Moving time

[shields]

I'm going to be moving my 120+ 30 in stand sump in the next week or 2. I get the keys to the new place on the 23rd and have to be out of my current place by the 29th. Leaves me 6 days to get everything moved (furniture, tank and all). Not exactly sure how to go about it. I will be renting a truck for the furniture. And plan to use it for the tank also. Don't know whether to do the furniture or the tank first. Maybe I need to set up a quick, small qt type set up at the new place and drop the fish in there while moving everything and assembling, leveling, and re-establishing it all. Any advice from anyone experienced in this process will help immensely!

 

[Deep Reef]

If it were me I would set up a qt at the new place. I swapped my75 with a 120 a year and a half ago. It took the better part of a day just to get the new tank set up in place. This would allow you time to move and set up the tank. Get large storage containers at the dollar store and you can place some rock and water in there so you can move them and keep them wet. Home Depot buckets for sand. I would say you need at least 4 for the move. If you make your own water get that going in the new place and have it ready for the move. If you don't make your own maybe set up a delivery for the move day so you can fill the tank as soon as set up. Just my 2cents

 

[shields]

I usually run my boat about 3-4 miles out and fill lowes 5gallon buckets with water, I have 10 of them currently for a ~40% water change. May get another 10 or so and have them filled waiting at the new place. Do I have to transport the rock fully immersed in water? Or will I be able to just coat some on there and it will stay wet? Maybe I should just fill the rock containers 1/3 of the way and have someone just keep splashing it up onto the rock?

 

[Lacy]

I would go for setting up a temp qt.

How long do you think it will take to get the rock from the old place to the new place and into water? If it is out to long you could go thru a mini cycle. I would try to keep it wet as long as possible. Someone could also have a squirt bottle and spritz it on the way over.

What about your sand? How long has it been in there? You might want to start with new sand or you can reuse the old sand. What I have done in the past is to use a small amount such as a gallon or so and put it in the tank. I gave it a gentle rinsing with tank water first. I took the rest of the sand and completely cleaned it. I did a light bleach and rinsed and soaked it very well to get all the bleach out. I let it dry and then slowly added it back into the tank over a month or so.

Or you could avoid this and just buy new.

 

[shields]

I would go for setting up a temp qt.





What about your sand? How long has it been in there?


Or you could avoid this and just buy new.

The sand and entire tank overall is only 2-1/2 months old. I think I would just reuse the sand entirely. Not worry about washing or anything. I was considering even only removing the rock and water, and just letting the sand stay in there while we carry it to the truck and then back into the new house. People have mentioned that my sand is too deep. I have 170 lbs in a 4' x 2' tank. It's near 4" depth. I was going for the utility of a deep sand bed. But I have heard those are useless now a days. Considering removing a good amount of it and setting up a remote DSB or filling my new fuge (that I intend on building) with sand for pods and such. I currently have a sump with a pseudo fuge but my flow is too high. I am gonna build a new one separate from the sump and am open to all suggestions.

 

[Deep Reef]

Another trick might be to cover the rock with wet (using saltwater ) newspaper. It will keep evaporation down especially if your not going too far. The put a small amount of water in the bottom of the container. It will splash all by itself.

 

[Daimyo68]

I would pull the sand out also. It's heavy when dry, now even heavier being saturated with water. Unless you have a way of lifting/moving the tank and keeping it perfectly level, your going to stress the seams when you lift it by hand with all that wet sand in there. Better safe than sorry, and waking up/coming home to a flooded floor one day.

Also, you could just purchase/borrow a couple Brute Garbage cans to transport your rock/fish in. This saves some of your "old" water, and negates the need to setup a Temp tank to keep your livestock in. Drop a small pump in there while setting the tank back up and you will be fine. I did this years ago when making a move 200 miles. Everything survived just fine over a 30 hour period.

+1 on the depth of the sandbed. I would only suggest a depth of 1.5-2" at the most, but this is all personal opinion.

 

[Lacy]

I also don't think it's a good idea to keep the sand in there while moving. Is that metal hook that is holding up the hose by the skimmer stainless steel? If it isn't I would get a stainless steel one or find a plastic one that works.