update on move
- Thread starter Gary Majchrzak
- Start date
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
Thanks, melev. Fish were the first to go, Mark.
My time has been torn between work, the move, my family and the aquarium.
There are ceratin things that I know for sure that contributed to what happened:
The aquarium and it's contenets were moved on Saturday. This took the whole day.
Sunday, (instead of working on the aquarium), I spent the entire day moving the contents of the house.
Late Sunday night I got the new system up and running.... but it was too late.
Certain corals got crushed at the bottom of the new rock stack on Saturday. Fishes that died early Sunday also contributed to the water quality problem- they hid in the rockwork and I couldn't get them out until I redid the rockwork.
My skimmer was also not functioning properly. It turns out that it wasn't the pump, (like I had originally thought), but a jammed Beckett.
If all of my attention was focused on moving the aquarium, I don't think any of this would have happened- but (obviously) there were other matters that required my attention.
At one point it was tough to locate a tool, let alone a light switch.
Thank goodness I finally found my clean undies!
Sorry- I have to laugh at something.
This has been a tough time. But it's going to get better. You should see the new rock stack.
Oh- and walk in closets are the bomb.
My time has been torn between work, the move, my family and the aquarium.
There are ceratin things that I know for sure that contributed to what happened:
The aquarium and it's contenets were moved on Saturday. This took the whole day.
Sunday, (instead of working on the aquarium), I spent the entire day moving the contents of the house.
Late Sunday night I got the new system up and running.... but it was too late.
Certain corals got crushed at the bottom of the new rock stack on Saturday. Fishes that died early Sunday also contributed to the water quality problem- they hid in the rockwork and I couldn't get them out until I redid the rockwork.
My skimmer was also not functioning properly. It turns out that it wasn't the pump, (like I had originally thought), but a jammed Beckett.
If all of my attention was focused on moving the aquarium, I don't think any of this would have happened- but (obviously) there were other matters that required my attention.
At one point it was tough to locate a tool, let alone a light switch.
Thank goodness I finally found my clean undies!
Sorry- I have to laugh at something.
This has been a tough time. But it's going to get better. You should see the new rock stack.
Oh- and walk in closets are the bomb.
Jamie2337
New member
Gary,
Thank goodness for the clean undies!
I am so bummed about your losses. I know that you put so much time and care into your amazing reef. I am sure that you will have something amazing again soon!
I am so glad you were able to get some amazing shots of your reef before the move!
I know moving can be a PITA. This last move was our 6th since our daughter was born and she isn't even 4 years old yet. Moving sucks...no way to get around that.
Just keep thinking about how good it will feel to have that last box unpacked and getting to kick back and watch your reef grow to greatness once again!
PS....I for one can't wait for you to get unpacked. We miss you around here!
Thank goodness for the clean undies!
I am so bummed about your losses. I know that you put so much time and care into your amazing reef. I am sure that you will have something amazing again soon!
I am so glad you were able to get some amazing shots of your reef before the move!
I know moving can be a PITA. This last move was our 6th since our daughter was born and she isn't even 4 years old yet. Moving sucks...no way to get around that.
Just keep thinking about how good it will feel to have that last box unpacked and getting to kick back and watch your reef grow to greatness once again!
PS....I for one can't wait for you to get unpacked. We miss you around here!
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
Thanks, Jamie. I miss being here. It's my way of relaxing.
Not much of that lately!
Not much of that lately!
melev
Well-known member
Gary, this is not an "I told you so" but rather a PSA <u>to all readers</u>:
Always make the focus of a tank move only about moving the tank - that's it. Everyone else focuses on the moving of furniture, clothing, etc. Livestock can't wait like a sofa can. In the article on my site, which I'll post now for those that haven't read it, I highly recommend that the tank get your full attention. (I understand why you couldn't Gary.)
Again, I'm sorry about your losses. The jammed beckett: ARGH!
Here's the article:
<b>Moving a Tank Successfully</b> - by Marc Levenson
When it comes to moving a tank, whether that be across the room or across town, success can be assured by your preparations and anticipation for any problems that may occur during the transition. Special consideration should be given to the new location, to make sure all is ready. Electrical needs should already be met, and the floor should be stable and sturdy. Obstacles should be removed at all costs to avoid tripping over anything while carrying the tank, the stand or anything else related to the move.
