Couple questions on a tank move today -

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

When I set my tank up I set it up too close to the wall (dummy...) I need about 3 inches, it's a RS Max 500. So about 130 ish gallons with a ridiculously heavy tank. I have to pull the sump today anyway as I am going to modify the sump so I can install a Reefmat today. I have plenty of flow in my tank itself, 3 MP40's and 3 rear pumps that fuel forward flow and a good amount of rock in my matured tank (>4 years). Since I am pulling the sump today I thought that if I drained 90% of the water into a couple brutes right next to the tank I could shimmy the tank forward some then put the water directly back into the tank. All in all, I hope I could have the tank emptied, in place and filled with water again in 15 minutes. The first questions are -
1) Should I have any fear of a mixed reef tank being exposed for 10 minutes or so without any water?
2) I have a fair amount of coralline on my back and sides (that I like), is this going to die off being exposed to the air? As it is the coralline does not grow above my water change line, I am very consistent with my weekly water changes and I find it funny how it will not grow above that area. I am guessing draining the tank will unfortunately kill all this off?

Now, I think the sump could be out of the tank for 3 hours or so. However, with the amount of flow I have in the tank, will the loss of the recirculation from the sump for 3 hours be an issue. I am thinking no, as this is similar to a power failure situation. I'll be shutting down AFS and dosing, so there will be nothing being put in the main display that without a sump would be disruptive to the tank.

I was thinking - Step 1 - do the sump modification. Once the sump is complete then drain the tank, move it out off the wall and then put the entire thing back together. I planned to also do a 20% WC instead of a 10% this week due to all this disruption.

Thoughts?

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

I had a buddy completely take his mature system offline due to a leaky bulkhead. He has ran the system now for 6 months with no sump just the fully matured Rock wave pumps for flow and surface agitation I think you should be all right

 

[fishguy242]

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

#Cronies any advice for this guy

 

[brandon429]

The reason you'd do a rip clean is because it's the only safe documented sequence that lets someone take a huge costly reef tank apart and put it back together without killing it



When you get advice that avoids the full clean that's someone guaranteeing your sand bed isn't different from theirs and their results will be yours. The first thread in that post below is a full fish loss from one disturbance of a sandbed. Nobody warned him

The thread is other people's tanks being transferred vs just one person's perspective

 

[brandon429]

Official Sand Rinse and Tank Transfer thread

If you are reading this thread to cure a tank invasion from a link I sent you, we do not need to identify your type of invasion here we do not need you to test anything at anytime regarding nitrate, phosphate etc Above all, we do not need to see a microscope slide picture of your invasion at...

www.reef2reef.com

If you want to rip clean it you can preserve coralline and move a totally clean and de-aged system without loss or coral bleaching or tank seam stress.

Every job done there is the same takedown, rinse, relocate, reassemble and none vary

You'd do those steps and move an empty tank then skip cycle reassemble it

Yes can reuse existing water

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Drain it, move it, fill it (asapish) agitation on the surface while the sump is offline.

Done, don't over think it. I did the same to upgrade a gang box last year, outside of some coralline loss on back glass and tank inhabitants assuming Godzilla was attacking them it went fine.

Depending on how long the coralline is exposed it may die off, but that love/hate stuff will come back in weeks, lol.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Thanks everyone. Not doing a rip clean, may down the road but the clouds have parted again and the sun is shinning (this week...) but I am sure there are more clouds in the near future...

OK, well bout to go get after this. I'll report back later.

 

[TheSharksDen]

Were you able to move it? I had to move a small RS170 and drained most of the water out and could barely move it. Curious how yours went.

I think it will be fine for that short of a period.