Moving House, Along With The 100gal Reef

[1234-fishy-freind]

Hi guys.
As the title says, I will be moving house in just over a months time and I have a 100gallon reef tank to move.
I am only moving about 10 miles from my current house so the distance isnt much of a problem. My dad will also have pre-made another stand for the tank proir to the move so when we get there, the tank can be put on the stand which will already be there.

I think I have a roungh idea of how to go about this move.

1) Take out off live rock and put it in a tub with water, heater and pump and leave it untill the tank is ready for it.
2) Take out the fish and corals and either bag them up in breathable bags and put them all in a dark inslulated box with a heat pack. Or put them all in a ten gallon tank with a filter which i have been running on the tank for 4 months now and some live rock and a heater and leave them in there untill the day after the tank has been set up then put them all back in. (your thoughts??)
3) Take out all the water and put it into 2 large water barrels (200litres each) and drive the water and tank down to the house in my dads van.
4) Put the tank on the stand and put the water back in.
5) Add the live rock back to the tank.
6) Turn on powerheads, heaters, return pump and top off any lost water and leave untill the next day.
7) Next day, add all the fish and corals back to the tank.

So that is pretty much what I had in mind. I will be able to go back and forth from the new house to the old one since they are close together.
The only thing troubling me was the bed of sand in my tank. It is only about 2 inches deep in the deepest part but I worry that if i tank it out when everythign else comes out and I add it again, it will cause a nitrate spike and if i leave it in the tank will be too heavy to lift. Anyone help with this??

So, what are you guys thoughts/ideas or comments.
I need all the help I can get with this move so if anyone has any expericene too it will be greatly appreciated.
thanks

Josh

 

[ben1987]

Yor plan sounds ok to me. I wouldnt want fish bagged for any more than a couple of hours max though it it was me.

 

[scott133]

the sand will be fine i have moved before and never found it to heavy to lift you should be ok

 

[rabbut]

I would say do a large-ish water change before you move, and vac the sand while you do it. You need the sand out before you move the tank, moving the tank with weight in it may crack the base, something that obviously needs to be avoided

 

[scott133]

never thought about the tank craking good point i will have to keep that in mind

 

[BecciMac1987]

Try not to feed for a day or two before the move to minimise pollution of the small amount of water in the bags.

 

[1234-fishy-freind]

Ben, I might only put the fish in bags while I take them to the new house then put them all in a ten gallon tank with a small filter, some live rock and an air pump until the tank is ready. Havnt quite decided on it yet though.

Rabbut, the only thing with vacing the sand is that its live sand and therefor is full of pods ect and i dont really want to loose them.
Will disturbing the tank release any trapped toxins?

Becci, thanks for that very helpful tip.


josh

 

[scott133]

why not get a few buckets and sipihon the live sand into there and and siphion them back into the tank once you have moved and let the tank settle and put the fish in the small tank then do a water change then there should not be to many toxin as the skimmer should clear that over night just an idea so do you think that would work?

regards scott

 

[rabbut]

The only thing you'd have to worry about with a 2" sand bed it detritus, it's not quite deep enough for it to go anaerobic Mind, this said, many argue that anaerobic sand beds are not more of a risk than aerobic ones...

Live Sand will re-colonise itself from what's left and the live rock. Vacing it will do no permanent harm

HTH
Rabbut

 

[1234-fishy-freind]

Hmm ok I think I will vac it before I take it out then.
And I also think I am going to put the fish and corals in the ten gal tank until the next day so that I will have been able to test the water in the circulating tank to see if there has been a spike in anything.

Cheers guys


josh

 

[SkiFletch]

Towels, LOTS of towels

 

[Daniel Stevens]

I also recently moved house and had the privilege of having to move my reef (tank 600ltrs, sump 200ltrs) a mammoth task that took 13hrs and all this in 32' of Australian sun!
I moved only to the next street but completed it all in 1 day!.
Here's what i did.....

Most importantly make no arrangements for the day you intend to move your tank you need 100% commitment until the task is completed.

1: Pre-mix 50% of new water 2 days prior to the move.
2: Ask your lfs for the polystyrene boxes they receive the fish and corals in. (they should be free! most places are happy to get rid of them)
3:turn off lighting the night B4 so corals don't open the next day (moving day)
4: Place all corals in the boxes with tank water and leave the lids on do the same with the fish but put a small powerhead in with them.
5: live rock do the same with enough water so it doesn't dry

Do all of this carefully so as not to disturb to much sand and detritus,

6: empty as much water as you wish to keep.
7: wash the sand in the remaining tank water before emptying it all (chuck the remaining water away)
8: take the sand out and keep wet ( you must take the sand out, it holds much water and it will crack the base if you try to move it).
9:MOVE TO YOUR NEW HOUSE.....
10: position your tank and refill the sand add the 50% of new water and position your live rock, power heads etc....
top off the tank and start your filteration system! it will look very milky but thats fine within in an hour it should have cleared!
11: check your salinity and temperature and add the fish (stressgaurd or garlic is good @ this point, but be warned it does excite protein skimmers very much)
The fish will be fine and it is natural for them to show dull colours at this point.

When all of this is done and the water is clear enough to aid reefscaping add some water from the tank to the boxes containing the corals, balance the temperature and salinity and then add your corals to the newly moved tank.
Don't worry about your lighting for the first 24 hours because things will be so pissed you moved them they won't open any way.
The next day change your filter wool and check nitrate etc..... you will find it higher than normal but the new water will help.
I recommend doing a further water change the day after the move, turn on your lighting and reposition things and fiddle to your hearts desire.
I personally only experienced slightly higher nitrate after my move and all told it was very successful.
Monitor your tank carefully for a couple of weeks and don't panic to much with changes in readings things will settle and you may well experience as i did a better looking tank.
The quicker the move the less stress on your inhabitants, leaving things to add the next day is asking for trouble!
temp changes, ph fluctuates, nitrates rise, air is used and fish suffocate etc etc.....

The above is only my opinion based on a successful move of my own aquarium, please feel free to comment should you not agree or ask if your unclear on anything.

I wish you well and luck in your move.

 

[1234-fishy-freind]

Thanks daniel, much appriciated

josh