120 Tank Move Tomorrow! Advice Appreciated!

Mini Coop · Jul 7, 2017

Sorry that I have been gone for a while. In the past 3 months I have finished a masters degree, completed 6 licensure classes, my husband got a new job in the same school district as me, we sold our home a week after throwing a sign in the yard and bought another! Hence . . . the 120 tank move!

I am scared to death! My tank was just set up last July, and I have been through a lot to get it to where it is now! It had to run fallow for 80 days from ich, lost 10 fish, and finally has been established really well for about 6 months. And now I have to move it.
We are moving the tank to my brother and sister in laws home which is 5 minutes from our new house because we have to be out the day of closing and I wanted to have an entire day to the tank move. Also, I will be setting up a new 180 at the new house, and we will be plumbing the sump to the basement (stay tuned for a build thread and need for LOTS of advice on that one too!)

The plan:
Fish out first - I am thinking I will need to turn the lights on in the morning so I have light and to get them to come out, but it may be a shocker to them since they are on a pretty normal schedule with light. I don't want them disturbed while moving rock. 2 5 gallon buckets with air stones going. Fox face, flame hawk and scooter in one, sailfin and 2 clowns in the other.
Right now I am just planning on putting my "critters" (snails, shrimps, hermit crabs, and my serpent star fish in with the fish. Does this sound like too much? Separate container for the critters?

Live rock with corals growing on them will go in 5g buckets. The rest of the rock will be wrapped in wet newspaper, in plastic bags in styrofoam containers for transport. While I am taking the rock out and plucking as many critters as I can, my husband will disassemble the sump system and get it drained and ready to go.

We are planning to leave a couple inches of water to cover the sand and transporting the tank like that. Thinking we are going to have to transport the tank on the stand because I do not want to have to saw the pipe off of the bottom and re-do it. Thinking we rachet strap the tank to the stand and the stand to the truck and wrap the whole thing with blankets. Does this sound crazy?? It is an hour and a half trip.

Any advice is appreciated!

jsker · Jul 7, 2017

Wow, congratulation all around.

Toss the sand and start a new. Transferring sand from on system to another really causes more issues then starting with new, other wise great plan.

Mini Coop · Jul 7, 2017

jsker said:
Wow, congratulation all around.
Toss the sand and start a new. Transferring sand from on system to another really causes more issues then starting with new, other wise great plan.

Well, I have to immediately set up the tank at the new location. I figured the "old sand" would help to have some of the good bacteria in it. It will be mostly new water, but the same rock and everything. I will have new sand in the 180 when I get it set up. That will be a completely new set up, but I will use some of my old rock in that tank to help it cycle faster.

jsker · Jul 7, 2017

Mini Coop said:
Well, I have to immediately set up the tank at the new location. I figured the "old sand" would help to have some of the good bacteria in it. It will be mostly new water, but the same rock and everything. I will have new sand in the 180 when I get it set up. That will be a completely new set up, but I will use some of my old rock in that tank to help it cycle faster.

ahhh

a cup or two of the old sand would be about all you would need

Mini Coop · Jul 7, 2017

jsker said:
ahhh a cup or two of the old sand would be about all you would need

Well, I am moving it tomorrow - - - sooooo . . . can't exactly get new sand by then! So I will have to go with what I have. Hopefully it doesn't cause any issues!

ndrwater · Jul 7, 2017

Here's a hint so you don't end up with a ridiculously cloudy tank when you set it up again. Gravel vac the sand as you are draining the water. Lots of detritus and icky stuff can be removed before setting up again.

Smo · Jul 7, 2017

Yes congrats! Looks like you have thought this thru. Just an observation--a couple inches of water will add on the order of 100 lbs to your tank plus sand and stand. Also it will slosh making it difficult to move safely. Suggest removing the sand and flush it with salt water you intend to discard. After only a year there shouldn't be a huge buildup of detritus.

cracker · Jul 7, 2017

consider washing/flushing the sand with the hose maybe ? This will wipe out any life in it but it sure would help with the almost certain sand cloud. Save some sand for reseeding like Jsker suggested . Also it would really help with moving the tank with no sand or water in it. Good luck with the move & I hope You & Family love Your new home !
Smo's idea is even better !

Mini Coop · Jul 7, 2017

Smo said:
Yes congrats! Looks like you have thought this thru. Just an observation--a couple inches of water will add on the order of 100 lbs to your tank plus sand and stand. Also it will slosh making it difficult to move safely. Suggest removing the sand and flush it with salt water you intend to discard. After only a year there shouldn't be a huge buildup of detritus.

So - you suggest removing the sand and rinsing it out for the move? Just put it all into one of my styrofoam containers in plastic? I can also clean it while I am draining the water.

cracker · Jul 7, 2017

That would work!. Wish Ya had more time.

Smo · Jul 7, 2017

Yes, clean and transport the sand in some buckets from the big box stores. It's going to get disturbed anyway. Also, at the new location you want the base rocks resting on the tank bottom before the sand goes back in. That way any burrowing livestock won't be crushed by a shifting rock.