Marine migration: How would you move your aquarium?

[bchoy777]

when my 275, was threatening to leak (silicon seals were down to less than an 1/8" in spots) I decided to upgrade. Ordered at 350. Bought a 125, and a 60 used. Built a new stand for the 125, set up the 125 with a used sump and a new skimmer. set up the 60 with minimal equipment, a hob skimmer. Moved the power heads, lights etc. then moved water while moving reef rocks and fish. My brother helped move the corals (who is also an experienced reefer.) Then emptied the rest of the tank. Got friends and relatives to help me remove the old tank after undoing the plumbing. moved to garage level in driveway with a "free" sign on it. Had the caveat that it was "going to leak".

Then rebuilt/added on to the stand, for the larger footprint. Had friends and family and admittedly friends of family help move the new tank. Heavier, as it was built without center cross bracing. bought suction handles online. and moved it into place. About 10 guys moved it down a flight of stairs and onto waiting stand. This sucker is heavy.

Hooked up plumbing. filled with water. put in live sand being held in aerated/heated tubs for a few weeks. Added two new gyre powerheads. Cycled aquarium with the original sump still having 100+ lbs of live rock for two weeks. Then began moving corals (and rocks with corals on it. Did the coral move with the help of my fiancé and my brother, over a few weeks time. Then the fish. Emptied the 60. Now in storage. Emptied the 125, which is waiting to see what I will do with it. FW? Fowler? a second reef?

In all, did very well. Only broke a few pieces of hard corals, and one stupid goby who was hiding in a rock and I didn't realize it. Maybe a couple of hermits/snails got buried. It was all quite an ordeal, but worth it, to not have a potential leaking seal of a 20 year old tank.

 

[NkSde]

Got a little 20 so couple if buckets and it’s drained recently moved to a new shelf was easy enough.

need these kids to grow up faster to help move more stuff.

 

[McPuff]

I put "never moving my tank" but if I did move I could still stay true to that vote. I'd have another tank up and running and transfer all of the contents over the course of a couple weeks. The tank itself is not going to be moved [intact] by me and likely not by anybody else. It would take a herculean effort to get it out of the basement. It was a very choreographed operation to get it down there in the first place and we had gravity as an ally. :0)

 

[exnisstech]

@exnisstech Could you elaborate on how you moved a 180 alone? Not to mention the weight, but just how would you hold on to it?

If on a stand I lift one end and place it on a chair that is a lower than the stand. Then do the same with the other end. Then I place one end in the floor. Lift the other end and kick the chair out of the way and set that end on the floor. Then I stand it on end and place it on a two wheeler / dolly that I have padded with towels or whatever is handy. Move the stand to where it is going and do the same with the tank. Place the stand then set the tank back down flat trying to align with the stand if possible and place it back on the chairs. Then I climb inside the stand and lift one end and drag it into the stand part way. Exit the stand and move to the other end and lift and slide the tank into the stand. Easy peasy.
To get one in the house I back my truck up to my porch and do pretty much the same thing standing the tank on end and roll it into the house and repeat the above procedure.
I have no friends and no family physically able to help so I adapt.

EDIT I did get stuck under a 125g once when I was bent over and had the tank laying in my back so I could drag it out of the house which had 3 steps to get to the garage floor. It was an interesting few minutes but that tank is now my basement sump.

 

[shakacuz]

even with doing extensive research and planning, i wouldn't trust myself to be able to get it done without losing things (fish, corals, or even equipment...). i'd rather enlist the help of my LFS and LRC(local reef club) to make it as easy as possible. of course friends/family would be helping as well!

 

[Keko21]

moved my 350g2 last week from the office to the living room. Might as well have been across state lines lol. Not fun.

 

[drbark]

I would just sell it with the house.

 

[vcollins9850]

My question. After moving tank. What is everyone’s preferred method for integrating an existing tank contents (fish, rock, and corals) into the new one? New one was set back up in a day so not cycling a new tank or anything.

 

[In the sticks]

I have moved my tank three times one time because of moving and twice due to home renovations. I hired my lfs all 3 times and was well worth it. They have experience in this type of stuff imo. I have a hard enough time keeping my sps alive when everything seems to be going well. Let alone moving there whole world lol

 

[Freenow54]

I had to move mine because of flood. Used2x4 and car Jack's jacked one end at a time in small units and supports then borrowed 2 18 by 18 plates with large solid casters bolted to them. Weight about 1500 lbs to move. Had to use 2x4 across plates and move very slowly. Had to cut carpet up first then on concrete. Long process cost zero

 

[ScubaFish802]

I would say 'do it myself' but the tank is to heavy for me to lift alone I would get it as empty/clean as possible and then get some help for sure. Not sure I would trust a moving team to do it, those guys are there to move your stuff quickly, I am not sure I would trust/expect them to take the same care I would moving it

 

[vlangel]

My tank is only a 56 gallon so if I were to move it, it would be my hubby and myself with brute cans and empty salt buckets. However, this is not my 1st rodeo (or tank) and this is my last house, so the tank is in the best spot possible. The basement sump directly below it is next to a cold water line (for RO/DI water) and a floor drain for water changes. This set up takes the chore out of water changes. So yeah, we never plan to move this tank!

 

[cpalminteri]

Love all these moving stories but I have one big question. Do you all remove the sand was well or just drain the water and remove the rocks leave the sand in? Feel like getting wet sand out would be miserable.

