Moving your reef

[AJreefs]

So, after the unexpected sale of a home I am moving to third floor walk up, my forty breeder is coming with me. This is my First time moving a reef so I am looking to pick up some tips and tricks! I was planning on bagging and bucketing all my livestock first. Then, removing all the water and disgarding it but the sand I will move to its own bucket and be keeping. Lastly, I was going to aerate a bucket with one rock to hold my livestock. I want to create all new saltwater and then using a 2hour acclimation process, add my livestock back to the tank in its new location.

Ps The sandbed brand new! I just added it two weeks ago so any tips would be helpful

 

[palvyre]

The way I did it was with the water using Sterilite totes from Walmart. Rocks scattered through several containers and filled with tank water, live stock with the rocks. Sand in its own container. As soon as I arrived at the new location I put a heater and a pump to circulate water in each tote and then set the tank back up. I swished around the sand really good to get any detritus in solution and then dumped the water. Put the sand back in and drained just enough water from each tote to get enough water in the tank to put rocks in. Moved the rock in, added additional freshly made saltwater as needed and then moved the live stock in.

 

[Pkunk35]

You will want to keep most of that system water, or at least this is how I have always done and seen it done.

I would have new saltwater ready, but you should probably only change as much as is needed for a large water change, something like 20% but not 100% water change.

 

[greybolt03]

I agree with above statements. I had one bucket for all my fish,one for all my corals,one for my live rock.. I drained all the water in the tank and left my sand in the tank and moved tank with sand in it and just enough water to keep sand wet.. Got to new location cleaned detritus off the sand best I could filled tank half way put rocks back in filled tank up started pumps and let it run for a few hours till water cleared up then put all coral and fish back in the tank.... I have moved this tank three times already and have never lost a fish or coral from a move... I had heaters and pumps in all the buckets while moving and waiting to place back in display...

 

[ironworker]

i moving also thanx for the tips

 

[AJreefs]

Good stuff; thanks for all the tips, I would like to leave the sand in the tank and I still might! My concern with leaving the sand in the tank is climbing three levels with a tank full of sand.

 

[bmack]

I would not move the tank with the sand intact. You would be very surprised at how little pressure it takes to crack your tank (ask me how I know).

 

[Dixie_reefer]

How long can the corals and livestock be in the tubs? My husband is in the military and I don't want to sell everything when we move and then have to start from scratch.

 

[Pkunk35]

How long can the corals and livestock be in the tubs? My husband is in the military and I don't want to sell everything when we move and then have to start from scratch.

If its going to be more than several hours in the tubs, throw an airstone in there and they should be good for as long as you need as long as spacing in the buckets between animals is ok.

Rubbermaid totes are great for this purpose but a little wobbly when moving them. 5 gal buckets from home depot are also a staple for moving.

Don't rush! Just move the tank and yourself safely.

 

[Ryan2112]

my roommate just told us he is moving back in with parents and renting out the house come Feb. so we have 1 1/2 months to find a place that will take our dog and tank. we have a 75 gallon tank with a 30g sump mix reef. so far the plain is lots of buckets and LFS bags for my inmates,LR and old water. what im not sure about is my 3 inch sandbed its a few years old and i hate it its really fine sand not to my liking and looks like crap. im scared that moving it will release all the gas pockets and whatever else is in it and wipe my reef out after setting it back up. at the same time tossing it all and getting all new sand will do somewhat the same what should i do? this feels like russian roulette. thanks for all your time in this matter