Kessil

Moving a Tank

pixelpixi

pixelpixi

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Any tips on moving an aquarium? My current plan is to move all the livestock, rock, and sand into buckets, take down the system and set it up in its new location, fill the system with new salt water, then move everything back in.

One thing I'm particularly worried about is inducing a cycle by disturbing the sand bed. Do I need to be concerned about that?
 
Yes. Typically when I move a tank I pitch the sandbed and either replace it, take it out clean it and replace after a couple of weeks or do without. Trying to keep the sandbed would likely be your biggest issue in moving your tank.
 
[quote author=pixelpixi link=topic=5016.msg61457#msg61457 date=1225389283]


One thing I'm particularly worried about is inducing a cycle by disturbing the sand bed. Do I need to be concerned about that?


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Yes you do, how much moving is involved? Are there a lot of twists and turns that would disrupt the sandbed? Also, I tend to use at least half of the old water to help keep the parameters as stable as possible. Also, it helps to move the fish and other livestock in coolers, they're dark and stay nice and warm.
 
Oh, coolers are a good idea. I'm moving it from either my old office to home or to my new office, which is several blocks away. So either way everything has to be loaded into my car, moved up and down flights of stairs, etc.

Another idea I had is to set up a big rubbermaid tub in the new location with a heater and powerhead. That way I can move one bucket/cooler full of livestock at a time into there, then take my time setting up the tank in the new spot.
 
Ive moved my reef twice in almost a year. When I made the move from SoCal, I used a cooler, power head and small heater (pump heat was enough with the insulation). All the corals were isolated so that they couldn't sting eachother. Hopefully you have a bare bottom tank. If not, replace the sand. Old sand stirred up is a nutrient nightmare.
 
I used Saran wraps to individually protect each coral from touching each other while they're in a cooler. Works great and helps keep the corals from rolling around during transporting.

I also re-used all my old sand but I did a really good gravel vac before taking them out of the tank.
 
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