I am moving to a new apartment.... Advice?

nickborowitz

nickborowitz

Member
I have a 90 gallon Saltwater tank, pretty much FOWLR. I have 120lbs of live sand, 200lbs of live rock, a false percula clown fish, a blue hippo tang, damsel, saddleback clown, snowflake eel, a mated pair of coral banded shrimp, as well as the snails and hermit crabs.
 
now I have to move. It's on a wood stand and it's heavy.
 
I'm only moving to another apartment in the building so it isn't far, but I still need to move it.
 
Does anyone have any advice for me as to what to do or how to look out for my fish? I don't wanna stir up the sand bed, or anything but I gotta move this sucker.
 
Any help will be GREATLY appreciated.
 
Here is my plan:
 
empty out the water and leave about 1/4 of it in the tank. I'll move this down stairs and leave the fish in a 5 gallon bucket with some of the water.
 
Once I get down there I will put back in some of the water slowly that I took out. Hopefully getting it up to 1/2-2/3 of where it was. I will then put in fresh saltwater. I figure I would let it circulate for an hour or so and settle, and then put the livestock back.
 
Will this cause any issues for my fish? I have had them for 4 years now and don't want to lose them.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by NickBorowitz http:///forum/thread/380299/i-am-moving-to-a-new-apartment-advice#post_3309444
I have a 90 gallon Saltwater tank, pretty much FOWLR. I have 120lbs of live sand, 200lbs of live rock, a false percula clown fish, a blue hippo tang, damsel, saddleback clown, snowflake eel, a mated pair of coral banded shrimp, as well as the snails and hermit crabs.
 
now I have to move. It's on a wood stand and it's heavy.
 
I'm only moving to another apartment in the building so it isn't far, but I still need to move it.
 
Does anyone have any advice for me as to what to do or how to look out for my fish? I don't wanna stir up the sand bed, or anything but I gotta move this sucker.
 
Any help will be GREATLY appreciated.
 
Here is my plan:
 
empty out the water and leave about 1/4 of it in the tank. I'll move this down stairs and leave the fish in a 5 gallon bucket with some of the water.
 
Once I get down there I will put back in some of the water slowly that I took out. Hopefully getting it up to 1/2-2/3 of where it was. I will then put in fresh saltwater. I figure I would let it circulate for an hour or so and settle, and then put the livestock back.
 
Will this cause any issues for my fish? I have had them for 4 years now and don't want to lose them.

 
 
I have a 90g and I have moved 3xs. Sorry but you can’t safely move the tank with anything in it at all. 1/4[sup]th[/sup] inch in a 90g + sand is like trying to move a piano. The stress on the seams would be tremendous and you will land up with a possible leak and replacing the tank before setting it back up and your fish may not last that long. So it isn’t worth the risk.
 
In the new place have new saltwater made and ready …make sure you have more than you think you need, just in case. You can also save 50% of the water in 5g jugs. Very little good bacteria is in the water. Do not change or remove any filter pads, they have the good stuff you need on them.
 
Remove the water into tubs, and put your fish in them. The rock I placed in a plastic garbage can I use for water changes (fish only) put sand in (fish only) buckets, I say buckets because the sand is too heavy to try and move in one bucket. I’m not kidding, the rock is lighter. Put a power head in the tub with the fish, and maybe a heater…move them last.. No need to keep water with the sand, its wet enough. Keep the rock moist with newspaper.
 
Move your tank and stand, set it back up, add rock first, then the sand around it. Wait for everything to settle..it could take a while (3 to 4 hours) before the sand settles and the tank is clear. Once all is settled attach your power heads and filter, skimmer and such and turn them on. When you are sure everything is as it should be…re-acclimate your fish back into the tank, like they were just purchased from the store.
 
The only critter I ever lost in a move was a cleaner shrimp, one made it but the other just died from stress, just went on his side and died as I re-acclimated him and his buddy.

 
 
Hope this helps...
 
 
nickborowitz

nickborowitz

Member
Thank you so much! I thought I would be ok since I would try wrapping the tape in a movers plastic and I would only be going 20 feet to the elevator and then another 50 feet to the new apartment.
 
Ill do exactly what you said, Thanks for the guidance!
 
ladyreefseeker

ladyreefseeker

Administrator
Staff member
I totally agree with Flower but if you aren't going up or down stairs and only an elevator is involved, you may be able to transport the old-good water in a 50gallon rubbermaid on a home made wheel cart(comes in handy anyways) siphon or pump the good water into the can and roll it to the new apartment then siphon or pump it back in. Following Flowers method. I've done it many times with a 125gallon. Also, never lost a thing. Even coral.
 
