buying tank need help moving

[dsmjuggalo]

im buying a 55 gallon tank thats already set up with 3 clown fish and about 75 lbs of live rock and some live substrate...can somebody please give me a step by step process on how to get this the 10 miles to my house,and how much time do i have to do this. also the tank is very dirty so how should i clean it before i put everything back in....thanks in advance

 

[prk543]

get some 5 gal buckets, or some larger rubbermaid containers, remove the live rock from the tank, putting the rock in a container under water will minimize some die off, and you can put a power head and heater in the containers to keep water moving while you set the tank up. I would take as much water as I could, but if you keep the filter media which has beneficial bacteria in it, you will most likely be able to mix up some fresh saltwater with out setting off a full cycle, it would be similar to doing a large water change.
I would suggest placing the fish in a separate container from your LR, it will keep the rock from shifting in the moving process and crushing a fish.
Since you are talking about cleaning the tank, the best idea would be to remove the substrate (what is the substrate? Deep sand bed, shallow sand bed?) and to wash the tank using a water and vinegar solution (figure approx 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water) and if the tank is glass, i would also use a scraper to scrape any film off of the glass. Rinse the tank out very well to remove any residue from the cleaning process.

 

[prk543]

the last time I moved my tank, I left the substrate in, because I was also moving a short distance, so my process is a little different. When I moved I removed the water, rock and livestock from my tank and left damp substrate in the bottom. When I set my tank back up, I placed a large plastic cutting board on top of my substrate to prevent the water from picking up the sand and becoming turbid. Once I had enough water in, I returned the LR to my tank and then added the water that was in the buckets into my tank. Now if you are not in a hurry, you can leave your fish (especially since you only have three) in the container that you transported them in until everything settles down in your tank, just keep a heater and either an air stone or a power head in there to keep water moving.
Let everything settle down and then you can re-introduce your fish to the system.
I hope this helps, and I wish you luck with your tank move.
Prk543

 

[sly]

• Measure the temperature and salinity of the existing tank.
• Buy 2 clean plastic trashcans. Take them to your house and begin filling them up with filtered water. Put an air stone in each one and a heater. It may take a day or so to fill one up if you are using RO water...
• Allow the water to heat up to the same temperature as the 55 gallon tank. Once it is warmed, start adding your salt. Mix in the salt well with the air stone still running. Once you get it to the same salinity as the 55 gallon tank. Let it sit for about a day.
• Once you have your water at the same temperature and salinity and it has circulated for a day, now it is time to move the tank. Start removing live rock and placing it into 5 gallon buckets. Get as much into a bucket as you can and then pour in some tank water until they are submerged. Snap a lid onto the bucket and make sure it is pretty water tight. Try to disturb the tank as little as possible when you are doing this. You want to try to stir up as little dirt as possible...
• Once all the rock is in 5 gallon buckets with lids, it should be easy to get the fish. If they give you a hard time, then drain the tank some until you can get to them. Again, try to not disturb the water so it can stay somewhat clean. Once you get the fish into a bucket, put in one small piece of live rock. This gives them something small to hide around and reduces stress during the move. Don't get a large one because as was said, you don't want them to be crushed.
• Now once the fish are out you can clean the substrate. Take a vacuum wand and suction the substrate really well, taking out as much dirt as you can. I siphon the water into a bucket and then empty it when it gets full.
• Once the substrate is clean and the tank is fully drained of water, scoop the substrate out into the bucket and put a lid on it. There is no need to put tank water in there. The substrate will stay moist enough on its own.
• Unhook the tank from the filtration system and take the tank outside. Spray it out with a water hose and then get some baking soda and water to scrub it out with. Scrub it with a soft sponge... never a brillo pad or a scrubber pad. You don't want to scratch the glass. Rinse out the tank well and then put some vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the tank inside and out and then wipe it down. Rinse again and you're done.
  Break everything down and take it to your house. Make sure the lids are on tight so nothing will spill.
  When you get home, place the stand and tank where they will be. Hook the filter system up. Then pour in your substrate.
  Now start pumping your saltwater from the trashcans into the tank. I use a regular maxijet power head to do this. I bought a hose from lowes and put it in the tank to fill it with. Position the hose so that it doesn't stir up the substrate. You don't want a dust storm.
  Once the tank is about half full, start putting your rock in. Position it so that it is sturdy and won't fall against the glass.
  Fill the tank up completely and then turn on the pumps. Turn on the heaters and everything.
  Take the fish out of their bucket and put them into some plastic bags. Float them in the tank for an hour or so to acclimate them. You may even drip acclimate them for better results.
  Once they are acclimated, put them in the tank with the lights off. They need time to adjust to their surroundings and turning the lights off helps them hide better. Leave the lights off for 24 hours and don't feed them. Minimize distractions so that they aren't stressed.
  After 24 hours you can turn on the lights and then lightly feed them...

Total time to move the tanks- about 4 days. 2 to make the saltwater, 1 to tear the tank down and 1 to put it back up. I would start mixing the water on a Thursday and then move the tank on a Saturday and Sunday. You might be able to do it in less time than this...