Im moving in a week and 1/2 what is the best way....
- Thread starter freshman
- Start date
spinylobster
Member
wow.. I dread the day i have to move. Dont really have any recommendations for you but good luck.
ryancw01
Member
Leave the sand in the tank when you move it. You do not want to stir up the established sand bed. Hopefully you will have someone helping your carry the tank and the stand right? Sounds like you have the buckets covered with the 4-30 gallon trash cans. You want to use as much of the original water as you can so you can just pump water out of the tank into the various buckets and split up the live rock. You will not be able to carry all the water to the new place though so you will want to have some saltwater already prepared at the new place ready to fill in the rest of the water. If you have the extra funds though, I would hire someone to do it. I hired a local fish store who does aquarium service to move mine. He did everything and I just had to help him carry the tank and stand. Only took about 2 hours. He was very quick because he does it all the time.
shyfish
Member
Hi,
Moving is a pain but it can be done. This is what I did and I lost nothing in the move.
Sand will take about two hours of not disturbing it at all for it to settle. Putting in water, moving rock, anything at all, and it stirs it up all over again.
The best thing you can do is set up your tank at least a couple of days before the move. I actually purchased another tank and bought new sand. I set up the water with a heater and power head running in the new tank. THEN made my move.
Rock was placed in a new plastic garbage can I purchased for the move. My Royal Gramma was hiding in one of the rocks and I didn't know it. I don't know how but she made it!
When I actually moved I took all the sand I could and put that in first. I put my rock in, not set up like I like it but in there enough to let my fish back in ASAP. I moved in cold weather so time was not on my side.
I put everything alive in gallon baggies to move, and acclimated them to the new place just like when I buy from the LFS.
If you have no other choice:
As long as the lights are off and the water warm and aerated (use an air stone) the coral will sleep and be alright for at least a day in the tubs if you have to.
Your fish as well, but be careful, cramped quarters causes problems. Use your established tank water at first and every 10 hours change the water 20% (make sure it is the same temp. and salt) use an air stone for the fish tub a power head to too strong for it, and will churn the water too much.
You could maybe put a couple of rocks in the tub, it will help to give the fish a hiding place and offer a surface to breed good bacteria. One of those little bubble corner filters might help a little. I haven't seen one of those in a while though.
Be sure to remove the rock for the move because it will shift and might crush a critter.
If you can save your old water in jugs... and put it into the tank before reintroducing the inhabitants, it will help a great deal.
Good Luck
Moving is a pain but it can be done. This is what I did and I lost nothing in the move.
Sand will take about two hours of not disturbing it at all for it to settle. Putting in water, moving rock, anything at all, and it stirs it up all over again.
The best thing you can do is set up your tank at least a couple of days before the move. I actually purchased another tank and bought new sand. I set up the water with a heater and power head running in the new tank. THEN made my move.
Rock was placed in a new plastic garbage can I purchased for the move. My Royal Gramma was hiding in one of the rocks and I didn't know it. I don't know how but she made it!
When I actually moved I took all the sand I could and put that in first. I put my rock in, not set up like I like it but in there enough to let my fish back in ASAP. I moved in cold weather so time was not on my side.
I put everything alive in gallon baggies to move, and acclimated them to the new place just like when I buy from the LFS.
If you have no other choice:
As long as the lights are off and the water warm and aerated (use an air stone) the coral will sleep and be alright for at least a day in the tubs if you have to.
Your fish as well, but be careful, cramped quarters causes problems. Use your established tank water at first and every 10 hours change the water 20% (make sure it is the same temp. and salt) use an air stone for the fish tub a power head to too strong for it, and will churn the water too much.
You could maybe put a couple of rocks in the tub, it will help to give the fish a hiding place and offer a surface to breed good bacteria. One of those little bubble corner filters might help a little. I haven't seen one of those in a while though.
Be sure to remove the rock for the move because it will shift and might crush a critter.
If you can save your old water in jugs... and put it into the tank before reintroducing the inhabitants, it will help a great deal.
Good Luck
shyfish
Member
Originally Posted by Ryancw01
http:///forum/post/2970790
Leave the sand in the tank when you move it. You do not want to stir up the established sand bed. Hopefully you will have someone helping your carry the tank and the stand right? Sounds like you have the buckets covered with the 4-30 gallon trash cans. You want to use as much of the original water as you can so you can just pump water out of the tank into the various buckets and split up the live rock. You will not be able to carry all the water to the new place though so you will want to have some saltwater already prepared at the new place ready to fill in the rest of the water. If you have the extra funds though, I would hire someone to do it. I hired a local fish store who does aquarium service to move mine. He did everything and I just had to help him carry the tank and stand. Only took about 2 hours. He was very quick because he does it all the time.
I saw this when I posted my long answer. I don't think it is ever a good idea to have any weight in the tank to move it. Wet Sand is very heavy!! It will break the seals on the glass.
dandallasfan
Member
I recently moved and had the same concerns. I purchased 8 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot and filled them 3/4 with water and placed a fish in each of the buckets (placed small fish in a bucket together, damels & clowns) and did the same with the inverts. I then bought a 2 - 37 gallon containers that I placed my rock and corals in with water. I transported nearly 80% of the water and left the sand in the bottom of the tank. Took 5 of us to carry the tank and stand. When I got to the new home I set the tank up and threw in the rock and corals. Water was cooler than I wanted but quickly came up to tempature. I placed the fish in about 3 hours later (keep in mind that I place an airstone and watched the temp. the buckets during this time). Everything looked good within 24 hours. Make sure you plan for the worse but hope for the best... Good Luck
cranberry
Active Member
Originally Posted by Ryancw01
http:///forum/post/2970790
If you have the extra funds though, I would hire someone to do it. I hired a local fish store who does aquarium service to move mine. He did everything and I just had to help him carry the tank and stand. Only took about 2 hours. He was very quick because he does it all the time.
I totally never thought of that.
http:///forum/post/2970790
If you have the extra funds though, I would hire someone to do it. I hired a local fish store who does aquarium service to move mine. He did everything and I just had to help him carry the tank and stand. Only took about 2 hours. He was very quick because he does it all the time.
I totally never thought of that.