Home made wheel cart: 2'x2' thick plywood with a couple 2x4s (to get it 4 more inches off the ground) and then 4 heavy duty wheels. I roll my water changes to and from places...even when helping friends move and do water changes.
 
Good luck and Happy Moving! There's nothing like moving to that final spot where you know you'll be for several years...It seems like it takes a day to move all of your stuff/furniture, and then another whole day for the fish tank(s) not to mention gathering several (strong) guy friends. After doing the move a few times...they know what is in store! Bribery is the key! Beer and Pizza.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by NickBorowitz http:///forum/thread/380299/i-am-moving-to-a-new-apartment-advice#post_3309455
Thank you so much! I thought I would be ok since I would try wrapping the tape in a movers plastic and I would only be going 20 feet to the elevator and then another 50 feet to the new apartment.
 
Ill do exactly what you said, Thanks for the guidance!

 
Keep us posted, hope the move goes nice and smooth.
 
Also if your sand has not been stirred up at all...I have a sandsifting goby, so I personally never worried aout it...but you might want to do some rinsing in saltwater before adding it back to the tank...just to be safe. You could release toxins that were buried deep in the sand and rinsing should take care of that..be sure to use saltwatwer so you keep the good bacteria alive.
 
nickborowitz

nickborowitz

Member
You guys are great. I have been neglecting putting anything in my tank for a couple years so I haven't been on here, but I knew this site would help!
 
I'll let you know afterwards what happens.
 
Once again, Thank you both!
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
I've moved my 55G a couple of times with the sand still in it but we had to take out pretty much all of the water untill it was just basically right at the top of the sand and it was pretty heavy but still manageable with just me and a friend. You're 90G will probably be significantly heavier so keeping about a 1/4 of the water pluss the sand is probably going to be a daunting task so you may find yourself having to take out a little more than that. I recently moved too and I pretty much followed Flower's advice as well. Everything worked out pretty good.
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
nice.i have moved my 90 at least 6 or 7 times.fish that are healthy can take some stress.it was fun moving my 250 10 miles down the road.
 
levinjac

levinjac

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by NickBorowitz http:///forum/thread/380299/i-am-moving-to-a-new-apartment-advice#post_3309444
I have a 90 gallon Saltwater tank, pretty much FOWLR. I have 120lbs of live sand, 200lbs of live rock, a false percula clown fish, a blue hippo tang, damsel, saddleback clown, snowflake eel, a mated pair of coral banded shrimp, as well as the snails and hermit crabs.
I hate to say this put you cant mix clowns, hippo is going to get way to big for a 90 so will the snow flake eel
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
i had two percs and a maroon for over 3 years together .i also had a snowflake eel in a 90 for in dunno 4+ yrs.he just didnt grow fast because of the small tank.i know someone who had a snowflake in a 150 then he put him in a huge 750 gallon tank and it grew like crazy.eels dont need alot of swimming room they stay in the rocks most of the time and come out to pace up and down the tank.of course mine went up one day and kept going.as for the hippo they are one of the more lazy of the tangs.although a 150+ would be better most people buy these guys small like 1-2 inches.i had 3 tangs in a 90 for a couple yers then went to a 150 now i have them in a 250.
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
they just dont seem to grow too fast in a smaller tank .at least a snowflake cant speak about the other types though.
 
levinjac

levinjac

Active Member
other eels grow like crazy my dad had a hawian blue dragon moray in a 100 and had to move it too his 300 because it got to big in 3 months
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
my supplier gets the hawaiian dragons in once in a while fricken crazy looking.at $1000 they have to be.
 
levinjac

levinjac

Active Member
miy dads was 100 he said they are outragous in price now and it bit him he said it felt like someone stabed 100,000,000 nives through jis arm
 
nickborowitz

nickborowitz

Member
I have had my snowflake eel for 5+ years now. He was in a 29, then a 45, and now the 90. He stays in the rocks and swims to the top of the tank when he wants to eat. He hasn't gotten too big at all.
The Clowns seem fine, they haven't grown too much either, they have been through the same tank situation over about 4 years, and the blue hippo is 3 years old and doesn't seem to be growing anymore.
I think it really does keep them smaller based on their surroundings.
 
levinjac

levinjac

Active Member
the hippo will eventually grow out of a 90 but not sonn so your ok it effects the rate they grow not that they wont grow big
 
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