Can a reef tank be moved?

[CustomU]

I have always had a fascination with marine biology, approximately nine months ago I started a freshwater aquarium. I love my fresh water aquarium and but now want to upgrade to a salt water tank. I have some major concerns that must be addressed before I emerge myself into the hobby. My first question is whether or not a reef tank can ever be moved? My second question is what type of budget should I expect for a 125g reef tank?

[reefvilla]

Originally Posted by CustomU

I have always had a fascination with marine biology, approximately nine months ago I started a freshwater aquarium. I love my fresh water aquarium and but now want to upgrade to a salt water tank. I have some major concerns that must be addressed before I emerge myself into the hobby. My first question is whether or not a reef tank can ever be moved? My second question is what type of budget should I expect for a 125g reef tank?

Sure you can move any tank... its work but its doable.

As far as a budget.... Depends on how you do it. Used equipment and on a tight budget and you could get by reasonably cheap.
I came up with a general rule of thumb for myself.... $50-75 dollars per gallon lets me know about what I'm going to spend. Of course you could get a 125g up and running for Much less but I like to do it "right" the first time and just splurge in the beginning.
I've got a 120g with a 40g sump and I probably have $6500 in it right now. it's just months old and I need many other things so its gonna get up there.
I had a 24g nano before this that I had about $1800 in counting the livestock.

[Collegenano]

Just finished moving my 46 gallon home from school. Takes a lot of time and planning and you will need a helping hand or two!

[Dino]

Sure, if necessary some on here have even moved a tank cross-country. I moved my tank around a year ago without too much trouble. It was only a short distance though and tank is fairly small.

[jeffscustomcage]

do you have anything for the 125 gallon
i just did a 125 with 29 and 20 sump refugium
320 watt lights custom stand and canopy i built
skimmer
laguna return pump 4 power heads
i have over 2000.00 invested buying all new and not alot of corals and fish yet
live sand and rock is a very large cost

[CustomU]

An experienced aquarists told me that moving a tank is one of the most difficult things you can do because you have the risk of losing the coral. But I do not have any experience with a salt water tank and would like any assistance that you could provide. In response to Collegenano I am also in College and would be moving the tank back to my house which is approximately three hours away, what was the process like specifically speaking? I do not have anything yet but i have a friend that has a 125 gallon tank with a cabinet and he said he would give it to me.

[thebkramer]

Personally...I would get the tank now and wait!!! How much longer to you move back home?? Start researching and research some more!! You will need it Take this time to get all the other stuff you will need like lighting, salt, sump, and all those goodies. Make lists of what kind of tank you want. Corals? What kind of fish? Fill yourself with lots of info and when you get home, you will be a pro with maybe a few questions!!!!
I can't say it enough....take the time to research! You won't regret it


BTW... WELCOME TO RC!!!!

[reefvilla]

If its free... Get it!!!

Start with a FOWLR tank and read/learn and turn it into a mix tank later on!!
I also want to add that starting out with a 125g can be overwhelming to a point.
I started with a 6' 125g tank and killed a lot of things stupidly because I was learning.

[abcsnana]

I'd buy the tank, then do lots and lots of research on critters - fish and corals. Decide what you can take care of and what you can afford. There are lots of people closing down their tanks right now because they can't afford them. I just picked up a $200 coral for $50.

Once you get ready to set it up in a place you'll be for awhile, then get the water, live rock and fish and corals going. It'l take about 6 wks to 3-4 months to cycle. If you can get some good quality live rock and a couple of cups of live sand from someone that will help the cycle go much faster.

I have moved a couple of salt tanks. It's time consuming, stinky, and takes lots of planning ahead. But it is doable. One of the people in another online club I'm part of moved a great big reef tank across country. but he set up an electrical system in a moving van to keep powerheads and heaters going for his corals and fish. I didn't see it, but it probably took him 3 days to get everything together, set up and then loaded and then reverse the process. Plus hauling it across the country. But he had very expensive corals and would have gotten peanuts for them, had he sold them.

Plan and plan and plan. Research and research and research. That's part of the fun of having a salt tank.

[Palting]

Here is a link to the cost of buying a whole new set up for a 125 gal, all fairly on the higher end: http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...4&pcatid=21464.

Here's about how much you have saved by your friend giving you a tank and a stand: http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...6&pcatid=22046

Then there is always Craiglist, e-Bay, and the classified ads. You'd be surprised how many people start and then sell everything.

You can spend the equivalent of a 4 year college education. Check out the tank of the month at the home page of reef central.

As far as moving, I've read it can be done. You'd have to empty out the tank, put all your livestock in water tight containers, and transport the water as well. Quite a task, I imagine, if you have a mature 125 gal reef aquarium. Never, never, move a full tank.

I'm just planning on moving my tank across a room, about 18 feet away, and I'm already dreading it.

[CustomU]

what is the most difficult aspect in setting up a salt water tank for the first time?

[Palting]

Patience!!!!! Which, BTW, I have none. LOL!!!

Seriously, you have to mature and cycle the tank, unlike your freshwater tank. Nothing to do but fret and twiddle thumbs as the tank cycles for 4-6 weeks. It would, however, be a good time to read up on the subject.

[mihamlet]

I've been through one move....Yes, lots of planning, lots of containers to hold water, and you should enter the process expecting some loss.

[riiz]

If you're starting a new tank, craigslist.org will be your bestfriend.

In this economy people are selling equipment so cheap, for instance here's what I've put together in the last 2 weeks through craigslist shopping.

First I bought a 100gal glass tank with stand/canopy and a pair of XP2s (canister filters), dual bulb t8 ballast/end caps system for $160, and a 29gal sump too. Sold the XPs for $75, then turned around and bought 100lbs of live rock for $200 directly from another hobbyist's tank. Next I found a guy selling 3 BNIB Koralia 4s for circulation, at $120 for the trio. Did a few more searches and found a couple of sellers with live sand, selling at less than a dollar a pound, grabbed 130+ lbs for $100.

So atm, I have a 100gallon fowlr system, around $500. Its lightly stocked, so water changes and carbon will be sufficient without a skimmer. And I can say with another $500 for lighting and a skimmer, maybe less and I'll start playing with corals.

[Dipandots]

I just moved my 15g a couple of weeks ago. It was 70 miles and the entire moved lasted 5 hours. I experienced no losses (other than a cerith snail I lost in the old sand). Moving a tank can be done if you take enough time to plan every single thing out. As for moving a 125 though, I wouldn't know. Sounds tough to me.

Why not try out a smaller tank to see if you like it? Easier to move, cheaper. Although soon enough you'll want to upgrade. As for saving money in places, I highly suggest you get in contact with a local reefing club. Many will be more than willing to help you out and they often sell live rock for $1-2 a lb.

[06bug]

As far as coral lose goes, the most temperamental coral will be your hard sps coral. The rest should do fine in a move. Soft coral and lps coral are usually more forgiving.

[purpletanglvr]

I am in the process of setting up a 120 gallon myself. I am taking it slow and buying stuff a little at a time so I can get what I want. I bought the 120 with twin overflows, stand and lid and the plumbing supplies first. I just ordered my ro/di unit. I splurged a little and bought one the can produce 150 gallons a day. Today I picked up the sump tank, sock and pump. My next purchase is the skimmer and lighting. Oh I also bought my sand before I bought the tank. I have already spent around 1400 or so. I would have to add it up but I really don't want to know