I guess this is a good place for this 
I found this on the net a few months ago when i sold my 60g SW to my friend.
Everything went well on the relocation
I can't remember the website I found it at cuz i copied the text to a word doc to save the info.
Here it is
-----------------------------
I have not had too much time to prepare, but I do have a fair amount of experience moving tanks, so this should prove to be an interesting talk/discussion.
I plan on speaking about moving a reeftank, but there are lots of different scenarios to cover. How big of a tank, you ask? I would first like to cover moving a fairly large tank across town, and then talk a little about moving cross-country w/ a reef...
Moving in-town is probably something that a lot of you have done, so I hope that we can have a discussion after the talk, to share tips and tricks. I think that this will benefit everyone. SO.....
Moving a reeftank across town...
First, what will you need to do this successfully?
List:
(things I think are essential)
Rubbermaid tubs (38g) WITH LIDS!
Don't forget to get the ones w/ snap on lids.
Figure that for a 75G tank, you will need about 3 or 4 tubs to do it right.
Next item.
Utility pump...I use a Rio 2500 w/ about 10 feet of hose.
A little piece of hose on the inlet also comes in handy.
Trash can...yes, the ubiquitous trashcan for mixing up water...
Something you may want to have if you can afford it is a canister filter for carbon and/or filter floss. This is good for clearing up water that is fouled by stirring up sand, etc.
Vehicle: If you have a big tank, you're going to have to have a pickup truck.
A sport utility works ok, but just isn't big enough inside, so you have to do multiple trips. People! The most important item! For moving acrylic tanks...you need very few people, for glass,you need about 2X as many. Figure for a 60 or 75 G glass tank, you will need 2 people to lift the tank. You will also need some miscellaneous stuff, like a scoop, a net, etc. But we've covered the basics. Of course, keep plenty of salt mix ready. On to moving the tank, the exciting part.
We'll start from scratch here, as in, look at the pretty tank...do I really have to do this? Yes! Moving a tank isn't the end of the world, it can be done w/o any losses, IF PLANNED. Tank moves generally take a day, so leave that much time open. You will probably end up staying up late anyhow though.....
If you're moving in town, then have the new tank area ready. Make sure you have adequate wall outlets nearby, and that you are reasonably confident in the floor... I'm a structural engineer, and trust me on this one, almost every floor is up to the task. Start by draining the tank water into one of the tubs, maybe until the corals are just exposed. Make sure not to overfill the Rubbermaid tubs...about 1/2 way full at the most, cause they will slosh in the truck. Take out the corals one by one... Some corals may be glued in w/ epoxy...but it is actually possible to remove them. If you can see some of the epoxy under the coral, slip a screwdriver under the epoxy, and it will pop off!
When you go to put the corals in your tub, here's a tip. Put each coral in an OPEN sandwich bag...like the flimsy bags that do not close. This way, they won't sting each other in the tub, and you can fit them closer together. Put all the corals in the tub or tubs.
Oh, an item I forgot... SMALL POWERHEADS - I use tiny powerheads for a little circulation in the tubs. That way I don't have to hurry, and I don't make mistakes. If it's cold, a small heater or two will come in very handy. There will be some corals that you just can't get off of the rock. That's life! Those green star polyps will probably be just fine...don't worry. If you make the move w/in one day, most corals can survive out of water...
Remove all the live rock to another tub. Try to take the top rock off and lay it on the sand. That way you can get to the base rock. You'll want to take the base rock out and put it in the tubs first. Make sure you put some water in w/ the rock, but also make sure you and your pal can still lift the tub! Put the nice rock on top of the base rock in the tub(s) then cover it w/ a moist towel, or newspaper. Once you have removed all the rock, you should be able to catch your fish. Wait a second, where'd your 6-line wrasse go? You guessed it, he's in the rock! Wrasses love to do that...they also will bury themselves in the sand sometimes too... hence, the water in the LR tub... OK, so now you have to catch the fish.
Start by removing all the powerheads and misc. hardware. Be extra careful that you TURN THE HEATER OFF before you bring the water level down...I'm sure that more than one person has cracked a heater by letting it overheat...;-) w/ all the hardware removed you should be able to catch the fish. Put them in their own separate tub too... that brings us up to 3 tubs if you do not have a lot of live rock, maybe 4 tubs if you do. Plus, you still have your precious live sand to remove.
