Tank Moving Advise

[HouseCookie]

I need to move my 55 Gal corner tank in the next week or so to a different place across town. It has fish, some corals, and a 3-4 inch sand bed. Obviously I need to get the fish out and into a bucket so that I can transfer them across town. Is it important that I bag them individually or can I put all of them in a 5 gallon bucket? (2 clowns, blenny, small tang, dwarf angel, cardinal)

I'm pretty comfortable with being able to get the rocks and corals in a bucket with the saltwater in my tank to cover them, but my concern is regarding the sand in the bottom. With the weight of the tank and the sand it would be a lot easier if I could scoop out the sand into a bucket and put it back in once i've moved everything else, but I've read that this could be toxic. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks,
HC

 

[Andrew_bram]

Tank Moving Advise

I would buy live sand and get rid if the old if you don't have seperate tank to keep fish. Also I would get some bottled bacteria.

 

[xxHLTxx]

scooping the sand can be toxic only because if you have nothing that aerates the sand or sifts it, potentially you could have build up under the surface, stirring that can release it. id leave the sand, try to be steady and secure with the moving of the tank with the sand in there, and then as far as fish goes, id put everything into a bucket except the tang and angel, bag them or put in separate bucket.

 

[HouseCookie]

I would buy live sand and get rid if the old if you don't have seperate tank to keep fish. Also I would get some bottled bacteria.

How much would it cost to do this?

scooping the sand can be toxic only because if you have nothing that aerates the sand or sifts it, potentially you could have build up under the surface, stirring that can release it. id leave the sand, try to be steady and secure with the moving of the tank with the sand in there, and then as far as fish goes, id put everything into a bucket except the tang and angel, bag them or put in separate bucket.

Is there any risk in the bottom of the tank breaking out? It's glass.

 

[Andrew_bram]

Tank Moving Advise

Two bags if live sand about $50 depending in where you get it. Amazon actually sells it cheap and about $20 or so for bacteria depending on the brand

 

[FinsUp]

I would buy live sand and get rid if the old if you don't have seperate tank to keep fish. Also I would get some bottled bacteria.

+1 on this. It's cheaper to replace the sand than it is to replace the fish and corals that are likely to be killed by released toxins. If you have a deep sand bed and the tank is well established (been up and running a while vs being a new tank) toxins build up at the bottom. Sandsifters (nassarius snails, certain gobies, etc) aren't guaranteed to sift the entire depth of it. The alternative is to put it in buckets & rinse it multiple times, then put it back in your tank and use dechlorinator (assumption being that you used water from a garden hose to do the rinsing) but that is backbreaking & time consuming work.

 

[Dr.DiSilicate]

whatever you decide, get a bottle of prime! the stuff is great and if you have a mini cycle it will help you out! It changes ammonia to a harmless form (or something like that) Plus one on rinsing the sand or replacing. Save a bit to help reseed the tank.

Also, if you can move the tank with the sand in it I think you'll be able to save the sand. It's not going to break out the bottom. just avoid stirring it up too much. It may be too heavy to move though.

 

[FinsUp]

Another alternative is to have a friend with a spare tank, or even a LFS, keep your fish for you for a few days while you get the tank moved and situated. That way, you're not worrying and rushing through it, and there's less risk if something unexpected happens.