Been a while without an update here - been busy - as we are moving! And the tank is coming!!
This should be interesting, but I have it planned out as best as I can (I think). We're making a 300 mile move in the middle of Alaskan winter (current temp ranges today are +7 F to -5 F). Luckily, we have a little overlap with houses so I can do it in 2 trips, separate from most of our other junk. I'll be taking as many pictures and documenting here as I can.
First trip will include pre-loading the new house with 2-32 gallon brute cans on rollers, 1 full of RO and 1 for SW which will have pumps and heaters running while they wait for our return. Will have ~20 gal RO additional backup in water containers also. Also 2-30 gallon totes which will start empty, but be a temporary home for our rock and livestock, each with a heater and flow pump. And ~10 new, washed food grade buckets on hand for additional mixing or whateva.
I debated on sand, there are some folks here that like to move tanks while disrupting as little of the sand bed as possible (leave as is, lower water to just cover the sand), but with just the wife and I to do all of the lifting, I decided to bring 80 lbs fresh sand down and will dump the old here (after sifting out as many snails as I can find..). This will also reduce our bed from the current 120 lbs to 80 lbs, I decided the 120 is too much albeit the pistol shrimp lovess itttt lol. But he will be fine with 80 lbs in a 55 gal tank.
Once the new house is pre-stocked, we'll drive 300 miles back to load up phase 2. The plan here is to turn house heat up, start warming the truck, move water, rocks into buckets, chunks at a time, then livestock last, and I have 5 battery-powered bubblers for the primary buckets with livestock. Sift/discard sand, load tank accessories into bins, load tank and stand into back of truck with many blankets (will be rinsed/mostly dried), load buckets into cab of truck (4 door), make sure heat is cranked to max and sweat out a 5 hour, 300 mile drive in ~5 degrees F, while hoping I don't have to get out in shorts to put tire chains on at any point....lol. There is some debate about moving livestock
first, due to the impending sand cloud in the water once I start to disturb rocks, but after taking multiple days to remove just one Starry Blenny prior, I'm not sure that's an option lol. I believe I'll just have to be slow and careful with rock removal instead, and hope for the best..
Upon arrival at new house, bring in livestock buckets first and start loading into the 2-30 gallon totes with mostly old SW + some new as needed. Immediately adding heaters and flow pumps to bring the temp up evenly. The livestock will live here for ~24-48 hours while we bring in / setup the tank, load sand, and partial (~1/4-1/3 full) new SW, with heaters and a few of the bubblers since we can't run the HOB skimmer until mostly full, and let the sand settle.
Then once the tank is ready, start adding rock (mostly will have corals attached) and keep the water level just above the rock height with a mix of old water that traveled, and fresh SW from the brute. All will be at-temp. This will be the fun part since I want to re-design the rockscape a bit. Likely will have ~10 lbs spare live rock when done, which I won't have room for but would kill me to toss. Little conundrum there.. We'll see.. But I'd like to actually be able to clean the glass on 3 sides at least, it is pretttty full currently..
One part I'm debating is securing the rock (mostly due to pistol shrimp), I do have E-Marco 400 on hand which I used once underwater, it did an AWESOME job but it leaks a white liquidy substance into the water which drives the levels like Alk up the wall. I
could do this with the livestock still in the totes, but most of my corals will be attached the rock in the tank while I work... I have reef super glue on hand but not sure that will get the job done properly..
Then once rock is in place, toss in the livestock! At this time I will be ready for an adult beverage.
I'll probably leave the lights off for about 2 weeks after rebuild also. Mostly wanted to jot the plan down to make sure I have everything covered mentally
. Input welcome as usual!
