Drshare

Active Reefer
Location
Long Island
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello everyone.... I currently have a 90 gallon tank that is in my office at the firehouse, it has been up and running for about three years. I have had my share of issue over the years and still feel I really don't know what the heck I am doing.

I would like to move the tank from the firehouse to my house where it will get a lot more attention.

Do I hire someone to do it? and if so who would you recommend?

How do you move the rock and corals with out harming them?

I was told not to use the same sand, put new in the tank before putting it all back together?????

Any advise would be greatly appreciated I don't think I could handle any major issues with the tank doing so well.

thanks
 

mtxguy8

Experienced Reefer
Location
rockaway,nj
Rating - 100%
12   0   0
Hey well you really don't need anyone beside a helper to help you carry the tank, to move the rock and stuff all you do is pick things up and put it in another tank or rubbermaid or anything that can hold water. i would recommend saving a least 50% of that water and make new water when everything is setup.you may have to run a heater as well in temporary tank or containers. and about the sand you really don't want to discard your sand because that is your number 1 biological filter. you will upset your tank biofilter because most of the bacteria population is there. the way i have done is take your sand and setup up tank give the tank a least 3 days and watch for ammonia spike which it will happen. but make sure you don't have any living thing in there. and if you absolutely have to have everything in there then make sure to grab a bottle of prime so you can bind the ammonia,nitrite and nitrate spike. prime will give you a 48hr windows everytime you dose the tank.
 
Last edited:

PhoenixOne

"Drugs are bad...mmmkay!"
Location
Old Bethpage
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Hey well you really don't need anyone beside a helper to help you carry the tank, to move the rock and stuff all you do is pick things up and put it in another tank or rubbermaid or anything that can hold water. i would recommend saving a least 50% of that water and make new water when everything is setup.you may have to run a heater as well in temporary tank or containers. and about the sand you really don't want to discard your sand because that is your number 1 biological filter. you will upset your tank biofilter because most of the bacteria population is there. the way i have done is take your sand and setup up tank give the tank a least 3 days and watch for ammonia spike which it will happen. but make sure you don't have any living thing in there. and if you absolutely have to have everything in there then make sure to grab a bottle of prime so you can bind the ammonia,nitrite and nitrate spike. prime will give you a 48hr windows everytime you dose the tank.

I'm planning on upgrading my stand and sump in the future. Thanks so much for posting the tip on using prime! It will definitely be useful when the time come. :thrash:
 

Frankie Marble

Experienced Reefer
Location
Staten Island
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I agree with mtxg 8, u just need a helper. Best advice I can give u besides that is be prepared... Plan the whole move. Every step. Have some water prepared waiting in the new location for a water change. Again I also agree with mtxguy8 keep your sand. Just try not to disturb it too much. U will be fine. I moved my system from staten island to long Island in a snow storm & didn't loose a thing. Only thing that disappeared was cyano. Lol had some before haven't had it since. All coral & fish were back to normal next day. Good luck with the move. Any other questions just ask.
 

thirty6

Advanced Reefer
Location
north NJ
Rating - 100%
229   0   0
Great time for a new tank

Get the new one up and running and when ready bring the live stock to your house. If not considering new upgrade I agree the only issue maybe the sand bed. One or two hands and some premade water you'll be good to go
 

hjp109

Experienced Reefer
Location
Somerset, NJ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So I had bought a 120 gallon tank from someone in Staten Island and moved it to NJ. It was me and my 2 other brother-in-laws. first thing, I made 50 gallons of water at home. Then I got a big Rubbermaid stock tank ( https://www.southernstates.com/catalog/p-4244-rubbermaid-stock-tank-70gal.aspx ) that holds about 100 gallon water and rented a uhaul van. I left this 100 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank in the van and ran a hose from the tank to the stock tank. Emptied about half the tank's top (clean) water into the 100 gallon stock tank and then transferred the rocks from the tank to the stock tank and put a heater and circulating pump. Then I put all the live stock corals/fish/anemones/crabs and etc.. into individual buckets (one for fish, one for anemones, and one for corals and etc.) Then transferred some more water from the tank to the stock tank in the van... until got to the bottom. Then scooped up all the sand into buckets and threw out the dirty water. Broke down the tank and stand and put those in the van. remember to get new bulk heads as you'll need to remove the existing ones to transfer the tank and I don't recommend reusing them. It wouldn't hurt to bring some movers blankets for the tank so that it doesn't get scratched up.


Then you get to your house.. setup for you stand, sump, lighting, and plumbing.. and bring in the tank (again this is where you'll need your helpers). Connect all the plumbing, add your sand from the buckets, and start transferring the water from your stock tank in the van to the tank in the house... try not to disturb the sand too much.. use a bowl or something at the bottom to keep the sand from clouding up the tank. As the tank fills.. start bringing in your live rocks. Once the sand has settled a bit... start adding your new freshly made water and get the circulation going in the tank. Afterwards.. acclimate your live stock to the new water and add them in the tank if the water is not too cloudy from the sand being disturbed. If the tank water is too cloudy... bring the stock tank in (you'll need your helpers again) and keep the heater and pump running and you can transfer your live stock in to the stock tank until the next day or until you have your tank setup the way you want. Ensure you have lights on top of your stock tank.


I did my move in 1 day.. and it was a long 1 day with three of us.
 

mtxguy8

Experienced Reefer
Location
rockaway,nj
Rating - 100%
12   0   0
Oh and one more thing i forgot to mention, under no circumstance you let that sand get dry up!!! what i have done is put them in 5 gallons bucket. just fill bucket half way and add same tank water until you have a least an inch of water covering the sand. that way you keep bacterias alive and less of a spike. don't fill bucket too much because you won't be able to lift it. don't be a hero trying to fill them up past half because trust me if you get a hernia,trying to liift the buckets up you will be a barbie girl in a operation room due to a hernia surgery. i been there for hernia surgery but not due to lifting a few buckets with sand and water. go to walmart or home depot they sell the buckets for $2 or if you have some salt buckets laying around then you save some money. good luck
 
Last edited:

Sponsor Reefs

We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.

Click here to sponsor $10:


Top