Moving tank upstairs.... can I keep the sand?

[darkrabbit]

Hi all, we're going to move my tank from the basement into my office.

I think I've got a decent move list together, process, etc. but the one question I have right now is with respect to sand.

If I drain the tank to the point of leaving 1" of water above the sand, can I move the tank upstairs and keep it? I don't want to lose all the beneficial bacteria that may be in the sand, and I don't think I'd stir it up too much because it won't be coming out of the tank. A little stirring is fine, I have a goby that regularly churns it up.

I plan on placing a piece of plywood under the tank and using a combination of tie down straps and suction cups to lift it up the stairs (with a friend). I should mention it's a Reefer 250 so it's not that big. I should be able to keep everything relatively level. Also, my sand bed is not that deep... 2" at most in some spots, almost bare in others where the goby has gone crazy.

Is this fine?

This is my current process I am documenting. It's not completely done yet, but close. I'll add to my build thread soon.

Prepare Office

1. Paint the office
2. Select an equipment cabinet and purchase
3. Determine position. Map out the office floor
4. Run a new power feed to the location of the tank

Prepare for the move

1. Get gliders / pads, figure out position
2. Prepare buckets and containers, empty, for fish rocks and corals
3. Prepare sufficient salt water, 20 gal container
4. Figure out how to level the tank if it isn’t level when it lands upstairs
5. Consider getting a 40g breeder tank just in case disaster strikes (cracked glass, etc.)
6. Is there a way to keep the back corals wet? Possibly some kind of ‘bubble’ that can be placed over them?
7. Get all necessary tools ready, including any requirements for light mounts, equipment, etc.
8. Prepare a citric solution for cleaning pipes, pumps, etc.
9. Are more heaters needed?

Move the tank (all day)

1. Power off pumps, heaters, skimmer, etc.
2. Drain sump completely into a container. Place live algae, rock, etc. into the container
3. Remove all equipment from the sump
4. Remove the sump, cap the pipes with cloth
5. Drain tank down to low water level just above rock, water goes into buckets
6. Remove the return, drain, overflow pipes. Bathe in citric if desired to clean
7. Move live rock / corals into buckets, snails, crabs included
8. Drain tank further, to lower level to catch fish
9. Catch fish, move into buckets, top with new S/W if needed
10. Place pumps, heaters as needed in the buckets, etc. for aeration and temp
11. Drain tank the rest of the way, if needed
12. Remove tank from the stand
13. Install padding underneath the stand to protect H/W floor
14. Prepare for the light fixture attachment. Drill into the stand, test mount, etc.
15. Move the stand upstairs, place, check level and adjust if needed
16. Move the tank upstairs, place, again check level.
17. Install the light fixture mount
18. Reinstall overflow, drain, return piping (caution here! Flimsy Red Sea piping! Don't overtighten!)
19. Install sump and sump equipment
20. Install gyres
21. Final check, level check, ready for weight?
22. Fill tank VERY GENTLY up to the back coral mark, careful not to not disturb sand. Use a plate or something to keep from splashing. Check for leaks.
23. Add heater when possible, keep water warm
24. Replace rocks, corals where possible.
25. Level check
26. Continue filling until close to ready
27. Level check
28. Install fish
29. Fill sump back up, re-add chaeto, marine pure blocks, etc.
30. Gather up towels to prepare for possible leaks, etc.
31. Engage circulation pump
32. Engage return pump, check for leaks in piping!
33. If all is good, re-install lighting and turn on.

Finalize move

1. Add stuff here?

 

[WVNed]

No

If the tank has been up any length of time when you remove the rock you will raise an enormous amount of goo

This will settle on everything you put back in the tank.

 

[ReefStable Verified Sponsor]

First, I want to say I really like the amount of planning you did to moving the tank! Most people don't put this much thought in to it! Great job!

As for the sand. I would just replace it. The unfortunate reality is that just that little but of water movement and really just the sand movement itself will cause problems. Any food, algae, small life, etc. in the sand that is rotting will cause ammonia/nitrite spikes and will likely wipe out most of the tank :/ . That being said, if you buy live sand (Petco has some REALLY cheap on their site) you can just add it and be in a decent place bacteria wise. If you're still worried though, I have heard GREAT things about Microbacter 7. I haven't used it myself, but I hear it would help with this type of scenario.

Hope this helps

 

[HOOPDEEZ]

I just moved my tank, and I’m glad I put new sand in it. It was full of detritus and gunk, and after the move things looks happy and healthy. Also I put less sand back in and I like the shallow sand bed. Once you start moving rocks you will see all the crud. How long has the system been running?

 

[Aqua Man]

Moving a tank upstairs. I would remove the extra weight of the wet sand! Why risk it?
Could rinse the sand before reuse.

