MOVING... need suggestions for move

faze07hd · 03/09/2009, 11:34 AM

I know im going to get criticized, but my new baby is forcing me to move from Florida back home to upstate NY...

I know, I know!!!

anyway, I have a 90 gall reef tank with lots of nicer peices, but mostly smaller frags and nothing too big. I also have about 4 or 5 fish too.

I am going to be driving straight through one day in may and i think in a car its about a 23 hr drive. so in a big uhaul truck its going to be probably 27 or 28 hrs...

I plan on having the tank with just the sand in it and a big rubbermade bucket with some water in it for the LR...

How should i handle all of the corals and fish??? I was thinking about a battery powered airator to put in another bucket with the fish. i have no clue about the corals...

Im doing this move in may so i wont be going into a freezing climate.

Any suggestions would help me. Thanks.

OwenInAZ · 03/09/2009, 11:47 AM

Personally, I might think about selling the livestock and getting new stuff up in NY. I've heard lots of horror stories involving dead corals in a bucket after long drives.

But if you try it, yeah throw an aerator into the fish bucket. You can try and bag up each coral individually and put them in another bucket. Sort of like shipping bags, if that makes sense.

Good luck

faze07hd · 03/09/2009, 11:50 AM

ya makes sense... thanks for the suggestions...

Id love to sell off all this stuff, but i bought it all because where i come from its hard to get, so i thought it would be an o k idea to stock up a bit while im surrounded by this environment.

THE ROOK · 03/09/2009, 12:17 PM

You'll also need to keep the temp somewhat stable. I like the idea of bagging everything. It would be similar to Live Aquaria shipping livestock/corals overnight. With the weather up north, you'll likely need to have some heat packs handy or keep them in the cab with you.

MileHighFish · 03/09/2009, 01:30 PM

I did a 900 mile move a few months back and didnt lose a coral, I would use a DC/AC converter, its enough power to run a sml heater, powerhead, and the air pump. I used eggcrate to make squares for the coral to sit in so they didnt touch one another. I put all live rock into 5 gal tubs with lids I added sand on top to keep moist. The coral road inside the truck, it was warm when I moved so we keep the AC on the entire trip and coral and fish sat at about 74 deg. The rock and the tank went in the bed of my fathers truck. Looking at the tank in your current house you wouldnt think there is much to do but plan on 12 extra hours then your thinking its going to take you now. The LR did just fine and all told after the 16 hour drive and the extra time it took to get the tank broken down I was exhausted. I didnt get the tank back up and running for four days. I had two sps that had tissue loss but other then that I didnt lose a fish CUC or even my two anemones that sat in a 5 gal bucket (i couldnt get the off the rock they were on) with out circulation did just fine. Most people will tell you to sell everything back but for me this was not an option Im to attached to each and every piece. If I had to do it again I would use a cooler to help with heat/cold issues. All my corls did brown out, and Im sure there was a small cycle but all is well now.
Good luck.. Heres a pic 5 months later.

dreed · 03/09/2009, 01:49 PM

That's awesome. I'm going to be moving 600 miles away in a year and was worried about doing this. I have an AC/DC converter in my Tahoe and planned on rubbermaid tubs with heaters and air tubes for aeration in them with the tub lids on.

My trip will be 14-16 hours planned since I make it in 11 hours normally with 2 kids that need to stop every 1.5 hours.

Did you guys that moved put the livestock in a holding tank or something while you made water or what? I have a friend that will keep a holding tank for me while I get my tank filled and recycled if needed. I have corals on some softball size rocks so I don't know how I'm going to do it yet.

Glad I found this thread. I was planning to make my own in a few months.

MileHighFish · 03/09/2009, 02:05 PM

I ended up using big wire cutters (new and washed) to cut all the corals that were grown on to rocks, I left my coral in the Rubbermaid bins and went to the market and used their RO machine and was able to do it in two trips. I have a ton of 5gal buckets with lids and few 5 gal water jugs etc. I mixed salt into each one ran a PH for a few minutes in each and started to fill the tank, I didnt have the leeway of setting up a letting the tank cycle so all coral fish etc was moved right in. I did fight with algae for a few months but that has subsided for the most part and Im getting 2ppm Nitrate reading now. I did heavy water changes the 1st month but I have now been able to ease off.