Drain down your water into the tub w/ the fish in it. I haven't said anything about the water yet, but you want to keep as much as possible. If you save 60% of it, you are sitting pretty...basically your tank is going to get a 40% water change, but it probably can handle that. When the tank is drained down to the sand, get your scoop ready. You want to mix the sand up as little as possible, so take big scoops and set them in the last tub...don't just dump them in. The fauna that live in live sand are very delicate, and are easily injured and killed. Some are going to die, but don't make it any harder on them than you need to... scoop out all of the sand, and put it in the tub. For a short move, it is OK to submerge the sand, but for long distance runs, it is actually better just to keep it damp. (As per Ron. S)
You have done all of the delicate work now...time for heavy lifting. You'll want to have some moving blankets handy, they are REALLY cheap to rent. (that's another item I omitted above) If you have an acrylic tank, this counts double, as boy do they scratch easily. Try and make a run over to the new place with all of the dry stuff. Just drop it off on the curb and have your trusty tank movers haul it inside. (The promise of a 12-pack afterwards works wonders here) If your helpers are really cool, they may even put the tank on the stand for you before you return. (more expensive bribes may be necessary for this) Make a run back for the tubs/livestock.
Your tubs have lids, but remember, don't close the lids until you absolutely have to! If it's a long move, like 2-3 hours, you may want to drill some vent holes in the center of the lid for oxygen exchange. Turn off the powerheads and bring everything out to the car. Important tip:!!!! Put the tubs toward the FRONT of the truck. That way when you stop, you don't have a disaster. Few trucks accelerate faster than they brake. Especially Troy's..
Put the sand back into the tank carefully, and cover it with a piece of saran wrap, or a large plate/platter. This way, it won't be too disturbed when you pour water in. (this is a VERY important thing to do) Pour in as much of the water as you can, before you put the rock in. This way, you don't have to pour water onto the rock, and you have a way to turn your rock over, to make sure there aren't any bubbles trapped under it in the tank. If you are going to need supplemental water (and you will) Use the trash-can to pre-mix it well before the move. Make 2X as much water as you think you are going to need. When refilling the tank, that utility pump really begins to shine! Yes, it really is worth the forty bucks! Obviously remove the saran wrap before you put your rock back in.
Your tank will now look like this: 90% full tank with rock and sand in it... Can you see the rock? NO! You are probably going to have to aquascape your tank later... If you have a canister filter, you may not have to do this. If you don't have the canister filter, then try to put your corals down on the sand, in the front of the tank, and be patient. It will probably be 24 hours before you can see your rock. If you can run the canister filter, it may be more like 2 hours... During this time, make sure that you have as much circulation as you can get. Your sps corals, if you have any, will be streaming mucous. They can actually suffocate in the mucous, if left with no circulation. The more circulation, the fewer losses (if any) that you will have. Try to get the plumbing reconnected for the sole reason of getting your skimmer running. That is your mantra...chant to yourself..."Must run skimmer, must run skimmer" It will help remove the coral slime, the turbidity from the water, and will provide oxygenation. Your sand will probably release some compounds that you will want to quickly purge from your water. The skimmer will help with this.
Once the water clears, you can aquascape your tank...then you're done. I have moved 3 tanks in-town this way, and have only suffered one fish loss. It is very tiring though, and takes much more time than you think it will take, so remember to leave adequate time, and PLAN AHEAD. If you do, your tank move can be kinda fun. Think about it, you always wanted to move that rock from the bottom over to that other side, didn't you?
I think I've gone on long enough, so we'll have to talk about longer tank moves during the discussion period. I'll turn it back to the OPS now and we'll take q's, then open season. I mean forum.
What do we use to power the powerheads and heaters?
During the tank move (across town)...nothing. I use the powerheads and heaters to provide my livestock with a small "tank in a tub" while I get everything broken down, and then later set up again.
Anything practical that can be used for a power source, that would work for longer trips?
longer moves... For SLIGHTLY longer trips, you can get a converter that plugs into your car battery, which can operate 110V ac items. I know people who have used these, and they work, but are pricey.
How can it be better to keep your rock and sand damp and not submerged?
It would be ideal to keep everything submerged. If you have the space and the means, then double your amount of tubs, filling each of them up half way, then redistribute everything so that it is submerged. Rock and sand does just fine if kept damp, for a few hours, at least.
If you have a small tank like 29 or 55...could you conceivably just save all your water?
Yes, for small tanks, try to save all of your water. You will notice that no matter what you do, you will not have enough water when you go to set the tank up again though. If you have an overflow, this can be a problem, so make sure to have some extra water handy. My easiest tank move was my 5 gallon. I just gave it to my next door neighbor, who also liked reefs. We just drained half the water, carried it over there, then poured the water back in...;-)
I found this on the net a few months ago when i sold my 60g SW to my friend.
