How to transport a small tank?

[LegalReefer]

Hey all,

I have a small 5 gallon reef aquarium that I have loved working with and caring for. However, I’m moving about a 7 hour’s drive away in a few days, and I want to bring my aquarium with me as-is, if possible. How should I go about doing this? I’ve heard a bucket from Lowe’s and an aerator are the way to go about this, but I have no clue in actuality. Help/advice/guidance would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[jsker]

Toss the sand, I have found using a cooler is the best.

With a cooler, it is easier to hold temperature, has to top to keep the water to sloshing out. Add a batterie operated air pump with an air stone.

 

[brandon429]

this is how and please post pics and updates so we can add to pg 51 of our tank transfer thread. we like long distance jobs


take apart tank and hold fish alone, not with rocks. ship in buckets of water and air and creative temp control

rocks and corals in another container same air setup.

either use brand new sand and rinse it with tap before you use it, final rinse in RO, or take your old sand and rinse it just the same way.
you wouldnt skip the tap rinse prep portion of sand, because that recommend runs the fifty pages of prior safe jobs logged. you want cloudless new tank as top priority


at destination, refill cloudless sand 100% and all new water matching temp and salinity of holding water. move over fish and rocks and coral, done. do not transfer any aspect of old unrinsed sand. if you want to keep it and still rinse the same way, that's doable because its cloudless after preps.

 

[ps2cho]

If it were me?

I'd leave it half full thats only about 2 gallons of water, cover it so the water doesn't slosh and throw an air pump hose into it and just move the thing. As long as you hold it down well and drive safely and conservatively so theres no hard braking, it'll be fine.

 

[LegalReefer]

this is how and please post pics and updates so we can add to pg 51 of our tank transfer thread. we like long distance jobs


take apart tank and hold fish alone, not with rocks. ship in buckets of water and air and creative temp control

rocks and corals in another container same air setup.

either use brand new sand and rinse it with tap before you use it, final rinse in RO, or take your old sand and rinse it just the same way.
you wouldnt skip the tap rinse prep portion of sand, because that recommend runs the fifty pages of prior safe jobs logged. you want cloudless new tank as top priority


at destination, refill cloudless sand 100% and all new water matching temp and salinity of holding water. move over fish and rocks and coral, done. do not transfer any aspect of old unrinsed sand. if you want to keep it and still rinse the same way, that's doable because its cloudless after preps.

Thank you for the advice, followed most of it! Put all my rocks and most of my corals in one bucket, and my soft corals, snails, inverts, and single solitary fish in another bucket. Kept my sand wet and in the tank. Rinsed sand with old tank water when I got to my location 8 hours later, stirred my deep sand bed up and siphoned off all the cloudiness and ~top inch of sand, then reset rocks and corals, filled, and returned my livestock home. Four days later, everyone is happy and healthy!

 

[brandon429]

Very good job it looks happy upon reset up!

 

[LegalReefer]

Very good job it looks happy upon reset up!

Thank you! Everyone is happy for the most part, tho I should probably seek a bit of help regarding my candy cane and chalice, they’re a bit receded and super happy looking. Hoping that changes, but unsure. Don’t have lots of experience with hard corals yet