03/09/2009, 11:34 AM	#1
faze07hd Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Utica, Ny Posts: 914	MOVING... need suggestions for move I know im going to get criticized, but my new baby is forcing me to move from Florida back home to upstate NY... I know, I know!!! anyway, I have a 90 gall reef tank with lots of nicer peices, but mostly smaller frags and nothing too big. I also have about 4 or 5 fish too. I am going to be driving straight through one day in may and i think in a car its about a 23 hr drive. so in a big uhaul truck its going to be probably 27 or 28 hrs... I plan on having the tank with just the sand in it and a big rubbermade bucket with some water in it for the LR... How should i handle all of the corals and fish??? I was thinking about a battery powered airator to put in another bucket with the fish. i have no clue about the corals... Im doing this move in may so i wont be going into a freezing climate. Any suggestions would help me. Thanks. __________________ Harry Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef tank

03/09/2009, 11:47 AM	#2
OwenInAZ Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Flagstaff, AZ Posts: 2,409	Personally, I might think about selling the livestock and getting new stuff up in NY. I've heard lots of horror stories involving dead corals in a bucket after long drives. But if you try it, yeah throw an aerator into the fish bucket. You can try and bag up each coral individually and put them in another bucket. Sort of like shipping bags, if that makes sense. Good luck __________________ Owen Professional Bacteria Geek "Ree... cy... cling?" "One day it's a bowl full of cherries, one night I'm suckin' on lemons and spittin' out the seeds" Current Tank Info: 90 gallon tall reef

03/09/2009, 11:50 AM	#3
faze07hd Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Utica, Ny Posts: 914	ya makes sense... thanks for the suggestions... Id love to sell off all this stuff, but i bought it all because where i come from its hard to get, so i thought it would be an o k idea to stock up a bit while im surrounded by this environment. __________________ Harry Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef tank

03/09/2009, 01:30 PM	#5
MileHighFish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NM. Posts: 1,722	I did a 900 mile move a few months back and didnt lose a coral, I would use a DC/AC converter, its enough power to run a sml heater, powerhead, and the air pump. I used eggcrate to make squares for the coral to sit in so they didnt touch one another. I put all live rock into 5 gal tubs with lids I added sand on top to keep moist. The coral road inside the truck, it was warm when I moved so we keep the AC on the entire trip and coral and fish sat at about 74 deg. The rock and the tank went in the bed of my fathers truck. Looking at the tank in your current house you wouldnt think there is much to do but plan on 12 extra hours then your thinking its going to take you now. The LR did just fine and all told after the 16 hour drive and the extra time it took to get the tank broken down I was exhausted. I didnt get the tank back up and running for four days. I had two sps that had tissue loss but other then that I didnt lose a fish CUC or even my two anemones that sat in a 5 gal bucket (i couldnt get the off the rock they were on) with out circulation did just fine. Most people will tell you to sell everything back but for me this was not an option Im to attached to each and every piece. If I had to do it again I would use a cooler to help with heat/cold issues. All my corls did brown out, and Im sure there was a small cycle but all is well now. Good luck.. Heres a pic 5 months later. __________________ See "Red House" for pics!! I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. Mitch Hedberg Current Tank Info: Reef tank, 100 gal Lee Mar polished.. 60 sump.. 800 watts mh 20k radium..Ran on "Taiwan HQI Ballast" 330 watt VHO.. 48 watt compacts (dawn/dusk).. sps/lps tank..

03/09/2009, 02:05 PM	#7
MileHighFish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NM. Posts: 1,722	I ended up using big wire cutters (new and washed) to cut all the corals that were grown on to rocks, I left my coral in the Rubbermaid bins and went to the market and used their RO machine and was able to do it in two trips. I have a ton of 5gal buckets with lids and few 5 gal water jugs etc. I mixed salt into each one ran a PH for a few minutes in each and started to fill the tank, I didnt have the leeway of setting up a letting the tank cycle so all coral fish etc was moved right in. I did fight with algae for a few months but that has subsided for the most part and Im getting 2ppm Nitrate reading now. I did heavy water changes the 1st month but I have now been able to ease off. __________________ See "Red House" for pics!! I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. Mitch Hedberg Current Tank Info: Reef tank, 100 gal Lee Mar polished.. 60 sump.. 800 watts mh 20k radium..Ran on "Taiwan HQI Ballast" 330 watt VHO.. 48 watt compacts (dawn/dusk).. sps/lps tank..

03/09/2009, 12:17 PM	#4
THE ROOK Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Springfield, MA Posts: 2,100	You'll also need to keep the temp somewhat stable. I like the idea of bagging everything. It would be similar to Live Aquaria shipping livestock/corals overnight. With the weather up north, you'll likely need to have some heat packs handy or keep them in the cab with you.

03/09/2009, 01:49 PM	#6
dreed Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cheyenne Wyoming Posts: 237	That's awesome. I'm going to be moving 600 miles away in a year and was worried about doing this. I have an AC/DC converter in my Tahoe and planned on rubbermaid tubs with heaters and air tubes for aeration in them with the tub lids on. My trip will be 14-16 hours planned since I make it in 11 hours normally with 2 kids that need to stop every 1.5 hours. Did you guys that moved put the livestock in a holding tank or something while you made water or what? I have a friend that will keep a holding tank for me while I get my tank filled and recycled if needed. I have corals on some softball size rocks so I don't know how I'm going to do it yet. Glad I found this thread. I was planning to make my own in a few months.