Moving cross country

[csab1n]

I will be moving from Maine to Utah at the end of the month, and I can`t decide what to do...Do I take my livestock with me or get rid of them?

I have a 100 gallon fully stocked reef tank plus 5 smaller tanks including a 75 gallon freshwater. I did get quite attached to my fish over the years, that is the only reason I`m even cosidering doing a 3+ day trip with them.
I just bought a large cargo trailer to be pulled behind my truck, so I`m not worried about taking the tanks themselves. The problem is that this will be at least a 3 day trip if I drive 14 hours/day, and it`s also winter, temps will be around freezing or colder outside, so the enclosed trailer would be too cold for the fish to survive. I have a limited amount of space inside my truck where I could maybe fit 6-7 buckets tops. I do have bubblers and could keep the oxygen level sufficient. I have around 15 fish in my reef, all happy and healthy, about 10 corals and some anemones. At this point I`m only considering keeping the reef livestock only. What do you think? Would you do it?

 

[CanuckReefer]

I will be moving from Maine to Utah at the end of the month, and I can`t decide what to do...Do I take my livestock with me or get rid of them?

I have a 100 gallon fully stocked reef tank plus 5 smaller tanks including a 75 gallon freshwater. I did get quite attached to my fish over the years, that is the only reason I`m even cosidering doing a 3+ day trip with them.
I just bought a large cargo trailer to be pulled behind my truck, so I`m not worried about taking the tanks themselves. The problem is that this will be at least a 3 day trip if I drive 14 hours/day, and it`s also winter, temps will be around freezing or colder outside, so the enclosed trailer would be too cold for the fish to survive. I have a limited amount of space inside my truck where I could maybe fit 6-7 buckets tops. I do have bubblers and could keep the oxygen level sufficient. I have around 15 fish in my reef, all happy and healthy, about 10 corals and some anemones. At this point I`m only considering keeping the reef livestock only. What do you think? Would you do it?

Boy oh boy....this would be an endeavor and a half. I understand the attachment for certain.... moved my setup entirely but only 2 hrs up the road in summer. Driving can be stressful enough at best of times in early winter. I wish you godspeed my friend whichever direction you go....btw I quite like Maine, never been to Utah, understand it is beautiful as well.

 

[kichimark]

Sounds like a journey. Any chance you can have them shipped to you at your new location? Perhaps a LFS you can trust to hold onto the livestock and send them to you?

 

[csab1n]

Sounds like a journey. Any chance you can have them shipped to you at your new location? Perhaps a LFS you can trust to hold onto the livestock and send them to you?

None of these options are available to me unfortunately, even getting rid of them would be a pain in my area as LFS doesn`t take fish in...

 

[mijan]

I have done this twice. First time was in 2012 when I moved my family from NY to Vancouver, BC. Second time in 2018 when we moved back to the States from BC to South Florida. Both times I gave away my livestock but kept the equipment and live rock. I bleached the live rock before each move because everything was going to be placed in storage for a few months so it was not exactly going to be live anymore when we finally found a home.
Unless you already have a place to stay I would not bring the livestock. But even if you do moving is stressful enough do you want to be setting up tanks with everything else you need to do to be moving into a new home?

 

[argiBK]

To me, this would be 3-4 full days of stress on both the livestock and myself. I'd want to minimize the amount of travel time for everyone.

Here's roughly what I would do (though admittedly, this would be relatively expensive to achieve):

1. A week or two before the move in date, empty your largest tank and move your reef livestock into your remaining tanks for their temporary homes
2. Once ready, freight your largest tank to the new home and ensure your shipping company arrives on the day of the move in
   • Or prior, if you can arrange with a friend, new neighbor in your new city, or taskrabbit to receive when it arrives
3. The day before (or day of) moving, package your fish and have them shipped via commercial air cargo (I believe all commercial carriers offer air animal freight on major airport routes). You might also want to send some sand and live rock
   • American Airlines cargo shows 4 x 26-50lbs boxes from BOS - SLC is about $1336 (this doesn't include your ticket though)
4. That same day send the rest of the tanks you want to keep also by ground freight, they'll arrive a few days after you
   • Though unless you have custom built tanks, it may be easier to sell them and then purchase new tanks in your new city
5. Fly to your new home on the same flight your livestock is taking, that way you'll be able to (relatively quickly) pick them up right at the airport when you arrive
6. Go to your new home, set up and fill the large tank and introduce your livestock!
   • There's obviously missing steps here, like sourcing/making RODI, mixing and temperature stabilizing, all of which take time
   • The shipped sand and LR would help with cycling
7. When the other tanks arrive you can set up properly and finalize arrangements for your livestock

If you time and organize it properly you can probably get this down to 8-12 hours of total in-bag time for your livestock. This becomes even easier, less bag time if you have friends or a willing significant other waiting in SLC with the tank already set up.

