Moving [emoji33][emoji33]

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#1
So I’m moving from my current house to my new house in 30 days. Any advice on how to move the tank without a total loss.

Here is my Plan let me know if you think this will work.

I’m setting a up a QT tank at my friends house 2 weeks before move out day. This will be a 25 gallon tank with a hang on back filter and a sponge filter/ air bubbler thing. I figure I can keep the fish here on move out date plus a couple extra days while the new tank sets up or if it has a mini cycle.

As for the move out process. Take all the live rock that has no coral and put into a brute can with no water just some wet towels to keep them alive while we move. (Heater or no heater ?)

Get another brute can and put the rocks that have corals in with water and a heater.

Bag all non glued coral.

Throw all the sand away.

Set up tank in a hurry and add new sand and all the non coral rock. Wait for it to clear up a bit and add the rest of the rocks

Add some quick cycle bacteria and use new water and maybe some old water ?

Throw in some extra carbon and hope that all the coral survive. Add the fish in a week later ?

Let me know if you see anything I missed it should do.


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dontavo27

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#2
Sounds like a good plan. I would try to keep all of the rock in water, with a heater on, that way you have as much live bacteria to kick start the tank again.
 
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#3
How big is your tank? How far away is the move? Every time I moved the tank was the first to move. 100% focus on the tank. 1 day to break down and move to new place with basic life support set up. The next day add the rest of the equipment. Everything else got moved the following weekend.

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#5
I recommend selling the tank to someone like me then get a new tank that way you don’t have to deal with the stress of moving
 
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#11
I’m moving from Costa Mesa to Westminster so like 20min. It’s a reefer 250. Roughly 60 gallons


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Oh, dude, you can do it in 1 day. You just have to plan it. You don't even have to trow your sand away. I moved a 50g from Fullerton to Fontana. Rent a uhaul van, get 10 5 gallon buckets with lids and save your water. Transport your fish and corals in the 5 gallon buckets. Get some furniture doilies and you should be good. Leave enough water to keep the sand wet. All you have to worry about is temperature and not adgitating the sand when you put the water back in wt about 20%new water.

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BgFish

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#12
Here’s what I would do:
save an entire day for just the tank- either move house and tank last- or tank first but all in one shot.

if your renting u-haul or large truck do it all in one shot.

if your sand is not horribly dirty I would keep it. Keeps beneficial bacteria and microfauna Alive.
I would start by removing lighting and canopy if you have one and everything above the tank.

Then drain and keep half the water. Start removing and bagging all corals not stuck down. Then any rocks with corals. These can go in bags, buckets, anything that holds water and is clean. If you have a cooler or two keep the bags in a cooler and pack them as to not damage them. and just keep in mind to work quick. Keep cooler indoors until end Hopefully all corals and 1/2 water is out in the 1st hr.

then remove all rocks. These can just be moist but better if you can do buckets with water. with all rocks out catching fish should not be so bad. Catch and bag fish, put bags in cooler. you can put bags of fish under bags of coral as long as you don’t pop the bottom bag, this will give more space in cooler and help corals safe. Try to get as much more water out and save it. Then sand - save it if it’s not to dirty. Hopefully done by 2nd hour

then Remove all other equipment from tank and sump and start dismantling and packing- protecting equipment. Pack these directly into the truck. With help move tank and stand into truck, and all other equipment.

Lastly- move coolers, buckets, bins etc with corals fish and rock/sand into truck. I wouldn’t add any heaters or coolers. And all your water jugs into truck and head to new home. Hopefully break down is in the 3 hr mark.

At new place get all water, corals, fish rocks etc Unloaded and inside into inside temperature. Then get stand and tank in place- and next all the minimum equipment and connections to have it run. Depending on Plumbing this is realistic a couple hour job to get it where you can add water and sand. This is going to be cloudy- so now focus on everything else you can put back without blocking access to add rocks corals and fish. Maybe another hour or so. I wouldn’t use a heater or chiller just yet so the temp of tank and bags of fish and corals in the same room will be the same.


once clear enough add rest of rocks and corals that are stuck to rocks. Add fish- if mostly same water and same temp- just dump them in.
then the corals that need to be placed individually will take time- then after is lights and everything else.

this is probably going to take 10-12 hours beginning to end. Fish and corals will be in bags for at lease half of that time. But keep in mind many fish corals etc are shipped for days, so as long as it’s not very hot or very cold they will be fine.
By saving water and sand the tank won’t need any cycle or anything. But I would have mixed water ready to add anything you did not bring with tank.
This is how I would do it. Hope it helps.
 

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