Long distance move

[mkoop]

Hello,

I am looking for any advice or tips from anyone who may have gone through a long distance move. I'll be looking to move a 255 system from Wisconsin to Colorado September 2014, at that time the tank will be about 2 years established. Work offered me a promotion with the move that I can't really pass up, just looking for any help with moving the reef I can. I feel I am in way over my head and not sure where to begin with this transport.

Should I plan to replace the substrate? Best ways of transporting all of the life? Any considerations at all I am sure will be helpful for me.

Thanks in advance,
Matt

 

[petere1989]

i'm kinda curious too as I will be moving from Illinois to California in a little over a year. But as far as I've looked, maybe get plastic buckets, like the ones that instant ocean salt comes in, and make shelves that fit in the buckets with egg crate and use those to put your corals in if you get what i mean, i can elaborate more if you need me to. Also using battery powered air stones in the buckets would be fine but thats how i plan to do it. I personally would get new sand, but i run my tanks bare bottom so no worry's for me. Do you plan to upgrade because you need to have a place to put your corals when you get there. Perfect excuse to upgrade. As for the fish, i'd just get rid of them and start over, at least for me, the corals more important then the fish.

 

[krkqm2008]

I'm In. The same boat, Washington, D.C. To Dallas Texas. 150 gallon tank
Rare fish. High end crazy corals. I don't know what to do either. Moving in June :/

 

[jjk_reef00]

2-3 days driving and then having water and a tank set up may be a challange.
I've heard people recommend they have their LFS ship them the livestock when they are setup.
If you want to move it:
Seed some filter media to use in coral and fish containers because they are lighter than rock and less likely to damage things if they shift around.
Get a DC to AC converter and use an airstone or small pumps for circulation.
Rubber totes work great for carrying livestock, and you may want to get a rolling dolly to move the totes around. As for corals I would consider fragging them and then bring the frags with. Pass on the colonies to a fellow reefer or LFS who wouldn't mind shipping you frags if yours don't make the trip.
Temperature control may be an issue depending on what time of year you move.

 

[stryke297]

I've got a move coming up, but it's smaller distance, an a small tank.

I've been thinking about this for a while and so far I'm thinking.
beforehand get a rubber/plastic bucket, fill it with saltwater, maybe some liverock, have that already in the vehicle, get a powerhead and heater, attach to converter, take as much critters as possible in a 5gal bucket...Hell that would require me having a new tank to move my stuff into and then to have an almost drained tank with just sand and some LR left to be one of the last things I move.

you may want to ship all your critters, get some of that straight from the bottle water, and bring your tank with like 1-2" water in it.

 

[dave.m]

Mr. Saltwater Tank has a book out on how to move a reef tank. Haven't read it myself, but if you're stuck for ideas it might be a worthwhile investment.

Dave.M