Whenever I'm about to move a tank, the first thing I do is start making more water. Even if you save every drop, you'll need more water at the new location for sure. If your schedule allows for it, prepare a trashcan or two full of mixed saltwater and have it ready to use. New trashcans run about $7 each at Home Depot, and they make great mixing containers and are equally useful for the moving process itself. Using RO/DI water, salt, a powerhead and a heater, you can have about 30g of water on hand, or more if you set up more than one trashcan full of saltwater. The water should be mixed and waiting at the destination if at all possible.
If you happen to be moving from one house to another, odds are you'll have lots of moving boxes and furniture to deal with. This needs to either be done before or after the tank is moved. When it is time to move your livestock, everything else must be put on hold, or let someone else focus on the rest of the move so you can put all of your attention into getting the tank torn down and re-setup in the new location. Make sure nothing in is in your path that will make it difficult to move the tank, so that it can be done safely.
If your tank has a DSB (4" of sand) and it is over 6 months old, you shouldn't disturb it. Moving a tank full of sand is of course much heavier and there is the risk of flexing and damaging the tank. Sliding a board under the tank to support it fully would be one way of moving it, and you better have enough people to carry that load. Another option is to save a few cups from the upper layer in a ziplock bag, and toss the rest out. If you choose this route, then you have the option to really clean the tank well before setting it back up at the new location. It is always easiest to clean a tank outside with a garden hose, laying it on its side and spraying it out thoroughly. Each side can soak in a half inch of water, then be scraped clean and rinsed. Rotate the tank until all the walls are clean.
What about the livestock itself? You can bag up corals individually just like the LFS does when you purchased them originally. These can be placed carefully within ice chests (summer or winter) or empty salt buckets (spring and fall) to prevent their shifting and being damaged. Adequate water should be added to each bag, and the bags should be sealed to create a good bubble of protective space around the corals. You don't want to arrive at your destination with rubble, right? Working with a helper will speed things along. Using the $7 trashcans, you can pull out all the live rock and place it in these. As soon as you have the corals and rock out of your tank, drain some tank water into the trashcan(s) to keep the rock fully submerged. Wearing gloves while removing rock protects against cuts or brushes with bristleworms. Any rock that has corals attached can be stacked on top of other rock in the trashcan to avoid their being damaged. Add water until they are fully sumberged. The tank will be cloudy, but now all the fish can be netted out. These can be bagged individually or placed in one or more saltbuckets with tank water.
With the livestock in coolers, buckets and trashcans, it is time to move now! What is the weather like? Are you traveling with everything in the back of a pickup truck or U-haul trailer? Do what you have to to maintain reasonable temperatures for the fish and corals. Perhaps they would fit in with you in the passenger compartment. The live rock (LR) and water you've brought along will be okay if the travel time isn't too lengthy. If the drive is short, you might decide to move all livestock first, and come back for the tank on the next trip. When moving LR, trashcans should only be filled about 1/3 to 1/2 full of rock and water, as two people are able to move that without it being too heavy. At the destination, your livestock will need life support: airstones, heaters, & powerheads. If you opted to move the tank and livestock in one trip, the livestock gets precedence and once they are safely hooked up with some equipment witin the climate controlled home, you can proceed with moving in the stand, tank and canopy.
Setting up the tank anew is similar to setting up a new tank. Sand first, covered by a plastic trashbag, then a large serving platter, then a bowl. Using a large submersible pump and some tubing, pump the water into the bowl which will overflow onto the platter and finally the plastic barrier. This keeps the sand from blowing around. Once the tank is half filled, you can gently remove the bowl, platter and plastic, and start placing the LR in the tank again. Wearing gloves, shake the rock well in the trashcan it arrived in to release any trapped detritus, then place it in your tank. Getting the rock in the tank is important, avoiding any long durations exposing it to air. If it has corals on it, just put them to the side and then retrieve more rock to start your stack. Try to stack it so that it looks random, yet solid. Nature hates a straight line, so avoid creating a 'brick wall' look. Try to create caves, crevices and areas for water (and fish!) to flow through. The rock should not topple easily, as that could scratch the glass or acrylic viewing panels. Wave your hand strongly near the rock to see if it teeters. Leave enough room between the rock and the walls of the tank so that a cleaning magnet will fit without hitting.
