moving my tanks..need some advice

[mfp4073]

I am going to use buckets and assorted containers, but my question is how to deal with acclimation. If I have 3 tanks, probably 6 large buckets, and countless smaller buckets and containers......how do I acclimate everything to the new setup? My largest tank is 20 gallons. I cannot float everything and by the time I drip acclimate everything I will be out of water. Any suggestions?

 

[cschweitzer]

Just make sure the tank water and the bagged water params meet closely on temp, SG/Sal, Ca/Alk, etc. The more params the closer to each other, the less necessity for acclimation. How far are you going and will you have control over the new tank before you start moving your corals? When doing a full move, it is many times easier to acclimate the tank to the bagged/bucket water than the other way around...

If it is a short move with little param change in the buckets/bags (i.e. no ammonia build-up, no O2 deprivation, no PH changes, no large temp swings due to transport), then it should not be too bad of a changeover. This is a good time to make sure your sand/rock is not building up nasty stuff by either mixing in new sand with some of yours for seeding, or by moving it and shaking it and getting all the crap that gets kicked up out through water changes.

 

[mfp4073]

Its going to be across town, but I have to move all three tanks at the same time AND will be moving my bed and stuff all at the same time. My plan right now is to move "living stuff" (bed, dishes, last of my clothes, computer, etc) on one day. Get the water setup, mixing, and stable that night. Then drive back into town the next day to breakdown and move the tanks. By the time I get everything broken down and loaded up I will probably be looking at 4 hours time in "holding" for the corals and fish before I start acclimating.