Everything went well on the relocation
I can't remember the website I found it at cuz i copied the text to a word doc to save the info.
Here it is
-----------------------------
I have not had too much time to prepare, but I do have a fair amount of experience moving tanks, so this should prove to be an interesting talk/discussion.
I plan on speaking about moving a reeftank, but there are lots of different scenarios to cover. How big of a tank, you ask? I would first like to cover moving a fairly large tank across town, and then talk a little about moving cross-country w/ a reef...
Moving in-town is probably something that a lot of you have done, so I hope that we can have a discussion after the talk, to share tips and tricks. I think that this will benefit everyone. SO.....
Moving a reeftank across town...
First, what will you need to do this successfully?
List:
(things I think are essential)
Rubbermaid tubs (38g) WITH LIDS!
Don't forget to get the ones w/ snap on lids.
Figure that for a 75G tank, you will need about 3 or 4 tubs to do it right.
Next item.
Utility pump...I use a Rio 2500 w/ about 10 feet of hose.
A little piece of hose on the inlet also comes in handy.
Trash can...yes, the ubiquitous trashcan for mixing up water...
Something you may want to have if you can afford it is a canister filter for carbon and/or filter floss. This is good for clearing up water that is fouled by stirring up sand, etc.
Vehicle: If you have a big tank, you're going to have to have a pickup truck.
A sport utility works ok, but just isn't big enough inside, so you have to do multiple trips. People! The most important item! For moving acrylic tanks...you need very few people, for glass,you need about 2X as many. Figure for a 60 or 75 G glass tank, you will need 2 people to lift the tank. You will also need some miscellaneous stuff, like a scoop, a net, etc. But we've covered the basics. Of course, keep plenty of salt mix ready. On to moving the tank, the exciting part.
We'll start from scratch here, as in, look at the pretty tank...do I really have to do this? Yes! Moving a tank isn't the end of the world, it can be done w/o any losses, IF PLANNED. Tank moves generally take a day, so leave that much time open. You will probably end up staying up late anyhow though.....
If you're moving in town, then have the new tank area ready. Make sure you have adequate wall outlets nearby, and that you are reasonably confident in the floor...
I'm a structural engineer, and trust me on this one, almost every floor is up to the task. Start by draining the tank water into one of the tubs, maybe until the corals are just exposed. Make sure not to overfill the Rubbermaid tubs...about 1/2 way full at the most, cause they will slosh in the truck. Take out the corals one by one... Some corals may be glued in w/ epoxy...but it is actually possible to remove them. If you can see some of the epoxy under the coral, slip a screwdriver under the epoxy, and it will pop off!When you go to put the corals in your tub, here's a tip. Put each coral in an OPEN sandwich bag...like the flimsy bags that do not close. This way, they won't sting each other in the tub, and you can fit them closer together. Put all the corals in the tub or tubs.
Oh, an item I forgot... SMALL POWERHEADS - I use tiny powerheads for a little circulation in the tubs. That way I don't have to hurry, and I don't make mistakes. If it's cold, a small heater or two will come in very handy. There will be some corals that you just can't get off of the rock. That's life! Those green star polyps will probably be just fine...don't worry. If you make the move w/in one day, most corals can survive out of water...
Remove all the live rock to another tub. Try to take the top rock off and lay it on the sand. That way you can get to the base rock. You'll want to take the base rock out and put it in the tubs first. Make sure you put some water in w/ the rock, but also make sure you and your pal can still lift the tub! Put the nice rock on top of the base rock in the tub(s) then cover it w/ a moist towel, or newspaper. Once you have removed all the rock, you should be able to catch your fish. Wait a second, where'd your 6-line wrasse go? You guessed it, he's in the rock! Wrasses love to do that...they also will bury themselves in the sand sometimes too... hence, the water in the LR tub...
OK, so now you have to catch the fish.Start by removing all the powerheads and misc. hardware. Be extra careful that you TURN THE HEATER OFF before you bring the water level down...I'm sure that more than one person has cracked a heater by letting it overheat...;-) w/ all the hardware removed you should be able to catch the fish. Put them in their own separate tub too... that brings us up to 3 tubs if you do not have a lot of live rock, maybe 4 tubs if you do. Plus, you still have your precious live sand to remove.
