If moving isn’t as stressful , TIPS for not damaging coral

[jmichaelh7]

I’m in escrow and I am moving about 10 minutes away in the same city. Does anyone have any tips on moving rock pieces with coral on it?

What did you use?

What were the errors made you would correct if you have to do it again?


I’m thinking of ice chest with elevated egg crates and zip tie the liverock+coral down

Your input is appreciated

 

[MichaelReefer]

Dont try to stuff too much in one bucket. Do multiple loads if you have to.

 

[malacoda]

Slow and easy.

I also made a 10 minute move a few months ago. (And a 450 mile move 2 years ago.)

I used a mix of 5 and 10 gallon storage containers that have handles snap over the lids to hold them on. Even at slow speeds a firm tap on the brake will make water slosh. And containers any larger than that and they'll be heavy and more prone to mishandling while loading/unloading.

As mentioned above, don't pack the tubs. Leave room.

My corals are mostly colony sized and tend to heal/grow quick, so I wasn't super careful. Even slightly over packed 1 or 2 tubs. But I did go slow and easy ... and braked gently. I was surprised how little breakage I had.

Some breakage will occur. Practically unavoidable. But if you go easy ... both loading/unloading and while driving ... it's really not bad.

 

[jmichaelh7]

Slow and easy.

I also made a 10 minute move a few months ago. (And a 450 mile move 2 years ago.)

I used a mix of 5 and 10 gallon storage containers that have handles snap over the lids to hold them on. Even at slow speeds a firm tap on the brake will make water slosh. And containers any larger than that and they'll be heavy and more prone to mishandling while loading/unloading.

As mentioned above, don't pack the tubs. Leave room.

My corals are mostly colony sized and tend to heal/grow quick, so I wasn't super careful. Even slightly over packed 1 or 2 tubs. But I did go slow and easy ... and braked gently. I was surprised how little breakage I had.

Some breakage will occur. Practically unavoidable. But if you go easy ... both loading/unloading and while driving ... it's really not bad.

Putting all the liverock and coral in a big ice chest here. Then moving tank to new house. Then transfer little bit at time will require tons of flow and heaters

 

[flyfisher2]

Those extra 5 gallon salt buckets come in real handy for corals encrusted on rocks. Just don,t fill them more than you have to with water

 

[malacoda]

Putting all the liverock and coral in a big ice chest here. Then moving tank to new house. Then transfer little bit at time will require tons of flow and heaters

Yeah, I guess it depends how big of a tank you're moving.

Mine was a 120g. No way it was going to make the trip in one, liftable container. So I set up a 100g livestock tub at the new house, filled it 40% with previously made new saltwater, then drained 40% of my 120g into half a dozen 10g containers, drove to the new house, and poured them into the livestock tub (e.g. 50/50 mix of new and old saltwater so as not to shock my corals with 100% new, zero-nutrient water).

Then, I went back to the old house and used the same containers to transport the rocks and livestock over in 2 additional trips.

A week later, when I had the 120 cleaned out and set back up in our new house, I transferred everything over from the temporary livestock tub into the DT.

 

[jmichaelh7]

Yeah, I guess it depends how big of a tank you're moving.

Mine was a 120g. No way it was going to make the trip in one, liftable container. So I set up a 100g livestock tub at the new house, filled it 40% with previously made new saltwater, then drained 40% of my 120g into half a dozen 10g containers, drove to the new house, and poured them into the livestock tub (e.g. 50/50 mix of new and old saltwater so as not to shock my corals with 100% new, zero-nutrient water).

Then, I went back to the old house and used the same containers to transport the rocks and livestock over in 2 additional trips.

A week later, when I had the 120 cleaned out and set back up in our new house, I transferred everything over from the temporary livestock tub into the DT.

Did you lose any SPS during this process .

I can imagine holding everything in your 100g temporary bin without filtration etc mightve caused fluctuations

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Those extra 5 gallon salt buckets come in real handy for corals encrusted on rocks. Just don,t fill them more than you have to with water

I need to start getting more buckets when i eventually have to move haha

 

[jmichaelh7]

I need to start getting more buckets when i eventually have to move haha

i have about 8 that always seem to be in my wife no matter where i put them. I could just never throw them a way because i "might need them" like everything else in this hobby we "might need" later lol

 

[i cant think]

I’m in escrow and I am moving about 10 minutes away in the same city. Does anyone have any tips on moving rock pieces with coral on it?

What did you use?

What were the errors made you would correct if you have to do it again?


I’m thinking of ice chest with elevated egg crates and zip tie the liverock+coral down

Your input is appreciated

How big are the coral pieces?

 

[jmichaelh7]

How big are the coral pieces?

They are not big colonies just yet. 2-3" pieces with several branches vertical and horizontal.

Just recently i transfered my corals to the sump where I would house them there until my acrylic tank was finished. Just the couple of days being there and transferred straight into the acrylic tank , there were broken pieces here and there. So now i'm thinking 10 minute drive, swooshing around in bins , i can't imagine

 

[i cant think]

They are not big colonies just yet. 2-3" pieces with several branches vertical and horizontal.

Just recently i transfered my corals to the sump where I would house them there until my acrylic tank was finished. Just the couple of days being there and transferred straight into the acrylic tank , there were broken pieces here and there. So now i'm thinking 10 minute drive, swooshing around in bins , i can't imagine

At that size, I’d just wrap them in a paper towel and keep it damp with tank water. I would also make sure they don’t move around too much in transit, keep them still and generally I’ve had good success. If they’re softies, just throw them into a closed tub with a bit of water.

You need to remember that corals can be out of water for hours in the wild and remain unaffected. I know my corals have been out of water for 20-30 minutes (SPS) and do just fine. LPS and Softies last longer out of water than SPS, I’ve had leathers out of water for 40-60 minutes.

