Moving tank this time of year...

[ZLTFUL]

So long story short, my fiancee and I have decided to call it quits. She wants nothing to do with the tank so I will be moving it within the next few weeks.

That being said, aside from stressing the animals as little as possible, is there anything I can do to minimize my livestock loss during the cold time of year?

My plan is to drain down the water into a couple of totes and place the live rock/corals in the bottom of the totes in a way that minimizes movement...
Bag the fish, crabs, shrimp, snails...and put them inside a smaller tote with the tops of the bags secured under the lid to keep them from rolling...
I will transport the sand with about 6 inches of water in the bottom of the tank...or I may transport it in bags as well to allow me to drill the tank "during" the move...

Once at the new location, I will be plumbing in my sump and skimmer and hope to have everything back up and running and settling for a day or two while the fish reside in my QT for that time...

Any other advice I need to know about here?
I know what I did to move everything to where it is now but that was in the early summer and now that everything is established and doing well, I am freaked out by the move...

F.I.N.E.
Freaked-out, Insecure, Neurotic, Emotional

 

[xroads]

How about dumping all the livestock & stuff into someones sump? Then you can get tank moved & stable slowly. I am sure someone around has a big one.

Sorry things didnt work out for ya

 

[musty baby]

I've moved my tank (5 times in three years), and diablitaroja has moved a deep sand bed several times.

1. Siphon and save as much water as you can. Buckets work better than some totes. Cheap totes break and put 30 gallons of salt water in your car

2. Pull the rock and corals. Everything (corals included) need not be submerged.

3. Pull the fish

4. Take the sand bed out an inch at a time, layer by layer, and put it in seperate buckets. Put it back in the tank in the same order. Rachael's never had a problem doing it this way. I'm assuming you have a deep sand bed, if you don't then it's no problem to just take it all out at once.

You're more than welcome to borrow my system if you'd be more comfortable sticking stuff into someone else's tank, and if you get the right bulkheads I'll even help you drill your tank. I'm actually putting an order in to aquatic ecosystems for a bulkhead or two, so let me know if you want me to tack any on.

 

[Atticus]

Buy a cheap tank or borrow one to set up at the new location. Put water from your display into it and add a heater and powerhead. Then you can put your corals and fish in it. Run lower watt lights over it. This way you can take your time with the main display and work on tuning it since you are drilling it.

 

[bgreenlee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11122747#post11122747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Atticus
Buy a cheap tank or borrow one to set up at the new location. Put water from your display into it and add a heater and powerhead. Then you can put your corals and fish in it. Run lower watt lights over it. This way you can take your time with the main display and work on tuning it since you are drilling it.

I am sure someone close to you has an old tank or rubbermad stock tank you coudl set up as a temp tank. Generally I have seen sand beds cycle in a move live your doing which can stress things pretty good. I woudl move to a temporary tank that I had set up a week or so early to allow it time to be "stable' then move my display, set it up, let it cycle if it wants to, then move into it. I have done several tank moves and have lost very few animals. One was 1000 + miles from Wyoming to Kansas and all I lost was some snails and crabs that were in a tote with rocks.

Billy

 

[ipiniowa]

Ryan,
Give me a shout and I can help. I have moved in the winter as well and have a mini van that we can put everything in. I also have LOTS of totes. Also, if you need a tank to keep livestock, I have a 20 that I can hook you up with and throw anything else in my sump. You got the number, or PM me and I will send it to you again.

 

[phishcrazee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11122747#post11122747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Atticus
Buy a cheap tank or borrow one to set up at the new location. Put water from your display into it and add a heater and powerhead. Then you can put your corals and fish in it. Run lower watt lights over it. This way you can take your time with the main display and work on tuning it since you are drilling it.

Yes, I agree, this is the best way. Also, your tank will be too heavy to move with much sand in it, I've always found I had to remove the sand as well, as the tank's just too freakin' heavy with the sand in it. Good luck!

 

[Atticus]

You will also want to remove as much weight as possible from the tank as you will be twisting it while moving. Extra weight will put undo stress on the joints and in many cases will cause it to leak. I learned this the hard way moving a 55 from upstairs to down.

 

[ZLTFUL]

Plan on setting up a temp tank for the livestock or having someone pupulate their sump with it...
I have yet to find a new place to live yet as the deal at the Kirkwood fell through.
I did find a really nice place at the 10th street lofts that screams large saltwater tank needs to live here...
But I am having some issues coming up with the funds...

 

[ZLTFUL]

Anyway, point being is the tank will be empty when I move it so that I can drill it and plumb it and build a new stand that allows me to hid the plumbing. Will also be adding a calflow over flow to it...