Drain down your water into the tub w/ the fish in it. I haven't said anything about the water yet, but you want to keep as much as possible. If you save 60% of it, you are sitting pretty...basically your tank is going to get a 40% water change, but it probably can handle that. When the tank is drained down to the sand, get your scoop ready. You want to mix the sand up as little as possible, so take big scoops and set them in the last tub...don't just dump them in. The fauna that live in live sand are very delicate, and are easily injured and killed. Some are going to die, but don't make it any harder on them than you need to... scoop out all of the sand, and put it in the tub. For a short move, it is OK to submerge the sand, but for long distance runs, it is actually better just to keep it damp. (As per Ron. S)
You have done all of the delicate work now...time for heavy lifting. You'll want to have some moving blankets handy, they are REALLY cheap to rent. (that's another item I omitted above) If you have an acrylic tank, this counts double, as boy do they scratch easily. Try and make a run over to the new place with all of the dry stuff. Just drop it off on the curb and have your trusty tank movers haul it inside. (The promise of a 12-pack afterwards works wonders here)
If your helpers are really cool, they may even put the tank on the stand for you before you return. (more expensive bribes may be necessary for this) Make a run back for the tubs/livestock.Your tubs have lids, but remember, don't close the lids until you absolutely have to! If it's a long move, like 2-3 hours, you may want to drill some vent holes in the center of the lid for oxygen exchange. Turn off the powerheads and bring everything out to the car. Important tip:!!!! Put the tubs toward the FRONT of the truck. That way when you stop, you don't have a disaster. Few trucks accelerate faster than they brake. Especially Troy's..
Put the sand back into the tank carefully, and cover it with a piece of saran wrap, or a large plate/platter. This way, it won't be too disturbed when you pour water in. (this is a VERY important thing to do) Pour in as much of the water as you can, before you put the rock in. This way, you don't have to pour water onto the rock, and you have a way to turn your rock over, to make sure there aren't any bubbles trapped under it in the tank. If you are going to need supplemental water (and you will) Use the trash-can to pre-mix it well before the move. Make 2X as much water as you think you are going to need. When refilling the tank, that utility pump really begins to shine! Yes, it really is worth the forty bucks! Obviously remove the saran wrap before you put your rock back in.
Your tank will now look like this: 90% full tank with rock and sand in it... Can you see the rock? NO! You are probably going to have to aquascape your tank later... If you have a canister filter, you may not have to do this. If you don't have the canister filter, then try to put your corals down on the sand, in the front of the tank, and be patient. It will probably be 24 hours before you can see your rock. If you can run the canister filter, it may be more like 2 hours...
During this time, make sure that you have as much circulation as you can get. Your sps corals, if you have any, will be streaming mucous. They can actually suffocate in the mucous, if left with no circulation. The more circulation, the fewer losses (if any) that you will have. Try to get the plumbing reconnected for the sole reason of getting your skimmer running. That is your mantra...chant to yourself..."Must run skimmer, must run skimmer" It will help remove the coral slime, the turbidity from the water, and will provide oxygenation. Your sand will probably release some compounds that you will want to quickly purge from your water. The skimmer will help with this.Once the water clears, you can aquascape your tank...then you're done. I have moved 3 tanks in-town this way, and have only suffered one fish loss. It is very tiring though, and takes much more time than you think it will take, so remember to leave adequate time, and PLAN AHEAD. If you do, your tank move can be kinda fun. Think about it, you always wanted to move that rock from the bottom over to that other side, didn't you?
I think I've gone on long enough, so we'll have to talk about longer tank moves during the discussion period. I'll turn it back to the OPS now and we'll take q's, then open season. I mean forum.
What do we use to power the powerheads and heaters?
During the tank move (across town)...nothing. I use the powerheads and heaters to provide my livestock with a small "tank in a tub" while I get everything broken down, and then later set up again.
Anything practical that can be used for a power source, that would work for longer trips?
longer moves... For SLIGHTLY longer trips, you can get a converter that plugs into your car battery, which can operate 110V ac items. I know people who have used these, and they work, but are pricey.
How can it be better to keep your rock and sand damp and not submerged?
It would be ideal to keep everything submerged. If you have the space and the means, then double your amount of tubs, filling each of them up half way, then redistribute everything so that it is submerged. Rock and sand does just fine if kept damp, for a few hours, at least.
If you have a small tank like 29 or 55...could you conceivably just save all your water?
Yes, for small tanks, try to save all of your water. You will notice that no matter what you do, you will not have enough water when you go to set the tank up again though. If you have an overflow, this can be a problem, so make sure to have some extra water handy. My easiest tank move was my 5 gallon. I just gave it to my next door neighbor, who also liked reefs. We just drained half the water, carried it over there, then poured the water back in...;-)