 

[jmichaelh7]

At that size, I’d just wrap them in a paper towel and keep it damp. I would also make sure they don’t move around too much in transit, keep them still and generally I’ve had good success. If they’re softies, just throw them into a closed tub with a bit of water.

You need to remember that corals can be out of water for hours in the wild and remain unaffected. I know my corals have been out of water for 20-30 minutes (SPS) and do just fine. LPS and Softies last longer out of water than SPS, I’ve had leathers out of water for 40-60 minutes.

Transfer them to the new place out of water? Wow that's interesting. I haven't thought about that I would've thought the more they are out of water the more stressed.

 

[i cant think]

Transfer them to the new place out of water? Wow that's interesting. I haven't thought about that I would've thought the more they are out of water the more stressed.

They can stress but I’ve done this whilst scaping my rocks and they generally recover nicely. Most of our corals we own can be found in burning sun in Australia/Indonesia during a low tide.

 

[Kellie in CA]

I have had to move my tank 4 or 5 times. It's a pain but never as bad as I think it's going to be. I just get a ton of 2 gallon buckets and split everything up.

 

[malacoda]

Did you lose any SPS during this process .

I can imagine holding everything in your 100g temporary bin without filtration etc mightve caused fluctuations

Nope.

I have a lot of rock with big colonies, so I had to pack them kind of close together in the holding tub ... so one monti cap and one other coral got small patches of damage where they were close to/touching other corals. And some small breakage. But no major or noticeable damage.

I did maintain light and flow. Put my powerheads and a spare heater in the tub. And couple of days after putting them in the tub, I used a couple of 2x4s to make a temporary frame around it to mount my Atlantik V4s above it.

So temp., flow, and light were maintained.

I also drew a line with marker at the water level and would manually top off when it fell about 1". And coral growth paused, so I only had to top up alk a tiny bit once or twice with Seachem Reef Carbonate.

All told, the fish and corals spent about 2 weeks in the tub.

PO4 and NO3 did rise to about 0.59 and 15. but I just put about 60% of the tub water into the DT before filling it the rest of the way with new saltwater ... then gradually brought them back down to my normal levels over the next month or so.

On a previous tank upgrade, when I held livestock in the tub, I put my skimmer in the tub for aeration and filtration ... but didn't realize two fish managed to find their way into it an trap themselves (thought they were just hiding in the rock). Saved one, but the other was dead when I found them.

So this time around, I just relied on biological filtration of the rock. If I had to keep them in the tub longer than 2 weeks I would've begun to do 20% water changes every week as well ... but was able to get the tank back up before that was necessary.

The corals resumed normal, healthy growth rates within 1-2 weeks of being back in the DT.

 

[malacoda]

In my opinion, and experience, corals are actually pretty tough ... even SPS.

• They can handle a few days without light...
• They can handle cooler temps for short periods (e.g. low 70s, maybe even high 60s)...
• They can handle rather strong, gentle currents (e.g. strong gryes or water waving in a container vs a turbulent powerhead right next to them)...

What they can't handle is sudden shock.

• Avoid moving them from a tank with nutrients into a tank of 100% new water with no nutrients...
• Avoid moving them from tanks with high alk (9 or 10) to tanks with lower alk (7-8) and vice versa...
• Avoid moving them from days with no light to sudden full light...

Etc.

Avoid sudden changes like 100% new water in the new DT (used some old water too) ... big difference in alk between old tank and new tank ... and so on, and they should make the move just fine.

 

[jmichaelh7]

Nope.

I have a lot of rock with big colonies, so I had to pack them kind of close together in the holding tub ... so one monti cap and one other coral got small patches of damage where they were close to/touching other corals. And some small breakage. But no major or noticeable damage.

I did maintain light and flow. Put my powerheads and a spare heater in the tub. And couple of days after putting them in the tub, I used a couple of 2x4s to make a temporary frame around it to mount my Atlantik V4s above it.

So temp., flow, and light were maintained.

I also drew a line with marker at the water level and would manually top off when it fell about 1". And coral growth paused, so I only had to top up alk a tiny bit once or twice with Seachem Reef Carbonate.

All told, the fish and corals spent about 2 weeks in the tub.

PO4 and NO3 did rise to about 0.59 and 15. but I just put about 60% of the tub water into the DT before filling it the rest of the way with new saltwater ... then gradually brought them back down to my normal levels over the next month or so.

On a previous tank upgrade, when I held livestock in the tub, I put my skimmer in the tub for aeration and filtration ... but didn't realize two fish managed to find their way into it an trap themselves (thought they were just hiding in the rock). Saved one, but the other was dead when I found them.

So this time around, I just relied on biological filtration of the rock. If I had to keep them in the tub longer than 2 weeks I would've begun to do 20% water changes every week as well ... but was able to get the tank back up before that was necessary.

The corals resumed normal, healthy growth rates within 1-2 weeks of being back in the DT.

Thanks. I notice corals can handle high nutrient levels too

In my opinion, and experience, corals are actually pretty tough ... even SPS.

• They can handle a few days without light...
• They can handle cooler temps for short periods (e.g. low 70s, maybe even high 60s)...
• They can handle rather strong, gentle currents (e.g. strong gryes or water waving in a container vs a turbulent powerhead right next to them)...

What they can't handle is sudden shock.

• Avoid moving them from a tank with nutrients into a tank of 100% new water with no nutrients...
• Avoid moving them from tanks with high alk (9 or 10) to tanks with lower alk (7-8) and vice versa...
• Avoid moving them from days with no light to sudden full light...

Etc.

Avoid sudden changes like 100% new water in the new DT (used some old water too) ... big difference in alk between old tank and new tank ... and so on, and they should make the move just fine.

Thanks that’s good info