How to move a tank?

Lalaallieu · Nov 25, 2019

My life got turned upside down the past week and a half. I’m going through a lot. I had posted that I’d just found out I was pregnant, and unfortunately I had a drs appointment for my ultrasound and they said the pregnancy had stopped growing about two weeks prior, so I’ve been going through that process along with finding out my fiancé was cheating, so I am feeling pretty broken right now. Needless to say I have a new place and have moved most of my stuff besides the tank. It’s a 13.5 gallon tank so I am hoping to just drain the tank down to the sand and move it like that. I’ll bag the unglued corals and the biggest issue is the rock. Some things are already glued so I will have to keep the rock submerged. No idea how to do this. Hopefully you guys can help me. Right now I had to spend my 40 gal tank build money on getting a new apartment for me and my boys, but I did finish the stand. For now it’ll be my entertainment center lol. I’ll attach a picture, excuse the toys, kids are playing in here. Anyways, hopefully this reads okay, no internet until Wednesday here, so phone will have to do til then.

Hope everyone’s well,
Lauren

45ZoaGarden · Nov 25, 2019

What about a large plastic tote? That’s how I moved live rock I bought of one of my friends. Put the totes in the back of my truck, pumped water from his tank Into the totes, carried the rocks to the totes and drove home.

JohnnyKnuckles · Nov 25, 2019

So sorry to hear about everything going on but it won't be hard with the 13.5. A 54qt igloo ice chest will hold everything in the tank.

1-Vac the water out the tank but leave enough to keep the sanded covered.
2- Put the rock and corals ice chest. make sure they are covered with water
3- The least amount you stir, shake, rattle and roll the sanded, the better.
4- Once you get to the new location, go ahead and get everything back together as fast as possible.

halvenator · Nov 25, 2019

JosephRyan said:
1-Vac the water out the tank but leave enough to keep the sanded covered.
2- Put the rock and corals ice chest. make sure they are covered with water
3- The least amount you stir, shake, rattle and roll the sanded, the better.
4- Once you get to the new location, go ahead and get everything back together as fast as possible.

I like the idea of using an ice chest. I would think that it would help regulate the water temp a little. Plus you get a bonus lid to help keep the water from splashing out.

Otherwise I have had success with using multiple five gallon pails placing the rocks in the pail and filling with water to just cover the top of the rocks.

Your tank is small enough that you could make about anything work, just may have to be a little creative.

Jon Fishman · Nov 25, 2019

Depending on what you drive, and how far you have to go...... I would leave sand and a couple inches of water in the tank and move it that way. Put rock in buckets/tote and put coral in ziplocks with water

aquapaul · Nov 25, 2019

I just got done moving a 65 and 37 gallon tanks and used 5 gallon buckets for lost everything, if you have fish make sure you have an air pump to aerate the water during tear down and setup to help keep them a bit happier.

Lalaallieu · Dec 1, 2019

I managed to get this moved! Everything’s not in its final space, but we’re working on it.

45ZoaGarden · Dec 2, 2019

Careful with that gsp on a main rocks, they tend to take over!

Mical · Dec 2, 2019

Glad to see you're making progress. Moving tanks is stressful enough yet alone everything else going on in your world. BTW your entertainment system is lQQking pretty good.

BeejReef · Dec 2, 2019

very sorry to hear about all of life's struggles.

don't worry about moving everything. feel free to leave behind some macro algae and maybe a few snails in a closet or an out of way place ;Bored

Lalaallieu · Dec 2, 2019

Thank you guys! I accidentally left a snail there at his apartment. I’ve been trying to get things sorted and moved and into place, but his apartment was 1400sq feet and my new one is 850, so it’s also smaller than the one I had before we moved in with him. It’s cozy though. I just need to get rid of things. This is good so I don’t continually acquire things I don’t need.