Moving an established tank

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So I’m currently active duty military and I’m getting out soon, within 3 months. I have an established tank here, but I’m moving home and it’s a 26 hour drive. Is there any way to move my established tank? I have an uncle back home that I’m hoping to send my coral to so he can hold them but I’m not sure how I’m gonna get my fish back home safety. Any advice is greatly appriciated.
 
Battery powered bubblers will be a must for that long
 
Battery powered bubblers will be a must for that long
I guess my biggest concern is can I transfer my water and have my tank at least a little cycled? Or will I have to start all over. I can get a couple big coolers and put the water in there, and if I have to I can trade my fish in at a LFS and send my corals to my uncle. But I’m just afraid I’m gonna have to cycle my system all over and it’s gonna take forever to get my corals back.
 
I guess my biggest concern is can I transfer my water and have my tank at least a little cycled? Or will I have to start all over. I can get a couple big coolers and put the water in there, and if I have to I can trade my fish in at a LFS and send my corals to my uncle. But I’m just afraid I’m gonna have to cycle my system all over and it’s gonna take forever to get my corals back.

It will be a quick cycle if anything with using everything from the old tank with new water.
 
If it’s soft coral I wouldn’t worry about shipping. The fish I would put in a 5 gallon bucket and put it in a place that will keep it warm.

You could find a small heater and get the right sized inverter for your car to keep the water warm. That and battery powered bubbler and you should be good. Will it be straight through or stop half way?
 
I guess my biggest concern is can I transfer my water and have my tank at least a little cycled? Or will I have to start all over. I can get a couple big coolers and put the water in there, and if I have to I can trade my fish in at a LFS and send my corals to my uncle. But I’m just afraid I’m gonna have to cycle my system all over and it’s gonna take forever to get my corals back.

You will have a mini cycle when you set back up, but shouldn’t last long and shouldn’t hurt your livestock. You just tend to have a diatom outbreak.
 
I guess my biggest concern is can I transfer my water and have my tank at least a little cycled? Or will I have to start all over. I can get a couple big coolers and put the water in there, and if I have to I can trade my fish in at a LFS and send my corals to my uncle. But I’m just afraid I’m gonna have to cycle my system all over and it’s gonna take forever to get my corals back.
Yes you can transfer your water it will be fine, how big is the tank? And what fish do you have? Also you don’t need to have a cycled tank for coral, you can put them back in the tank, once you have it all filled up, especially soft corals, they are super hardy. Now if ur driving u can bring your fish along, just have to have a heat source, and an airstone Running. But really depends on the Fish, and the tank size. with a small nano under 40 gallons it’s do able. Now if you have a big tank. It’s gonna be a lot tougher but can still be done. Hope this helps
Lucas
 
What do you have for substrate?

Also make sure to keep your rocks in water and warm as well if you have micro brittle stars. I moved coral out of a 210 and the stars died from the temp swings and nuked the corals in brute cans over night.
 
If it’s soft coral I wouldn’t worry about shipping. The fish I would put in a 5 gallon bucket and put it in a place that will keep it warm.

You could find a small heater and get the right sized inverter for your car to keep the water warm. That and battery powered bubbler and you should be good. Will it be straight through or stop half way?
We will have to stop for the night once, because we have a newborn and I don’t think we’ll be able to drive 26 hours straight. But the only thing about the inverter is we’ll be using a moving truck, and the space is already cramped in the cab of those trucks.
 
Yes you can transfer your water it will be fine, how big is the tank? And what fish do you have? Also you don’t need to have a cycled tank for coral, you can put them back in the tank, once you have it all filled up, especially soft corals, they are super hardy. Now if ur driving u can bring your fish along, just have to have a heat source, and an airstone Running. But really depends on the Fish, and the tank size. with a small nano under 40 gallons it’s do able. Now if you have a big tank. It’s gonna be a lot tougher but can still be done. Hope this helps
Lucas
It’s a 75 gallon and I have 6 blue chromis, 2 clowns, a small yellow tang, and a blenny. I figure I can get 4 5 gallon buckets for each of the fish types, and get 2 coolers for the rock and fill them up with as much water as possible and leave the coral on the rock and just fill the rest of the water up in 5 gallon buckets. But I’m also planning on getting 2 30 gallon drums for water changes and clean water this weekend so I could always fill those up with water. But I don’t think I’ll have a way to get a heater or bubbler to any of the buckets or coolers, because it will be in a moving truck. But it’ll be around May-June when I move so I’m sure the truck will be warm enough, I just hope it don’t get too hot and overheat the fish.
 
It’s a 75 gallon and I have 6 blue chromis, 2 clowns, a small yellow tang, and a blenny. I figure I can get 4 5 gallon buckets for each of the fish types, and get 2 coolers for the rock and fill them up with as much water as possible and leave the coral on the rock and just fill the rest of the water up in 5 gallon buckets. But I’m also planning on getting 2 30 gallon drums for water changes and clean water this weekend so I could always fill those up with water. But I don’t think I’ll have a way to get a heater or bubbler to any of the buckets or coolers, because it will be in a moving truck. But it’ll be around May-June when I move so I’m sure the truck will be warm enough, I just hope it don’t get too hot and overheat the fish.
 
It’s a 75 gallon and I have 6 blue chromis, 2 clowns, a small yellow tang, and a blenny. I figure I can get 4 5 gallon buckets for each of the fish types, and get 2 coolers for the rock and fill them up with as much water as possible and leave the coral on the rock and just fill the rest of the water up in 5 gallon buckets. But I’m also planning on getting 2 30 gallon drums for water changes and clean water this weekend so I could always fill those up with water. But I don’t think I’ll have a way to get a heater or bubbler to any of the buckets or coolers, because it will be in a moving truck. But it’ll be around May-June when I move so I’m sure the truck will be warm enough, I just hope it don’t get too hot and overheat the fish.

Oh so it will be warm then so you shouldn’t have to worry about a heater. Get the buckets with lids and drill a hole in the top and run the airline into the bucket that say. The bubblers tend to be around $12 each and run off of DD batteries so they last awhile. They shoud last the whole trip on the batteries, but would double check after 24 hours.

I asked about the substrate for the reason when you disturb it and suck the water out, it releases everything it’s holding. You tend to have nitrate spikes unless you vacuum your sand bed often. If you have until May-June, I would start vacuuming the bed when you do a WC if you don’t already. Will ensure your tank has a very small cycle.
 
Any updates on the move? How did you end up doing it, and how did it go? I will have to make a similar move in a few months.
 

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