 

[csab1n]

I have done this twice. First time was in 2012 when I moved my family from NY to Vancouver, BC. Second time in 2018 when we moved back to the States from BC to South Florida. Both times I gave away my livestock but kept the equipment and live rock. I bleached the live rock before each move because everything was going to be placed in storage for a few months so it was not exactly going to be live anymore when we finally found a home.
Unless you already have a place to stay I would not bring the livestock. But even if you do moving is stressful enough do you want to be setting up tanks with everything else you need to do to be moving into a new home?

I will have the place ready to move in when I arrive, but unfortunately I can`t go there before to set up another tank ready to go before I arrive with the fish.

 

[csab1n]

To me, this would be 3-4 full days of stress on both the livestock and myself. I'd want to minimize the amount of travel time for everyone.

Here's roughly what I would do (though admittedly, this would be relatively expensive to achieve):

1. A week or two before the move in date, empty your largest tank and move your reef livestock into your remaining tanks for their temporary homes
2. Once ready, freight your largest tank to the new home and ensure your shipping company arrives on the day of the move in
   • Or prior, if you can arrange with a friend, new neighbor in your new city, or taskrabbit to receive when it arrives
3. The day before (or day of) moving, package your fish and have them shipped via commercial air cargo (I believe all commercial carriers offer air animal freight on major airport routes). You might also want to send some sand and live rock
   • American Airlines cargo shows 4 x 26-50lbs boxes from BOS - SLC is about $1336 (this doesn't include your ticket though)
4. That same day send the rest of the tanks you want to keep also by ground freight, they'll arrive a few days after you
   • Though unless you have custom built tanks, it may be easier to sell them and then purchase new tanks in your new city
5. Fly to your new home on the same flight your livestock is taking, that way you'll be able to (relatively quickly) pick them up right at the airport when you arrive
6. Go to your new home, set up and fill the large tank and introduce your livestock!
   • There's obviously missing steps here, like sourcing/making RODI, mixing and temperature stabilizing, all of which take time
   • The shipped sand and LR would help with cycling
7. When the other tanks arrive you can set up properly and finalize arrangements for your livestock

If you time and organize it properly you can probably get this down to 8-12 hours of total in-bag time for your livestock. This becomes even easier, less bag time if you have friends or a willing significant other waiting in SLC with the tank already set up.

Thanks for the plan, it`s actually a pretty solid plan, but I do have to drive my household goods and don`t have extra $$$$s to spare on cargo.

 

[OrionN]

You really need to have an habitable place for the animals all the time. Driving 3-4 days in an unheated trailer in the winter is not habitable for the animals. On arrival, new set up aquarium is not habitable for them either. It is best just take down your tank, find new home for the animals you have now and reset up once you get there. If there is an animal that you really want to keep, have them in smaller container, aerated, and heated in the inside compartment of your car or truck. Bring them indoor for the night every time. Quickly set up a small tank on arrival while waiting for your normal DT to cycle is doable.
Also board them at LFS or another reefer, pack them and send them is the way to do it.
Contact LFS in Utah or Maine to see if any of them can board them for you. Contact reefers in the area also. I find that most reefers are very helpful, and can really help you out in a pinch. You may have to look at larger cities not too close to where you live now, or in Utah.
I moved from Seattle to Corpus Christi in 1999, essentially the same move like your but in the summer, which is a harder challenge I think. Get rid of heat (not doable on battery) is a lot harder than use a heater. I shipped and boarded a few of my animals, including a large T. gigas, and a few special corals. The rest I found new home for. I have to boarded them in Houston which is about 3.5 hrs from Corpus.

My advice: Do not drive with the animals. If you can board them in a larger city neaby before shipping, or after shipping then this is what you need to do, otherwise find NEW home for the animals and re-setup later.