Question on moving

[rayfish8]

Hey Guys,

I will be moving to a new home and wanted to get ideas on the best ways to break down my tank with causing too much stress to my fish only tank. I have a 72 Gallon takn. with 1 tang, 2 clownfish, 1 damsel, and 1 anthia. Any suggestions?

[chadvwhite]

all of your agronet andor sand will need replacing

[mojo]

The best way? Have a new tank cycled and ready to go for them...

Less difficult? Take some water and rock from your tank and get a small tank with circulation, heater, an airstone. Have that going for maybe a day before you move over your livestock into it.

Least difficult (and most stressful)? Remove everythign and put them in bags and buckets, save as much water as possible, and set everything back up when you get there. Expect to lose some livestock.

[CGill311]

How far are you moving? If you're just moving within the same city or a short move, different options may become more attractive.

[akula]

I would just offer this...

It will take longer than you think

you cant have enough buckets and storage totes

old sand bed will be so full of muck, just start with new sand

good luck.

[chadvwhite]

the reason that i know your sand base will need replacing is i just moved 2 weeks ago and had to do the same thing ... for my 65 gallon it took 5 hours to break down and re setup .. save as much water as posible and expect die off in your tank

[rayfish8]

Lucky for me I am only moving 20 miles .....But that gives the incentive to upgrade my tank!

[GeorgeW]

If you have a sugar sand bed and use stiring animals (snails, stars, etc), you'll save alot of time if you get a large mesh collander or screen sieve. I used one to dump the sand through when I moved my reef from a 15 to a 25 and gathering the sand critters was a snap.

[russbriscoe]

I cant wait to move so I can get a bigger tank

[nos68]

FWIW, I moved recently (very short distance) and used a company that moves tanks and other stuff. Ended up having to dump / loose my DSB from the tank (kept the refugium's sand though). The rock stayed damp and replaced 100% of the water.

I think I just lost one Chromis and a starfish, everything else made it. Well, did break the UV bulb & sleeve.

Yes, it will take at least 1/3 longer than you might think, there's always something that will come up (unexpected). Make sure you have extra everything (water, buckets, tubing, plumbing, etc).

HTH,
Chris

[Loverotties]

If your up sizing then put new tank up a day before half filled and up to temp and all perimeters, then bring old tank water and sand and add to new tank with the rock then fish.

[Nomad37]

Well I just moved my 180gal DSB, Heavy SPS and some fish for the second time in two months. The only thing I've had a problem with was some montiporas. That was do to low calicum levels though and nothing to do with the move. And for the sand bed, we moved the tank with 200lbs of sand still in the tank with just enough water to keep it wet! You want to talk about heavy. It took 4 of us to lift it and load it. The distance was an hour away and 12:30pm was the time we left with it. One thing I have done moving alot of SPS in the same container is to put them in thin plastic storage bags (1gal) with a little tank water and no twist tie and place them in a cooler full of tank water. It's kinda like a cross between dry packing and wet packing and it's fast! I've done on both moves and have not had any problems not even breakage.

Shut down the tank
Disconnect and pack the equipment
Drain and pack livestock and rock
Load tank and equipment
Load livestock and water
Go as fast as you can to the new location
Take it the live stock first
Set the tank
Fill and place Livetock
Hook up all the equipment
Go to bed!

Try to keep the livestock inside where it will stay cool. Keeping the temp right is the hardest problem mopving a tank>

Nomad37

[rayfish8]

I am going to give it a shot!

[Sprayin70]

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kooln]

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