moving tank questons

[ohscc]

I am planning to move my 55 gallon tank about 7 miles over the weekend to my house. I have read many moving threads but I would like to know if anybody else could give me their .02. I have 4 inch live sand bed, some live rock(getting more once I move), and 2 aggressive fish(done with fish additions). I was thinking about draining my water out into buckets since I heard that it is best to keep at least 60% of your old water. I will then keep just enough water in the tank for the live sand. The fish will be in a smaller tank with a divider. So here are my questions:
Will 2 people be able to carry a 55 gal (glass) tank with sand?
Do I need to put any wood under the whole tank to support the structure to prevent cracking?
Do I need to cycle the tank again or is everything ok?
Once I have the tank set up when do I add the fish?
Anyother suggestions would help greatly.
Thanks for your time and help.
Corey

 

[rockster]

Two very strong men can carry that tank but remember that you have a glass tank. It is likely to break the glass if not carried evenly. My suggestion is to remove the live sand altogether and place it in buckets. This way you don't run the risk of cracking the tank. IMHO

 

[deuce biggalow]

get a few large rubbermaid trash cans, then you can put the sand, live rock and water in some of them, then put the fish and some water in one. That is how I moved a 200 gallon tank...

 

[ohscc]

The only reason I wanted to leave the sand in there is because I thought that if you took the live sand out it would increase the die off and creating a cycle. Also, if you put the bottom sand over the top sand doesn't that kill the live sand that was on top? I would like to take the sand out but not if it cost me my live sand. Thanks for the replies.

 

[chrisrench]

I just moved a 115 DAS tank. I would take the sand out and put it in a bucket with some water from the tank. It makes the tank lighter and easier to handle. Don't put the tank in the back of a truck, make sure it rides inside a car. The back of a truck can get very bumpy and potentially crack the glass. Keep the water (again more buckets.) You will lose much of it, but if you replace it when you set up, it is just like a normal water change. if you have fish, keep them in a bucket as well, with little or no light as not to freak them out.

 

[trgirl]

This might ease your mind: I had a 150 gallon tall type tank on the second floor of our old apartment that was, beleive it or not, carried down a flight of 18 steps by 2 men (I hired movers because we were too afraid to chance it ourselves!)I know the tank weighed a couple hundred pounds and somehow it made it safely.Whew!

 

[400galloncharlie]

The live sand will not die no matter what you do in a 7 mile move (assuming you do not pollute it).

 

[deuce biggalow]

Get this, when I picked up my tank, its a 240, I had to take the tank down 4 flights of stairs to get it out. The stand must have weighed at least 500 pounds, its made of formica, it is double the thickness of the other stands for the same size tanks I have seen, that was difficult.

 

[brencali]

Make sure that when you move your fish from the car into your house that both people are carrying the container steadily. (next time I'll bag them) When I moved last year, I separated all the corals into one plastic rubbermaid trashcan, had two men carrying the tank and stand, all the parts in boxes, etc., and had the fish in a huge cooler with the bubblers and heater. Got it all set up in the house, and was about to transport the fish. My friend and I made about two steps and she slipped, and fish went everywhere. Eels are slippery. Puffers puff up on asphalt. And angels don't like being dropped. But I didn't lose a fish. It's kind of funny -- now.