~~ Newbie needing your help please ~~

clownsrcoo

clownsrcoo

Member
Hello everyone,
I am buying an established 90 gallong tank from someone local and want some advice from you all.
The tank has 90lbs of LR and LS, 2 wavemakers (I cant tell the brand from the pics and the owner has not given me the model yet), It has a customer built 3 chamber sump that measures 30" long X 15" tall X 16" deep made by trigger systems(not sure how to figure how many gallons that is), it has an in sump octopus skimmer (again cant tell which one exactly), JBJ ATO system, Carbon reactor, Nova Extreme Lighting, 5 Stage RO/DI unit is included.
I want to start with just the FOWLR tank until i feel experienced enough to introduce anemonies and coral into the tank.
I am trying to figure out the best way of moving all of this to my house and not shock/kill the fish inside. Has anyone ever moved an established tank from one place to another? Any tips for me?
When i get it to my house can i simply add it all back to the tank with the original water or do a need to introduce everything in steps again?
I would appreciate as many oppinions as i can get.
Thanks,
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Hi,

Welcome to the site. Congratulations on your new tank!

Make sure you completely empty the tank, do NOT try and move it with the sand or rock in it. I also have a 90g that I have fully moved 3Xs, and the only loss was a cleaner shrimp, one made it, but the other just fell over and gave up the ghost.

If the rock is only out of water for less than an hour, you have no worries there. Damp paper towels to keep them moist is all that is needed. The sand is a bit of a pickle. If the sand is deeper then 2 inches, then it should be rinsed in saltwater before being placed back in the tank. In the deeper layers are toxins, that would be released when you stir it up, or move the rock where sand has been sitting around it for any length of time.

To be honest, I would bag up the fish and give, sell, or trade them, for in store credit at the LFS. That will free up the tank for you to be able to work on it, and not worry with live fish. Any snails, corals and such are hardy enough to live in a bucket (with an airline) over night if need be. Also if you keep the fish, you are locked in on live stock, and have somebody's choice of critters as opposed to your own choices. The fun of a SW tank is selecting your fish...you rob yourself of that joy if you keep whatever the other people had in it.

There is very little good bacteria in the water, so replacing it is not a big deal. You don't have to carry or bottle up the old water. If there is any floss or sponge material or bio balls in the sump...do not rinse it, leave it alone so the good bacteria is still loaded on it.
 
clownsrcoo

clownsrcoo

Member
May i ask why you suggest I move the tank with the sand and rocks in it? Id be too scared of the rocks moving while driving and shattering the glass.
My plan is to buy like a 32 gal rubbermade Brute trash can and lid and fill with out 25 gallons of the tank water. Ill put the sand and rocks in the bottom of that. The fish ill prob put in a rubbermade tote or something with one of the powerheads running.
I like your idea about trading the fish in for credit. I dont know if my LFS are going to do that though since they will be suspicious of it bringing in some disease or disturbing their stock.
Then ill be keeping the trash can to use for spare water for water changes. I see people saying they have a powerhead in their spare water tanks. I dont know the reason for this. Is it just to help mix the salt in the water and once you have it mixed up you can remove that or do you need to have it running in there at all times?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by clownsRcoo http:///t/396434/newbie-needing-your-help-please#post_3532294
May i ask why you suggest I move the tank with the sand and rocks in it? Id be too scared of the rocks moving while driving and shattering the glass.
My plan is to buy like a 32 gal rubbermade Brute trash can and lid and fill with out 25 gallons of the tank water. Ill put the sand and rocks in the bottom of that. The fish ill prob put in a rubbermade tote or something with one of the powerheads running.
I like your idea about trading the fish in for credit. I dont know if my LFS are going to do that though since they will be suspicious of it bringing in some disease or disturbing their stock.
Then ill be keeping the trash can to use for spare water for water changes. I see people saying they have a powerhead in their spare water tanks. I dont know the reason for this. Is it just to help mix the salt in the water and once you have it mixed up you can remove that or do you need to have it running in there at all times?


Some stores will take the fish and some won't, if you offer to give away the fish, they USUALLY say yes, and the good fish stores quarantine the fish before sale, and the one by me will give me store credit after the quarantine. At the very least, it will let you know what kind of LFS you are dealing with.

Bag the fish and corals, you can put all the bags in a tote to carry. Trap air in the top of the bag and seal it tight, they will be fine. For the rock just moisten paper towels in the saltwater and overlay the rock. Water is super heavy and you don't want it splashing about anyway. A tote with the rock covered in PAPER towel is best...News paper has ink, you don't want that, and cloth towels get ruined, and if they have been washed, traces of softener or soap could be a problem.
 
clownsrcoo

clownsrcoo

Member
Ok thanks,
I have never had a tank with live to I in it. Is it pretty hard to stack it safely and get it to stay? If I need to use some kind of adhesive is there anything I can use?
I have never used a preteen skimmer either. I read they require some minor adjustments in the beginning. What should I look for with that to tell if it's adjusted correctly?
 
geridoc

geridoc

Well-Known Member
You can use marine epoxy to glue the rocks together. Another method it's to drill 1/4" holes on two pieces of rock, then join them with a piece of acrylic 1/4" rod.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by clownsRcoo http:///t/396434/newbie-needing-your-help-please#post_3532321
Ok thanks,
I have never had a tank with live to I in it. Is it pretty hard to stack it safely and get it to stay? If I need to use some kind of adhesive is there anything I can use?
I have never used a preteen skimmer either. I read they require some minor adjustments in the beginning. What should I look for with that to tell if it's adjusted correctly?


Some folks do attach the rock...but that locks it into a shape and position...and I like to change stuff up once in a while.

There is a method, it was taught to me years and years ago, and it always holds up....place the rock you want to stack on the one below it, and turn it and wiggle it until you kind of feel it lock into place. The nooks and crannies where one rock rests on the other will become the puzzle piece to work with each other to attach them...This method works really well, we don't just stack the rock one on top of the other.

Zip ties can be helpful if you go the glue route, the glue (or the putty) just doesn't hold very well...one good twist and it releases.
 
clownsrcoo

clownsrcoo

Member
Thank for the tip. I will not be using adhesives unless I absolutely have too to keep a design a love.
What are some of your lighting schedules? I read for fish only you should try to do 6-8 hrs and 10-12 for reefs I think. My tank will be in a main room of the house and will be around natural light but not in direct sunlight. I know that type of light is not enough for reefs but my question is will it effect the fish and corals at all to be getting all that light during the day and even lighting from the bulbs well into the night? Is it bad for them to have such long daylight hours in the tank? I was thinking of doing my lighting for the fish only set from 3-11.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by clownsRcoo http:///t/396434/newbie-needing-your-help-please#post_3532354
Thank for the tip. I will not be using adhesives unless I absolutely have too to keep a design a love.
What are some of your lighting schedules? I read for fish only you should try to do 6-8 hrs and 10-12 for reefs I think. My tank will be in a main room of the house and will be around natural light but not in direct sunlight. I know that type of light is not enough for reefs but my question is will it effect the fish and corals at all to be getting all that light during the day and even lighting from the bulbs well into the night? Is it bad for them to have such long daylight hours in the tank? I was thinking of doing my lighting for the fish only set from 3-11.


Hi,

I'm afraid there are no blanket answers to your question. Some corals need very little light, while others need the big Granddaddy ones. I have found that the more you mimic nature the better off you will be. When I had a reef, I had the timer set at 12 ours on and 12 hours off. However that much light wasn't really necessary, and others had algae problems when the lights were on that long.

Fish don't really care, some ledges or caves should be provided for them to hide under if they don't want to be in the bright light.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top