Once all the rock has been placed in the tank, you can add in the fish, corals and more saltwater. This is why it is important to have new saltwater made up in advance at the right temperature, as the water the rock travelled in is now muddy from the shaking / rinsing and is full of waste. Next, Add powerheads, the heaters, filters, and turn everything on. The lights can be turned on a little later after you've had a little time to relax.
If you set up the aquarium with new sand, once everything has been put in, you can add the live sand you bagged up earlier. Just pour a cup of sand in a few different spots before the powerheads are turned on. Lower the cup or bag of sand down to the substrate and pour it out gently. It is okay for this sand to form little mounds, and there is no reason to stir it in nor the need to level it out. You want the micro-fauna to be able to scurry deeply into the grains of sand, and once you turn on the powerheads a few minutes later, the sand will begin to level out naturally.
Be sure to test the water daily, watching for ammonia, nitrate, or phosphate spikes. There are products that you can use to reduce these if necessary. Matter of fact, keep a bottle of Seachem's Prime on hand as it is great in an emergency to lower toxicity in the tank. Phosphate sponges can remove these as well.
Things to have on hand:
* Plenty of towels
* Pumps and long tubing to pump water out or back into the tank
* Extension cords
* Thermometer to make sure the livestock's water is staying stable around 78Ã"šÃ‚° to 82Ã"šÃ‚° F
* Hydrometer/Refractometer to check salinity
* Nets & gloves
* Dollies & furniture sliders
* Shims to level the tank
* Bags, Buckets, trashcans, rubbermaid containers to transfer livestock and equipment
* Test kits, Prime
* Helpers!!! Have a few; they can fetch, carry, help as needed - feed as necessary.
If you follow these guidelines, moving a tank can be done successfully and with careful attention, all the livestock should survive the trip and continue to thrive in their new location.
Always make the focus of a tank move only about moving the tank - that's it. Everyone else focuses on the moving of furniture, clothing, etc. Livestock can't wait like a sofa can. In the article on my site, which I'll post now for those that haven't read it, I highly recommend that the tank get your full attention. (I understand why you couldn't Gary.)
Again, I'm sorry about your losses. The jammed beckett: ARGH!
Here's the article:
<b>Moving a Tank Successfully</b> - by Marc Levenson
When it comes to moving a tank, whether that be across the room or across town, success can be assured by your preparations and anticipation for any problems that may occur during the transition. Special consideration should be given to the new location, to make sure all is ready. Electrical needs should already be met, and the floor should be stable and sturdy. Obstacles should be removed at all costs to avoid tripping over anything while carrying the tank, the stand or anything else related to the move.
Whenever I'm about to move a tank, the first thing I do is start making more water. Even if you save every drop, you'll need more water at the new location for sure. If your schedule allows for it, prepare a trashcan or two full of mixed saltwater and have it ready to use. New trashcans run about $7 each at Home Depot, and they make great mixing containers and are equally useful for the moving process itself. Using RO/DI water, salt, a powerhead and a heater, you can have about 30g of water on hand, or more if you set up more than one trashcan full of saltwater. The water should be mixed and waiting at the destination if at all possible.
If you happen to be moving from one house to another, odds are you'll have lots of moving boxes and furniture to deal with. This needs to either be done before or after the tank is moved. When it is time to move your livestock, everything else must be put on hold, or let someone else focus on the rest of the move so you can put all of your attention into getting the tank torn down and re-setup in the new location. Make sure nothing in is in your path that will make it difficult to move the tank, so that it can be done safely.
If your tank has a DSB (4" of sand) and it is over 6 months old, you shouldn't disturb it. Moving a tank full of sand is of course much heavier and there is the risk of flexing and damaging the tank. Sliding a board under the tank to support it fully would be one way of moving it, and you better have enough people to carry that load. Another option is to save a few cups from the upper layer in a ziplock bag, and toss the rest out. If you choose this route, then you have the option to really clean the tank well before setting it back up at the new location. It is always easiest to clean a tank outside with a garden hose, laying it on its side and spraying it out thoroughly. Each side can soak in a half inch of water, then be scraped clean and rinsed. Rotate the tank until all the walls are clean.
