Moving a tank

intyme · 03/17/2015, 04:17 AM

Just purchased a new house! We are very excited....but I'm very anxious to move the tank. I've moved freshwater tanks before, no problem. As far a a reef tank what precautions should I use? My plan is to move everything in 5 gallon bucket, keeping most of the water. I plan to have about 25 gallon buckets my tank is 65 gallons. How have most of you done it? I'm hoping I can leave the tank for last, and come back a day later after closing and break down the tank.

Pife · 03/17/2015, 06:00 AM

There are hundreds of threads on here about this.

intyme · 03/17/2015, 04:13 PM

Oh there are bc I searched and couldn't find anything useful, I'm sure there are tons! What could I put in the search bar that could help.

Docdiggy · 03/17/2015, 09:04 PM

That's exactly what I did. I came back for it with a few friends. I kept the rock covered in very wet news papers and kept the water in tons of buckets. I did not have corals at the time.

Robert M · 03/17/2015, 09:36 PM

I used Rubbermaid Brute garbage cans to move all the rock, water and fish. I didn't fill any of them completely because we wouldn't be able to lift them. Basically, I turned each container into a working tank by running pumps and heaters in each that contained fish. Not sure how far you have to go but that would probably be a key factor.

intyme · 03/18/2015, 10:41 AM

I may have to setup the tank at a friends house for a week or 2, just so I don't have to worry about it. That way his kids can enjoy it. It would be about a 30 min travel. Do you think I woukd need to heat the water if it's only going to be there <2 hrs?

rffanat1c · 03/18/2015, 11:03 AM

I also used garbage cans not filled all the way

SLOW1 · 03/18/2015, 11:55 AM

When I moved my 90 gallon tank I had two of those brute trashcans. I moved my rodi unit a few days before and mixed up 50 gallons of fresh saltwater at the new house.

Then I placed all my rock, coral and fish in 3 or 4 smaller 20 gallon rubber made bins. When I started to put it all back together my tank was a cloudy mess.
I dropped a heater and pump into each of the smaller rubbermade containers and let everything live in there for a few days while the sandstorm settled down in my display tank.

Everything was fine with no light for a few day. My BTA did split in the process but it all went well and everything was happy when it went back in the display.

Robert M · 03/18/2015, 01:57 PM

Heat the water in transit? Probably depends on ambient temperatures. Here in NJ, its currently about 40F. That's too cold to drive the containers in a truck bed for a half hour. If its enclosed in the vehicle, probably not.

03/17/2015, 04:17 AM	#1
intyme Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Farmington Ny Posts: 854	Moving a tank Just purchased a new house! We are very excited....but I'm very anxious to move the tank. I've moved freshwater tanks before, no problem. As far a a reef tank what precautions should I use? My plan is to move everything in 5 gallon bucket, keeping most of the water. I plan to have about 25 gallon buckets my tank is 65 gallons. How have most of you done it? I'm hoping I can leave the tank for last, and come back a day later after closing and break down the tank.

03/17/2015, 06:00 AM	#2
Pife Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 7,408	There are hundreds of threads on here about this. __________________ Brandon I'm not saying let's get rid of all the stupid people.* I'm just saying let's remove all the warning labels and let the problem work itself out. Current Tank Info: 150g DT plumbed to an 80g frag tank and 220g sump in the basement. ~6-MP40s ~ 12 ATI powered t5s ~ Reefbrites and Radions supplementing ~ Custom GEO Skimmer ~ GEO CA Reactor 6x24~ Iwaki 70 Return ~

03/17/2015, 04:13 PM	#3
intyme Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Farmington Ny Posts: 854	Oh there are bc I searched and couldn't find anything useful, I'm sure there are tons! What could I put in the search bar that could help.

03/17/2015, 09:04 PM	#4
Docdiggy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Worcester MA Posts: 645	That's exactly what I did. I came back for it with a few friends. I kept the rock covered in very wet news papers and kept the water in tons of buckets. I did not have corals at the time.

03/17/2015, 09:36 PM	#5
Robert M Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 62	I used Rubbermaid Brute garbage cans to move all the rock, water and fish. I didn't fill any of them completely because we wouldn't be able to lift them. Basically, I turned each container into a working tank by running pumps and heaters in each that contained fish. Not sure how far you have to go but that would probably be a key factor.

03/18/2015, 10:41 AM	#6
intyme Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Farmington Ny Posts: 854	I may have to setup the tank at a friends house for a week or 2, just so I don't have to worry about it. That way his kids can enjoy it. It would be about a 30 min travel. Do you think I woukd need to heat the water if it's only going to be there <2 hrs?

03/18/2015, 11:03 AM	#7
rffanat1c Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Kenosha, WI Posts: 693	I also used garbage cans not filled all the way

03/18/2015, 11:55 AM	#8
SLOW1 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 50	When I moved my 90 gallon tank I had two of those brute trashcans. I moved my rodi unit a few days before and mixed up 50 gallons of fresh saltwater at the new house. Then I placed all my rock, coral and fish in 3 or 4 smaller 20 gallon rubber made bins. When I started to put it all back together my tank was a cloudy mess. I dropped a heater and pump into each of the smaller rubbermade containers and let everything live in there for a few days while the sandstorm settled down in my display tank. Everything was fine with no light for a few day. My BTA did split in the process but it all went well and everything was happy when it went back in the display.

03/18/2015, 01:57 PM	#9
Robert M Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 62	Heat the water in transit? Probably depends on ambient temperatures. Here in NJ, its currently about 40F. That's too cold to drive the containers in a truck bed for a half hour. If its enclosed in the vehicle, probably not.