Need Help Moving Tanks.

[tainte97]

Hello Ya'll, Well I finally bought a house so I'll be moving my 2 tanks next month. Problem is they have been set up in the same place for years. I have a 55 and 125 FOWLR. The 55 has a 12" Voliton lion fish and a spiny box puffer and the 125 has a 10" diameter cali stingray and a large porc. puffer. What would be the easiest way to move all this with out losing all my animals? I cant combine the two tanks because of the stingray with the lion and spiny box, so each tank is going to have to be moved seperate. The 125 gallon has over 200lbs of sand in it with about 80lbs of rock! If I take the sand out and put it in buckets can I use it again? I have enough 5 gallon bottles for about 60 gallons of water, so the 55 Im not worried about. Do ya'll think I can keep 60 gallons from the 125 and make all new water for the rest, which includding the sump will be like 90 gallons. Sorry for all the questions, I've never moved my tanks.

 

[psusocr1]

o.k first of all is your cali ray a female?? if so whyd ont you sell her to me for my 300 to live with my male cali and have babies then you can get a baby for your 125 since hes probably a little cramped??

sorry i have to try
second just save as much water as you can keep all your filtration damp and move it quick so the bacteria stays alive and put all the sand in buckets and keep it moist and move it as quickly as possible and you shouldnt have a problem..
someoe correct me if im wrong but if it takes you awhile to do all tis just put the sand with water in buckts and keep a small powerheqad in there,, same thing for live rock,, as long as you keep it moist it wnt die on you..

 

[turningtim]

Just move a 120 reef with a lot of fish and corals. Used to big rubber maid trash cans (55 gal), filled with rock put them in the back of my truck and filled with old tank water (Pump it in). Keep as much old water as you can, you will lose more than you think. I would do the same with the sand but 5 gal buckets with old water to keep them covered. For the fish I would get rubbermaids that will fit them comfortibly but not so big that you can move them. when you get where you goin put heaters and power heads in the RM's until you get the tank set and refilled with water. Let them settle over night if you think the fish are OK in there temp home. Always keep the water as warm as possible with heaters and power heads.
make sure you have a lot of pre-mixed new water at the new location, due to loss and a WC after things settle down. Test everyday for the next couple days and look for a spike.
Good Luck!
HTH
Tim

 

[unleashed]

this is how i move my tanks....what you need:
large coolers
clean 5 galbuckets with lids enough to keep all fish safe
battery operated air bubblers
valve splitters for air tubes for multipal lines
melafix(optional)
fill each bucket with enough water 3/4 full depending on type of fish but place fish in buckets alone poke small hole in the lids large enough for air tubes to fit tightly for no water leakage
use sturdy coolers to transpert LR water and inverts
rubber maid tubs small enough to carry but large enough to make transport easily for corals and live sand if you have them or use buckets.
try to keep as much water from your tanks as possible mark each bucket/container to ensure what contents go to which tank.
after everyone is in their place i always add a small bit of melafix to help reduce stress in fish insert air tubing turn on the bubblers and there you go.
any extra water that is not used for transporting stock can also be moved by buckets to ensure all or most taken with.
you shouldnt have any cycle problems when you set the tanks back up.
your fish and corals should all be ok and as stres free as possible from this process.i move my tanks or up grade alot which takes hrs to do have not lost a single fish doing it this way.good luck I hope this helps

 

[tainte97]

psusocr1 sorry hes a male

! Thanks all for the help. I hope I don't loose anything doing this. As far as the sandbed, when I put in in buckets will the layers that are anerobic (something like that),will that get screwed up and release poisonous gas into the water?

 

[unleashed]

yes and no to the sand bed .this is why you transport this in its own container.keep enough water with it to cover about 3-4 inches above sand level in the bucket.this will help keep most of your good life alive for the duration of the move without toxifying your live stock. when you have your tank set back up add the substrate befor the any thing else to the tank but kinda strain the sand as your taking it out of the container you moved it in.that water you will be tossing out after all substrate is removed .this will help reduce the risk of toxifying the rest of the tank.place a bowl on the substrate then use a hose to fill the tank back up let it flow into the bowl and overfill without stiring the sand up more.i hope this helps.