Moving a Reef Tank - Long Distance Plus a Wait

[swiftvision]

Ok, I've read the threads on moving a tank....but all have one thing in common, they move directly into a tank when they arrive.

Here is my problem, I need to move my 100 gallon display tank 220miles, about 4 hour drive. Not too big a problem to work out...

BUT

When I get there I will be in a temporary home for 1-2 months.

So now what do I do? I am moving in 2 weeks. This weekend I could setup a 40gallon tank for temp use at the temp house but thats not long enough to cycle (well maybe) and it won't have any filtration at least not permanent. I can't BUY another full reef setup for only 1 month of use.


Local fish store said buy wide/short totes/tubs and keep the fish in one and corals in another with a light over it. Do water changes weekly. I can add my charcoal and GFO filters to one of the tubs. I can add a skimmer on a stand for the fish tube. both (or more) tubs would have water movers and heaters. But will this work? Do I need sand and rock in the fish tub? Will the loose of bacteria cause a massive shock/cycle?

I could start setting up the tubs now but would buying a cheap tank and throwing everything in there be best? Or just getting some tubs now, putting in water and bacteria and some extra dry rocks to get things ready for the move?

 

[swiftvision]

I'm starting to think that setting up the old tank, maybe even temporary, might be the easiest thing....it's just a very complicated tank.

 

[swiftvision]

 

[DasCamel]

Long distance move.

Long distance move.

I have a move thread moving a 150g 1000 miles, not an easy task.

Only lost one fish during the move, but decided on a bigger tank while waiting on my house to be ready. Lost my hybrid powder blue 6 weeks later, right before his new home was ready. Corals mostly died, saved all three nems.

 

[swiftvision]

What did you set them up with in the temp home?

I am planning on having air and heat in the buckets durring the move process running on an DC/AC inverter.

But what to do once to the house?

I have $15,000 in this tank.....and it's only 1.5 years old....

 

[DasCamel]

Used a 40g breeder. Ditched most of the rock, wouldn't suggest it.

40g marine cooler is great for the move though. Insulated and strong.

 

[carrots]

I would set up the 40 gallon at the new place using some sand and rock from the current tank. set it up with a cheap hang on the back filter and heater. Sell off the purple tang before the move. The other fish are small and will not be as stressed as the Tang. The last thing you need is a Tang stressing with the move to a small tank and breaking out with ich. When you get the new tank set up with all the livestock feed very little and use an ammonia alert on the tank. Good luck

 

[RioReefr]

I only have experience moving a 32G 300 miles and a 6.5 hour drive (no loss of life).
My suggestion is make sure you have a battery-powered portable aerator in the bucket(s) for the fish to breathe.
Definitely put the Tang in a separate bucket. All the fish will pretty much just stay in one corner, obviously not too happy about what is happening. The fish do not need any sand or rock, in fact I would advise against it since there will be movement of the rocks/sand simply by going up/down hills.
Corals can survive for a couple days without light. Just be careful about any rocks they are attached to and crashing into each other. Invest in some bubblewrap to prevent that from happening. Also, make sure you have plenty of duct tape and seal things well. The water will shift a lot!

If you do go the 40G route, you might want to look at Bio Spira Bacteria. I have personally used it with success and there are lots of good reviews of others dramatically reducing the cycling time:

https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Ocean-BIO-Spira-Treatment-Aquariums/dp/B003ODDS5E

 

[DasCamel]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2600479

Here is the full thread. Bakersfield to Seattle. 1000 miles with photos.

 

[tank o tang]

If you have a local club you might find someone to hold your stuff in their sump or frag tanks for frags of your corals. This way in a month when your settled in you still have everything.

 

[Joe0813]

when I moved I set up a few tanks (3 ten gallons, a 20g and a 55g) right on my kitchen floor of the new house. I filled as much 5 gallon buckets with water as I could and transferred the water to the tanks. I made sure every tank had live rock in there so I wouldn't have a cycle. took about a month to get my 180 gallon delivered to the new house. only lost one fish but that was my own fault. who knew yellow accessors buried in the sand.. (vacuumed him right up ... oops)

 

[NO3]

WARNING WARNING

Any State Trooper that sees a glass tank filled with water in your car WILL PULL YOU OVER & MAKE YOU DUMP IT 100% ROADSIDE bc its a potential projectile. But I'm pretty sure secured COOLERS are okay....

A waterfilled glass tank has the ability to kill ppl in the car when it gets launched during a major breaking event or crash.

If someone DIES or gets HURT....your CAR INSURANCE COMPANY will pay $0.00 on your claim.

You may even get a TICKET by the State Trooper if they are in a bad mood.

 

[andrewkw]

If you have $15k of livestock in that small of a tank I really suggest as many separate systems as possible. Tubs, 10g tanks and have HUNDREDS of gallons of saltwater ready.

Pay someone in the new location to deliver you saltwater. You're going to need it. Pay extra to have it match your parameters.

2 years ago I moved about 700km I didn't lose anything in transit but I lost a good 50% or more of my livestock transitioning everything. There was a 6 week gap between moving into my new house. During that time I kept my livestock in various holding tanks in my parents bathroom. The tanks were too small, fish started killing each other, but worse my euphylias melted and took out my masked swallowtail angel whom I did not want to keep with my other fish.

Not sure what kind of reef you run but when I move again and I hope one day that will come, I plan on fragging everything first and keeping every type of coral that has the potential of killing each other separate, or in larger water volume stock tanks. Messing up your reef now may set you back a few months, but hoping for the best may set you back years.