 

[Rubymoon286]

The fish store I go to in the city offers professional moving services, so I'm hiring them to move it. I've moved my nano tanks, but I hate doing it, and definitely don't want to have to move my 100g by myself/just friends.

 

[Nick Steele]

I have moved a 55G freshwater tank by my self. Was very simple move for me. Brand new 55G from petco/petsmart at new location on new stand filled halfway with water. Transported livestock (fish plants and sand) in 5G bucket’s and right into the tank they went! Water was murky green for a couple weeks but no losses!

I just moved my 20G nano reef 3 miles down the road and was also pretty simple! Had 8G fresh saltwater mixed and ready at new place. Started with draining tank halfway to get fish/cuc. They went in a 5G bucket with corals filled halfway. Had a cooler with about 6G of water that was able to hold my rockwork without needing to be broken down and some RFA. A 10G brute filled with misc equipment (heaters powerheads etc). At new place started with placing rock in then water then fish and corals. Took all sand out and tossed it going bare bottom for a few weeks/months. I’ve had zero deaths and some corals are looking much better at the new place.

Now if I had a bigger tank say 6’ I would have to enlist friends to help with moving said tank but that’s all I would need help with is moving the physical tank. I’ve worked with big thick 4-6’ tanks and while they aren’t the lightest things out there I trust myself and friends to move it over anyone else. If it breaks it breaks and that’s on me! Plus bigger tank would almost always in my mind involve a staging tank for fish/corals!

Love all these moving stories but I have one big question. Do you all remove the sand was well or just drain the water and remove the rocks leave the sand in? Feel like getting wet sand out would be miserable.

I removed all my sand and will start with new sand after a few months of bare bottom.

 

[DarkReefer]

Having recently moved my Waterbox 70.2 I had friends/family help and that was a struggle enough.
Admittedly I tried to shortcut it by not draining the tank and the sump completely (just about 80-90%) and keeping it all together rather than breaking it down and it was a bit of a struggle.

If things go the right way and I get a larger tank I'll definitely be getting some professionals to help with any future moves. I'll also be looking to break it right down.

 

[Gatorpa]

So far I've been able to move tanks up to 180 gallons in and out of the house alone. Also managed moving a 125 gallon to the basement alone to set up as a sump. Not tank related but I moved a 900 lb gun safe up three steps and to the other end of the house alone also. And I wasn't even smart enough to take the door off My Gal says it's scary watching but the last time I asked her to help she hurt her back so it's just me to do it.
If I ever step up to the 8ft tank I want I'll probably negotiate delivery. I think 6ft tanks are my max for solo moves.

I’ve done that two.
A 180 alone is tough but it can be done

The hardest part is getting off and on the stand.

A bit older now so my son helped moved by 120 most recently.
Big coolers for live rock works great.
Tupperware for loose colonies.

Considering upgrading my 120 to a 150 as I have to have new floors replaced and it will need to be moved

 

[Black_Electric]

The largest system I have moved so far has been 40 gallons, and only a few miles away. I just put all my livestock and coral rocks in 5 gallon buckets and moved it myself.

I now have a waterbox 130.4, it will be a few years but dreading the move when we upsize the house... and hopefully the tank.

 

[mdrobc13]

After watching them install my Red Sea 1000G2 into my new house....definitely would hire the LFS again to do it. Retired military and would move every few years so would often just breakdown the tank, sell off livestock and bleach rocks and save equipment then use it as an excuse to upgrade to a bigger tank! .

Did a AZ to Nebraska and lost 2/3rd of my fish on that one...method was sound using 5 gal buckets and airstones and nano filter on each but tried to take ALL of my fish in 4 buckets and really didn't calculate overstocking and stress and delays in what turned out to be a 3 day trip vs 2 days. No water changes until day 3 did me in....should have just changed 1/3 of it every stop [had store bought seawater from PetCo with me but not enought for all 4 buckets]. All in all only my clown tang, a hippo tang and a damsel survived that trip...lesson learned on livestock moves and sold most of mine before subsequent moves.

Longest tank move was Nebraska to Hawaii with a crated Waterbox 130.4. Chose NOT to do it in reverse when I came back to the mainland last year and bought new Red Sea Reefer 1000G2...no WAY I'd even try to move that myself as it took about 6 guys to get it in my house from the truck to the living room and on the stand and assemble the integrated sump. So yeah hiring someone or getting a professional works best! Smaller tanks tho are easy to do.

 

[Reefvision]

If on a stand I lift one end and place it on a chair that is a lower than the stand. Then do the same with the other end. Then I place one end in the floor. Lift the other end and kick the chair out of the way and set that end on the floor. Then I stand it on end and place it on a two wheeler / dolly that I have padded with towels or whatever is handy. Move the stand to where it is going and do the same with the tank. Place the stand then set the tank back down flat trying to align with the stand if possible and place it back on the chairs. Then I climb inside the stand and lift one end and drag it into the stand part way. Exit the stand and move to the other end and lift and slide the tank into the stand. Easy peasy.
To get one in the house I back my truck up to my porch and do pretty much the same thing standing the tank on end and roll it into the house and repeat the above procedure.
I have no friends and no family physically able to help so I adapt.

EDIT I did get stuck under a 125g once when I was bent over and had the tank laying in my back so I could drag it out of the house which had 3 steps to get to the garage floor. It was an interesting few minutes but that tank is now my basement sump.

Amazing- your lucky you didn’t get hurt with that act lol