What about the livestock itself? You can bag up corals individually just like the LFS does when you purchased them originally. These can be placed carefully within ice chests (summer or winter) or empty salt buckets (spring and fall) to prevent their shifting and being damaged. Adequate water should be added to each bag, and the bags should be sealed to create a good bubble of protective space around the corals. You don't want to arrive at your destination with rubble, right? Working with a helper will speed things along. Using the $7 trashcans, you can pull out all the live rock and place it in these. As soon as you have the corals and rock out of your tank, drain some tank water into the trashcan(s) to keep the rock fully submerged. Wearing gloves while removing rock protects against cuts or brushes with bristleworms. Any rock that has corals attached can be stacked on top of other rock in the trashcan to avoid their being damaged. Add water until they are fully sumberged. The tank will be cloudy, but now all the fish can be netted out. These can be bagged individually or placed in one or more saltbuckets with tank water.
With the livestock in coolers, buckets and trashcans, it is time to move now! What is the weather like? Are you traveling with everything in the back of a pickup truck or U-haul trailer? Do what you have to to maintain reasonable temperatures for the fish and corals. Perhaps they would fit in with you in the passenger compartment. The live rock (LR) and water you've brought along will be okay if the travel time isn't too lengthy. If the drive is short, you might decide to move all livestock first, and come back for the tank on the next trip. When moving LR, trashcans should only be filled about 1/3 to 1/2 full of rock and water, as two people are able to move that without it being too heavy. At the destination, your livestock will need life support: airstones, heaters, & powerheads. If you opted to move the tank and livestock in one trip, the livestock gets precedence and once they are safely hooked up with some equipment witin the climate controlled home, you can proceed with moving in the stand, tank and canopy.
Setting up the tank anew is similar to setting up a new tank. Sand first, covered by a plastic trashbag, then a large serving platter, then a bowl. Using a large submersible pump and some tubing, pump the water into the bowl which will overflow onto the platter and finally the plastic barrier. This keeps the sand from blowing around. Once the tank is half filled, you can gently remove the bowl, platter and plastic, and start placing the LR in the tank again. Wearing gloves, shake the rock well in the trashcan it arrived in to release any trapped detritus, then place it in your tank. Getting the rock in the tank is important, avoiding any long durations exposing it to air. If it has corals on it, just put them to the side and then retrieve more rock to start your stack. Try to stack it so that it looks random, yet solid. Nature hates a straight line, so avoid creating a 'brick wall' look. Try to create caves, crevices and areas for water (and fish!) to flow through. The rock should not topple easily, as that could scratch the glass or acrylic viewing panels. Wave your hand strongly near the rock to see if it teeters. Leave enough room between the rock and the walls of the tank so that a cleaning magnet will fit without hitting.
Once all the rock has been placed in the tank, you can add in the fish, corals and more saltwater. This is why it is important to have new saltwater made up in advance at the right temperature, as the water the rock travelled in is now muddy from the shaking / rinsing and is full of waste. Next, Add powerheads, the heaters, filters, and turn everything on. The lights can be turned on a little later after you've had a little time to relax.
If you set up the aquarium with new sand, once everything has been put in, you can add the live sand you bagged up earlier. Just pour a cup of sand in a few different spots before the powerheads are turned on. Lower the cup or bag of sand down to the substrate and pour it out gently. It is okay for this sand to form little mounds, and there is no reason to stir it in nor the need to level it out. You want the micro-fauna to be able to scurry deeply into the grains of sand, and once you turn on the powerheads a few minutes later, the sand will begin to level out naturally.
Be sure to test the water daily, watching for ammonia, nitrate, or phosphate spikes. There are products that you can use to reduce these if necessary. Matter of fact, keep a bottle of Seachem's Prime on hand as it is great in an emergency to lower toxicity in the tank. Phosphate sponges can remove these as well.
