cleaning a 5 gallon bucket to transport live rock

drewster

drewster

Member
alright, i am making the big move on saturday and my fish tank is coming with me. I want to get a bunch of 5 gallon buckets to transport my live rock because the tank is just too damn heavy to lift when the rock is in it. Trust me, we did it the first time and it sucked. My friend got me a 5 gallon bucket from his restaurant that they used for storing pickles. He said he gave it a good cleaning first with 200 degree water (no soap of any kind). It still smells like pickles. Is this going to be a problem when i put my live rock in there and fill it with the water from my tank? Or is it best to go to the local paint stores and buy all new buckets? Or do you recommend a different method of transporting live rock.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Forget the pickle buckets by all means! Always, and I mean ALWAYS, use "deadicated" supplies and equptment with anything that has to do with this hobby. That means whatever you use is used only in the hobby. Also, don't chance transporting rock in a tank, or even moving a tank that has anything in it. Tanks moved with items in it, even just sand or substrate, run the risk of cracking from the excess weight. They were made to be stationary when "occupied". Besides, one slip of the rock in the tank chould crack the tank! Good luck with the move.
 
drewster

drewster

Member
my thoughts were kinda the same about the bucket. I think i'm gonna go buy some at the local paint shop. Can i fill a bucket with my substrate or will it disrupt the life that may lie in the substrate itself. I was planning on just taking out all the rocks and leaving the sand/substrate in the tank with just enough water to cover the sand/substrate.
 
H

hogwild

Guest
Wal-Mart 5gal plastic buckets $5.98. Take felt pen write SALTWATER TANK ONLY on it. Why risk ruining expensive live rock over a bucket?
 
drewster

drewster

Member
wow...even better. Anybody else have a lower price? Will McDonalds throw one in with their Happy Meal?
Well, Home Depot it is then.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
As I suggested above, leaving anything in a tank during transport runs the risk of the tank becoming too heavy and breaking, or, even worse, becoming weak and not breaking right off, but litterally busting once you fill it up again with water and livestock. You can bucket up the substrate too...afterall, that is how live sand is transported around before it is sold and transported to the final destination tank.
 
krazzydart

krazzydart

Member
Depending on the move , how long and how far away you are going and what you have growing on the rock makes a differance.... I moved a 75 gallon 50 miles only covered some of the nice growth with water... (in the salt buckets that i get for water changes) the rest was put in a box lined with plastic and a couple of towels soaked in the water covered them.... never had a prob... also removed sand and crushed corals into buckets. Also save about 50% of your water for the new set-up///// good luck!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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