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Moving!

Omega

GPO
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Nov 30, 2009
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Well time is almost upon me to pack up and move to start my marine bio double major. I've never moved a tank as large as a 110g so this is what my plan is at the moment, any advice appreciated:

I'm going to buy 5 gallon buckets fill them with water from the tank and add in live rock and sand. Then take the bio balls from the sump and put them into a bucket of tank water as well, and put the fish in a small acrylic tank that wont shatter if moved full. Then let the four fish stay in that tank till the big tank is resetup and the water clears up.

Am I forgetting anything drastic? I'm only moving two hours a way will it be nccesary to get portable air pumps for each bucket that has rock in it?
 
I would get an airpump as you will have 4 fish in the small tank. I dont know how big the fish are but, I wouldnt keep the fish in the small container together for longer than a few hours. If it takes you time to set up the tank and what not then putting one fish per bucket might be a better way to go. Just depends on if you have enough airpumps.

I wouldnt use a pump for the live rock but I would for the fish.
 
I would consider running a battery operated air pump even in transit for the fish. You might also put a black plastic bag loosely over the fish tank or put the tank in a dark place once they are in the new location just to encourage them to be inactive until they are relocated in their normal tank (which will be new to them). How are you planning on covering the tank in transit? If you have an old salt bucket with screw on top or get another large sealable container that you can use (with an air line hole drilled through the top), I would highly recommend that for transport rather than trying to use a fish tank you can move them to the more comfortable tank when you get to your destination but water sloshes without much movement, resulting in a wet car and possible fish on the floorboard.

If you have corals in the tank I would not put the sand and their rocks together. The sand will be abrasive during transport so anything sensative (keep in mind we use sand blasting to clean really hard scrub surfaces) to abrasion should be separated from your sand. Safest would be to put the sand in one bucket and the corals in another.

Lastly, I would only use only a small amount of your original water. Disrupting your sand bed will release anything normally trapped there and may cause a mini cycle.
 
You need to consider temperature change. A collection of 5 gallon buckets has a lot more total surface area than your tank does, so their contents will be affected by the ambient temp a lot. Will it be much hotter or colder then tank temp in the truck? I prefer to use two 30 gallon rubbermaid trash cans to move a tank that size. I use a furniture dolly to roll the filled trash can from near the tank to the truck, and make sure to rent a truck with a hydraulic lift. If there are any stairs of steep inclines on your route to or from the truck, then this plan won't work. Then, in the truck I tie the tie the trash cans to the walls of the truck in the corners, so they can't tip over, and I secure the lids with lots of duct tape so water won't slosh out. Then I wrap the trash cans with blankets, sleeping bags, or some other type of insulation.

Wait time:
Realistically, how long will it take for you to set your tank up on the other end? Will you have to wait after putting in your used substrate and water, for the water to clear before you can put your animals in? Will the animals and live rock be able to handle the two hour drive plus the ? hour wait? Will they wait in a temp controlled place, or in a truck parked in the sun?

if you won't be transporting all of your tank water, where will you get the 50 - 70 gallons of water you'll need at the other end, and how will it get up to temperature. If possible, have it waiting for you when you get there, so your animals don't have to wait for you to mix it.

Just a few things to plan for and consider.
 
thanks for the replies..the temp was a good call! it hadnt even crossed my mind. its realy hectic where im living right now, remodels going on and getting ready to move. I only have a few corals because i stopped adding to the tank once i found out i was moving. Ill keep them seperate from everything but the rocks theyre attached to, Ill be moving the aquarium after I move the rest so I'll make sure the apartment temp is about even with where i live and just watch my car temp closely in transit. I guess because the big tank will take time to settle and have the water mixed, ill set up two small tanks the first day i move so those tanks are settled and ready for the fish to stay in while the big tank is settling and getting ready...I think that about covers most of what you guys recommended thanks again for the advice =].
 
on the bio balls do they need to be completely submerged during the move? I know everyone has a preference on the way they keep them in the sump. some keep all submerged, some keep half, and some keep none submerged I usualy do not have mine submerged..so will it hurt them to go from unsubmerged to submerged for the move? or is it more a matter of just making sure they all stay wet
 
You need to keep the bio balls wet, and the most reliable way to do that is to submerge them.

Are you going to study at UT in Austin or Texas A&M in Galveston, (or somewhere else)

Wish you a good move!

Nancy
 

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