Things to have on hand:
* Plenty of towels
* Pumps and long tubing to pump water out or back into the tank
* Extension cords
* Thermometer to make sure the livestock's water is staying stable around 78Ã"šÃ‚° to 82Ã"šÃ‚° F
* Hydrometer/Refractometer to check salinity
* Nets & gloves
* Dollies & furniture sliders
* Shims to level the tank
* Bags, Buckets, trashcans, rubbermaid containers to transfer livestock and equipment
* Test kits, Prime
* Helpers!!! Have a few; they can fetch, carry, help as needed - feed as necessary.
If you follow these guidelines, moving a tank can be done successfully and with careful attention, all the livestock should survive the trip and continue to thrive in their new location.
Rick Maley
Premium Member
frags
frags
Gary, when ever you are ready, I have frags of your tri color table top, and others. Let me know. RickM
frags
Gary, when ever you are ready, I have frags of your tri color table top, and others. Let me know. RickM
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
It's a good article, Marc.
Thanks for the offer, Ben.
When moving a long established reef aquarium I'd (also) strongly recommend selling everything beforehand. Moving is very stressful and you can alleviate some stress by eliminating moving livestock. At the very least, give your prized animals to someone that might take care of them for you during the move- or sell them with a "buyback" stipulation. Every inch of my liverock was encrusted with something that was alive. All it takes is a few deaths (due to corals being misplaced, crushed, etc.) to start a bad chain reaction- especially if you have several noxious corals.
The first time I moved the contents of my reef aquarium (1997) everything went very smoothly. I'm not new to moving reef aquariums successfully, but I certainly don't plan on moving again anytime soon. Success or failure- moving a reef aquarium is not my idea of fun.
Thanks for the offer, Ben.
When moving a long established reef aquarium I'd (also) strongly recommend selling everything beforehand. Moving is very stressful and you can alleviate some stress by eliminating moving livestock. At the very least, give your prized animals to someone that might take care of them for you during the move- or sell them with a "buyback" stipulation. Every inch of my liverock was encrusted with something that was alive. All it takes is a few deaths (due to corals being misplaced, crushed, etc.) to start a bad chain reaction- especially if you have several noxious corals.
The first time I moved the contents of my reef aquarium (1997) everything went very smoothly. I'm not new to moving reef aquariums successfully, but I certainly don't plan on moving again anytime soon. Success or failure- moving a reef aquarium is not my idea of fun.
melev
Well-known member
So have you given any thought to what type of system you want to set up now? The reason I ask is because due to the misfortunate situation, you have more options livestock-wise. Just curious if you've ever wished you could have a particular setup or type of coral but couldn't due to your fishload...
^CelticReefer^
New member
Gary,
Sorry to hear of your loses brother
If at anytime in the future I can offer any frags to get you started again please LMK. You've been very helpful over the past few years and I'd be pleased to be able to return the good will.
Good Luck man,
Brian
Sorry to hear of your loses brother
If at anytime in the future I can offer any frags to get you started again please LMK. You've been very helpful over the past few years and I'd be pleased to be able to return the good will.Good Luck man,
Brian
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
I'm considering what to do next with my current system, Marc.
The new set up has much more chaotic flow and the rock stack is more open. It's still bare bottom.
The only limitation that my (small) fish population imposed on me before the move was the Majestic Angelfish which picked on "open brain" type corals.
I definitely want to replace my pair of Orchid Dottybacks.
Thanks. I need time to pass before I add anything.
Thanks, Brian. It's going to be alright. When I hear that I've helped somebody out it's the best reward I could ask for.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7066486#post7066486 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mariner77
Gary,
Sorry to hear of your loses brother
Good Luck man,
Brian
moriartiholmes
New member
Potters Angels are very pretty fish.
Gary, I know youââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢re a "sucker for symbiosis" and a big anemone fan, there's more that just clownfish that host in them. You could always try some of the other combinations.
Gary, I know youââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢re a "sucker for symbiosis" and a big anemone fan, there's more that just clownfish that host in them. You could always try some of the other combinations.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
I've had crabs and shrimps host in anemones. IMO nothing compares to the fish/anemone symbiosis.
I don't know what combo I'll have in the future, but I know that I will have Anemonefish hosting in an anemone.
I don't know what combo I'll have in the future, but I know that I will have Anemonefish hosting in an anemone.
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