Breaking down tank

[zhenjw]

Hi I am about to move in about two weeks. How do I go about breaking down and setting up my 10mo old 100g setup with the least loss in livestock? Thanks!

[jkreefer]

Using rubbermaid containers for livestock, and salt buckets for live rock and fish. Other than that, just alot of elbow grease, and a couple buddys would help as well. Good luck

[kevin95695]

Yeah, and don't try to do a bunch of other stuff during that part of the move. Dedicate a trip ONLY to moving your tank.

[zhenjw]

I am buying a 42G rubbermaid trash can and luckily just have to move it up the street. Also have about 25G in buckets and am ready to transport. Have any of you experienced any die off of nitrifying bacteria due to stirring up to sand bed?

Also, does cloudy water from stirred up sand harm fish and inverts? Last time I added sand into my tank with inverts I had a large die off.

Thanks for all your advice to me such a novice little reefer.

[jkreefer]

"Have any of you experienced any die off of nitrifying bacteria due to stirring up to sand bed?"

not in a 10 month old tank, just take all your stuff out before digging out the sand.

Just make sure to skim wet for a few days when you set your new system up.

[zhenjw]

Wonderful,

Thank you all greatly.

[racrumrine]

Your best bet is not to move the sand.

If you want to, plan on having your fish in another tank/container for a few days until the parameters in the new tank are stable.

Disturbing a sandbed seems to affect the fish more than anything else.

Best of luck,

Roy

[earthboy17]

I'm moving my tank just for a day, so we can get new carpeting.

It shouldn't be as bad, but still a pain for sure, draining the tank, the sump, disassembling piping, moving it, moving it back. ugh.

How do you keep the fish in containers for several days? WOn't they die? Do you have to keep refreshing the water or something? Not to mention heating it.

[Vincerama2]

Originally posted by earthboy17
I'm moving my tank just for a day, so we can get new carpeting.

It shouldn't be as bad, but still a pain for sure, draining the tank, the sump, disassembling piping, moving it, moving it back. ugh.

How do you keep the fish in containers for several days? WOn't they die? Do you have to keep refreshing the water or something? Not to mention heating it.

You'll have to run an airline or some other pump, and use a heater, it'll be like a mini tank. A pain, but if you don't they'll die.

I had a lot of die off when I moved my tank, but the livestock was in a few smaller aquariums during that time. Without heat, they really suffer. An aquarium heater is around $15, well worth it even if you don't use it after the move.

I'm about to move a tank too, the tank is being moved onto newly refinished hardwood from another room. I actually have a "spare" tank that I'm going to set up and move all the stuff to.

Don't forget to mix up extra salt water and check your salinity a lot in the holding tanks.

Your tank WILL re-cycle, so get ready for a water change a few days after the move.


V

[racrumrine]

If you never had a QT, now's your chance to buy what you need and use it as a temporary holding tank. Depending on how many fish you have in your main tank, you could probably get by with 25 gal or less.

The first time I moved a tank, I lost 2 out of 5 fish (after lots of meds treating all 5 fish and heartache) and I thought I did everything right. I've never lost a fish in any move since.

Best of luck,

Roy

Originally posted by earthboy17
I'm moving my tank just for a day, so we can get new carpeting.

It shouldn't be as bad, but still a pain for sure, draining the tank, the sump, disassembling piping, moving it, moving it back. ugh.

How do you keep the fish in containers for several days? WOn't they die? Do you have to keep refreshing the water or something? Not to mention heating it.