Best way to move tank?

[sraber1978]

I might be moving in a few months and wanted to start researching early to find the best way to move my tank and what people have had luck with and what they havent had luck with while moving. where im loooking to move is about 11 hours away, so it will be a long haul, and i have to move a 75 gallon reef tank. So if anyone has any information to share id appreciate it.

 

[cdness]

Bucket everything keeping it all wet. Put the rocks in separate containers than the fish and corals in another. Save as much water as possible since you can't go to the new place to start making water.

Set an inverter for the vehicle and run small heaters (depending on temps of course) and air pumps in the buckets.

Just be sure that the tank is one of the first things set up at the new place...

 

[alpine36]

I could only imagine how much movement there will be with the water swooshing around.

good luck.

 

[Demasoni]

good luck. Make sure you have alot of makeup water ready to fill the tank at the new location.

 

[aprosody]

Not sure if this is a good idea, someone else can chime in, but..

What if you were to ship your fish and corals to yourself, overnite?

keep all the water in tubs (minus what you have to put with the livestock) and ship the stuff out as late as possible the day you move. Drive straight through to your new place, set up the tank first thing, and pick up the livestock ASAP.. I am sure the overnight shipping would be costly, but it is just another idea.

 

[Sk8r]

Empty tank, right down to the sand. Is it rr? Bottom drained. If so, protect connections during move: we set ours on the stand in the truck, strapped down.
Board all corals and fish if you can. A fish store in the place where you're going might agree, in return for your business. You have to hope they don't accidentally sell one of your fish.
Bucket all live rock and inverts with adequate circulation. Get them over to the new place early if you haven't been able to get boarding space for them.
Don't believe 11 hours. It will take longer.
Get new sand. Have it with you. Wash it beforehand: you won't be able to find half your gear.
Take enough salt water or go over to the new place the night before the move and get it stirring.
Set up asap, abandoning spouse to do other jobs...get the eggcrate protection down, get the rock down, get the new sand down and get the water in. For your live rock, it MUST be salt water from the get-go. Plan on a five day cycle.
Your fish/inverts will be effectively in quarantine for the next number of days.
I did a cross-town move with nearly this number of moving parts, and on arrival, there was a problem with my sump, which delayed the setup for a week and a half. I was in a mess. Expect things to go wrong.
You might take advantage of this move to increase that sump size to 30g, which would allow a 20g fuge. Or to make any other changes you wanted.

 

[jrod11]

I moved my 125 gallon reef tank a year ago and I am getting ready to move it again in two weeks. My main advice is to PREPARE EARLY! I spent the three days before just getting ready to the last little detail. I had water in new trashcans at the location that I was moving it to with a heater in there to get it to be the right temp and also had a power head in there to keep it moving. WHen it was time, i drained all the water and removed the corals and put them in bags with water. Then put all the LR in tubs with lids. I put wet towels over the LR to keep them wet in the drive. The fist all got bagged and put in buckets. I then emptied out the water in the tank down to the sand and left it in there. Carried it all out in three seperate pieces. The tank, stand and canopy. I drove 2 hours and didnt lose anything, but feel like i was lucky. Corals were definitely upset, but they bounced back even healthier than they were before after they got acclimated. Good luck!