how to keep live rock live?

[squidworth]

If I was to buy an existing tank (75gal) that is up and running with 50lbs lr and 30lbs ls what would I have to do to keep this stuff live while I transported it (4 hrs away) and while I was getting the tank up and running? It also has fish but I dont know what to do with them either. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated on getting this unit back to my house.
Oh on an added note it goes off auction sunday.

 

[ebeckels]

just keep the LS in a container with water...it doesn't have to be a lot of water...just enough to cover the top...as for the LR...that will be fine for a few weeks out of water... you would just have to cure it again. If you can keep the LR in the tank water than that's great...if not then put it in a bag or a bucket..water is optional. 99% of the time LR is shipped dry. As for the fish... A 4 hour trip isn't the end of the world. SWF ships them for about 16-24 hours! If you pack it properly with plenty of air then everything should be fine.

 

[fshhub]

the store we go to is almost 2 hrs away, and all he does is wrap it in wet newspaper(seveeral layer), then puts it in a cooler with some water, (the paper will acta s a sponge, to a degree, pulling water to the dry areas), just enough to keep the paper wet, maybe an inc or so, the paper will not dry in hours, if it is in contact with water, unless it is very hot and sunny on the rock, you will still have some die off, but should be minimal
HTH
oh yeah, ours had a colony of feather dusters, which survived just fine til we got home and in the tank

 

[volitan]

I just finished helping a friend move a 75 gallon tank 3.5 hrs, and was very successful. Make sure you transport the lr wrapped in newspaper, and make sure the paper is wet with water from the tank. Try to keep the temperature somewhat constant during the time it is out of the tank (a styrophome container works beautifully. The fish can be transported in bags, or sealable containers, and again, use existing tank water and try to keep the temp constant. Some corals cannot touch air, so if there are corals to move, research the different species. Try to move as much of the existing tank water as possible too, as adding too much new water will shock the fish. Your tank will probably cycle after you set it up, so make sure you have an adequate cleanup crew to keep the toxins (ammonia, nitrates, etc.) in check. Hope this helps!