckets and then into a 50g container at the new place with power heads and heaters. The rest of the live rock and Chaeto can probably stay in buckets for a bit while I set up tank?

I'll make plenty of fresh rodi water and saltwater before move and transport and also setup rodi immediately at new site to begin making more.

Begin setting up tank and sump with new sand bed. Begin filling with fresh saltwater mix ( or should I use some of original tank water.). Add my live rock and continue filling.

Can I begin adding my corals and livestock right away or do I need to wait?

Any major mistakes here?

 

[sethsolomon]

How fine is your sand bed? sugar fine? 1/2 cm chunks? or somewhere inbetween?

 

[lynxone]

Moving soon. Advice appreciated

My current bed is crushed coral. I wanted to switch to something a bit finer I haven't bought it yet though

 

[sethsolomon]

Battery operated bubblers help with moving fish. Helps reduce stress.
If you're using dry sand as a replacement wash the heck out of it before putting it in your tank. Or Live sand someone else will have to chime in on using that.
Live rock is fine in a bucket of tank water for like 5-7 hours.
I would use 25% of the old tank water when starting it back up (that hasn't had rocks or fish or coral in it during the move).
Consider adding some fiji mud as an under layer before putting sand in your sump.

 

[Shaunv]

Here is a link to another forum I had for when I moved a month ago http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2270133

 

[jahmic]

Here is a link to another forum I had for when I moved a month ago http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2270133

I'm impressed. Grats on the successful move!

 

[Smiley]

lots of buckets with lids.... try not to let any lps or sps touch each other.

how far is your move?

i have found no problem putting corals back into freshly setup tanks as long as your prepared for water changes and ammonia spikes.

 

[Shaunv]

Ya, lots of buckets with battery powered air pumps and old tank water. I did not rinse my new live sand and it took about 3 days to clear up since I don't have filters. I used the fine oolite sand and it was really cloudy. Good luck with the move.

 

[lynxone]

Moving soon. Advice appreciated

I'll have to get some battery operated bubblers....good idea. Move will be within 15 minutes drive time so shouldn't be too bad. I'm figuring on multiple water changes to deal with ammonia spike.

 

[Shaunv]

If it's only 15 minutes, it shouldn't be a problem. I did two moves in the last few months (long story). The first move was only about 15 minutes away and I did not have any air stones. I just put everything in the buckets and left the old sand in the bottom of the tank with about an inch of water. I then got everything over to the new place and set the tank back up first thing. The sand was a little dirty as it had been in there for about a year but it still worked and I had no issues. Everything recovered within a couple of hours. My second move was different in that it was from Lake Tahoe to here and took 3 days of driving. So, I had to use the air stones and replace the sand.

 

[Dr.DiSilicate]

Moving soon. Advice appreciated

I moved from greeley to manhattan Kansas with buckets and leaving the sand on the bottom of the tank. 10 hours with no problems. Moving a tank is a pita but not really a huge deal in the end. Keep water reflectively cool/warm and keep corals from breaking or touching and you'll be fine.

 

[Shaunv]

How did the move go?

 

[lynxone]

Date got pushed back a bit. Will be the end of this month. Hopefully I won't kill everything


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[Shaunv]

It is super stressful! You should be fine though.

 

[xxHLTxx]

It is super stressful! You should be fine though.

super stressful thats for sure. i moved 20 miles... but helped a friend move back to El Paso from denver, he grabbed up a food safe 55g drum and top, put a battery operated aerator in the water with the live rock, threw the fish in a rubbermaid with another aerator and left the sand at the bottom of the tank. move went without a glitch and without a loss... fish or coral...