kbnh
Active Member
It is likely I will be moving soon and I am actually not too stressed about it. The new home is 10 minutes away with traffic so I'm not worried about water temp for the livestock. Tubs and buckets for rock and fish, portable air pumps for aeration, friends that are willing to help, new location will be a flat level surface. I will be dedicating a full day(likely 2 days really) strictly for the tank move to avoid any extra stress on myself or the livestock.
I am not sure what to do about the water though. Do I make an entirely new batch of saltwater at the new house and just have it ready there or do I try to transfer as much water as I can? I have 4x 32 gal brute trash cans and a couple of trucks that can take the weight of the water if I were to transfer the existing water. Would the lack of nutrients in the new water harm my corals or will the rock have enough absorbed that it will leech into the newly made water?
I am also undecided about the sand. The tank will be 2.5 years old at the time of the move, would rinsing the sand be worth it? Only use a little bit of the sand to accelerate the new sand's biome? Completely new sand throughout? I'm trying to keep the spending to a minimum but not at the risk of nuking my tank.
I am going to take this oppurtunity to stain the stand and canopy exterior to a color that will go with interior of the home, right now the aquarium sits in my garage, we originally found a color we loved but I went the extra step to waterproof it and it changed the color drastically. It being in the garage I didn't mind it as it dissapears when the room is only lit by the tank. I will sand the exterior prior to the move and with the tank off of the stand on the moving day I will paint the stand and canopy. I do realize this may push me into a 2nd, possibly even a 3rd day but the livestock should be ok in a big tub or 2 with the rock, heater, and aeration alone. I will also use this time to plumb my UV inline with my return, it currently resides in the canopy with the pump in the display which I'm ok with in the garage but I will definitely not want to see it inside the house.
My process for the move is the following steps.
1. In the days prior to the move, prep the exterior of the canopy and stand by sanding with a vacuum attachment, if too much dust is being created I will wait until the move date to sand as well.
2. Disconnect all electrical/lights/filters/plumbing and remove.
3. Remove the canopy.
4. Drain display water into buckets and tubs.
5. Remove rocks and coral into tubs.
6. Remove as much remaining water as possible. If I will be transferring the water then it will go into the brute trash cans, otherwise into the drain.
7. Catch and account for all fish and inverts and into buckets with lids and aeration
8. Remove sand either to keep and into buckets or throw away into trash.
9. Remove Display tank with suction cups and place into truck beds sitting on a couple of pieces of wood high enough to avoid damaging the plumbing for the center overflow, I am thinking about 4 sets of suction cups should be more than plenty.
10. Remove equipment and water from sump.
11. Transfer the stand and canopy into the other truck bed.
12. Once the tank, sump, stand and canopy are in the trucks I will then load the trucks up with the dry goods and livestock.
13. Arrive at the new home and set up a tub or two for livestock overnight and then get to work on the stand and canopy. The display will be on 4x4 or 4x6 wood awaiting its stand.
14. Once everything is in place, stained, and installed, I will sit down, have a few beers, sit and watch the tank and ask myself why I put myself through this for this hobby, then answer my question once my sailfin tang starts to flash his/her beautiful colors at me.
Any advice is greatly appreciated! Is there something I am overlooking? Is there something wrong with the order of things to do? Thanks in advance!
I am not sure what to do about the water though. Do I make an entirely new batch of saltwater at the new house and just have it ready there or do I try to transfer as much water as I can? I have 4x 32 gal brute trash cans and a couple of trucks that can take the weight of the water if I were to transfer the existing water. Would the lack of nutrients in the new water harm my corals or will the rock have enough absorbed that it will leech into the newly made water?
I am also undecided about the sand. The tank will be 2.5 years old at the time of the move, would rinsing the sand be worth it? Only use a little bit of the sand to accelerate the new sand's biome? Completely new sand throughout? I'm trying to keep the spending to a minimum but not at the risk of nuking my tank.
I am going to take this oppurtunity to stain the stand and canopy exterior to a color that will go with interior of the home, right now the aquarium sits in my garage, we originally found a color we loved but I went the extra step to waterproof it and it changed the color drastically. It being in the garage I didn't mind it as it dissapears when the room is only lit by the tank. I will sand the exterior prior to the move and with the tank off of the stand on the moving day I will paint the stand and canopy. I do realize this may push me into a 2nd, possibly even a 3rd day but the livestock should be ok in a big tub or 2 with the rock, heater, and aeration alone. I will also use this time to plumb my UV inline with my return, it currently resides in the canopy with the pump in the display which I'm ok with in the garage but I will definitely not want to see it inside the house.
My process for the move is the following steps.
1. In the days prior to the move, prep the exterior of the canopy and stand by sanding with a vacuum attachment, if too much dust is being created I will wait until the move date to sand as well.
2. Disconnect all electrical/lights/filters/plumbing and remove.
3. Remove the canopy.
4. Drain display water into buckets and tubs.
5. Remove rocks and coral into tubs.
6. Remove as much remaining water as possible. If I will be transferring the water then it will go into the brute trash cans, otherwise into the drain.
7. Catch and account for all fish and inverts and into buckets with lids and aeration
8. Remove sand either to keep and into buckets or throw away into trash.
9. Remove Display tank with suction cups and place into truck beds sitting on a couple of pieces of wood high enough to avoid damaging the plumbing for the center overflow, I am thinking about 4 sets of suction cups should be more than plenty.
10. Remove equipment and water from sump.
11. Transfer the stand and canopy into the other truck bed.
12. Once the tank, sump, stand and canopy are in the trucks I will then load the trucks up with the dry goods and livestock.
13. Arrive at the new home and set up a tub or two for livestock overnight and then get to work on the stand and canopy. The display will be on 4x4 or 4x6 wood awaiting its stand.
14. Once everything is in place, stained, and installed, I will sit down, have a few beers, sit and watch the tank and ask myself why I put myself through this for this hobby, then answer my question once my sailfin tang starts to flash his/her beautiful colors at me.
Any advice is greatly appreciated! Is there something I am overlooking? Is there something wrong with the order of things to do? Thanks in advance!