 

[NinjaSeaTurtle]

I just broke Down and moved a tank last Saturday. I planned on keeping the sand but quickly decided it had to be removed and replaced. It wasn’t possible to move things without stirring up all the bad stuff. make Sure you have plenty of water mixed up to refill the tank. I put the fish and anemones in coolers filled with water and the rocks in totes also filled with water. Nothing was exposed to air for any substantial amount of time to avoid die off.

 

[Cell]

Depends on how long the tank has been running. If its years old, I'd replace or definitely clean/rinse it well. You wont kill the bacteria, it's mostly on the rocks anyway.

 

[darkrabbit]

First, I want to say I really like the amount of planning you did to moving the tank! Most people don't put this much thought in to it! Great job!

As for the sand. I would just replace it. The unfortunate reality is that just that little but of water movement and really just the sand movement itself will cause problems. Any food, algae, small life, etc. in the sand that is rotting will cause ammonia/nitrite spikes and will likely wipe out most of the tank :/ . That being said, if you buy live sand (Petco has some REALLY cheap on their site) you can just add it and be in a decent place bacteria wise. If you're still worried though, I have heard GREAT things about Microbacter 7. I haven't used it myself, but I hear it would help with this type of scenario.

Hope this helps

Thanks! yeah I don't like taking chances here I want everything to live and there's a lot of work involved in moving a tank, plus I've never done it before. If I don't list everything out and forget something it could add hours to the move.. hours that increase the risk of livestock dying.

Thanks for the responses everyone, I am getting a pretty strong theme here: Replace the sand . What you're saying makes a lot of sense, especially moving the rocks and stirring up what's under it. I didn't really consider that part. It supports what I found adding a new goby, my old goby died and about 1 week later I replaced him with a new one which started stirring up new areas of the tank. A week later my Nitrates went from 0 to 20ppm+. There's probably more nasty stuff in there, particularly under the rocks.

I actually have a bag of live sand unused. It might still be good. I'll still get some live sand from the LFS regardless, in case I need more. I am thinking of putting egg crate on the bottom where the rocks are. If I am replacing all the sand, now is a good time to do it!

-J

 

[darkrabbit]

I just moved my tank, and I’m glad I put new sand in it. It was full of detritus and gunk, and after the move things looks happy and healthy. Also I put less sand back in and I like the shallow sand bed. Once you start moving rocks you will see all the crud. How long has the system been running?

The tank has been up for 1.4 years, so it's pretty established. My sandbed is only 1-2 inches up, I don't know if I want to bring it down much further because I have nassarius snails, sand sifting goby, and a strawberry conch. They like to bury themselves in there. Did you have any sand-dwellers that got upset with the shallow sandbed?

Depends on how long the tank has been running. If its years old, I'd replace or definitely clean/rinse it well. You wont kill the bacteria, it's mostly on the rocks anyway.

Good to know re: bacteria. I figured the sandbed would have a lot, but since I am now going to replace it I'll be using live sand anyway so that should help...

 

[Cell]

Rinse the live sand well before use until it runs clear. Otherwise you will be siphoning out dust for weeks. Again, no worries about losing the bacteria during rinse.

 

[HOOPDEEZ]

I have a strawberry conch but it always seemed to cruise on the top of the old 2” sandbed, so far it seems ok

 

[darkrabbit]

Rinse the live sand well before use until it runs clear. Otherwise you will be siphoning out dust for weeks. Again, no worries about losing the bacteria during rinse.

Good point I'll set up a tub with a powerhead and rinse.

Thanks!

 

[brandon429]

100% solid advice, aligns fully with work threads you cannot lose replacing bed with cloudless pre rinsing. You'll be doing to this tank what macna reefs do, they move across town or across states only to be instantly set up on a clean bed, rocks carrying over all required life + supports and sand having awesome but incidental creatures. Not critical, incidental worms and bugs.

By not moving waste as prime goal, you're transporting fine live rocks that won't die and will seed your new rinsed sand


I love reefing progression. Post this thread in 2008, get polar opposite recommends + your bacteria died

In 2020 macna can't sell from clouded wreck tanks, the clean ones are power reefing day one. We should steal their technique, cancel all old rules, and make all new reefs cloud free and never allow them to self wreck into the ugliez

 

[brandon429]

Pls update after move and we will add you to page 31 of sand rinse n swap collection thread

 

[darkrabbit]

Yup I'll update, I won't be moving for at least a month as I still have to paint the room and run the electrical. I am also planning on adding a few new rocks which I've already cured. I might start seeding them shortly as well. Maybe just set up that 40 breeder and put them in there with an existing rock or something.

Sand rinse and swap thread? Never heard of it but I'll make a note... in my post-move process

-J