going to need some help....

[dadstank]

so. the movers took the tank, stand, and sump.
that's the easy part.

they are supposed to deliver everything by the 26th of june. as of right now i am booked to fly in for the weekend on the 26th. i will be checking some kind of "travel" thing (be it a suitcase, or container) on the plane that will have live rock, lights, a pump or two, and anything else i have that might be useful in setting up the tank.

now for the hard part. i have my RO system here in the city. this is something else that i will be bringing either on the plane in a carry on, or checking it with the other things. i guestimate i will need about 150 gallons of water to a. get the tank full b. have left over in case of spillage and c. possibly have some left over just in case i need it when i bring the fish and corals the following week....

however, i am afraid that i will not be able to produce that amount of water in the short time i have out in san fran. (i have to be back in the office in ny monday at 9) --

so to be safe, if i get the salt delivered, would someone be willing/have the ability to make me some water in the weeks before?
puhleeeeze?

 

[Ben1]

IIRC, you are moving in with someone? Why not ship the RO unit and have them start making water?

I am sure you can find some reefers in San Fran just not sure if they would have that much room lol..

Good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

Many LFS sell pre-mixed saltwater. Check around for shops in that area to see whats available. That would probably be easier than trying to mix it up when you are there if you will be on a tight schedule.

 

[dadstank]

pre-mixed sea water huh?
is it safe?

then again i suppose it depends on the LFS huh?

what would i expect to pay per gallon of course for something like that?

 

[Anonymous]

a buck a gallon is the going rate for premixed or so, which is funny because NSW is the same cost (although you don't want NSW around here ), hell I should sell pre-mixed salt for 50 cents a gallon and undercut everyone!

But if you absolutely need water I can spare some, I can make 30 gallons in roughly 8 hours or so (never actually timed it, that's how much it is until the auto-topoff stops my booster bump, but it did take less than half the day), however moving that much water would be QUITE cumbersome. But if you need like a 10g, 20 or 40g tank as a loaner to set up a temp tank, let me know I have empty ones lying around, if you don't want to set up the full 150g from the get go, hell I wouldn't move live stock into fresh mixed water unless it's been stirring for at least 24hours

 

[dadstank]

i may take you up on the offer for a smaller tank in the interm.
i need to re-think this whole thing.....

my plan was to bring out the live rock and sand only. let that run under a small light with some pumps to move the new water around for about 6-8 days. then the weekend of july 4, i am booked to fly back out, i was going to bring my three fish, my huge leather, the large rock with cabbage coral, the other corals i have, and all else alive that i don't want to kill. (read no kenya trees)

goals for trip #1 have been:
stain/seal the stand
clean the tank
fill tank with water, sand, rocks
set up some kind of circulatory system to move it all around
a few starter type fishies.... just for kicks....

goals for trip #2 have been:
introduce all my existing live stock
install the skimmer
install MH and flors.
properly plumb anything that i didn't do right the first trip

 

[Anonymous]

http://www.bareefers.org/

go post over there and ask for some help. Might as well get to know your local reef club from the get-go.

Leave the sand. It's heavy and you dont' really get much out of it. Get a cup or two from some local reefers to seed your new sandbed.

B

 

[Anonymous]

You do realize you'll most likely will have to recycle the tank though don't you? Granted your plane trip might only be 7 hours but you might have significant die off anyways.

I really think you're hoping to accomplish too much in the week or so you'll be away. From June 26th to July 4th will be harsh.

 

[pcardone]

It is my understanding that most of the premixed water actually is pumped from the bay(Bodega). you could get some sea water pretty easy. but I don't know how it would affect your skimmer.

 

[dadstank]

i realize that a re-cycle will be needed, but i am hopeful that it can be done in a short time... i'll be honest, there are only three things that i have in my tank that i really care deeply for. my large leather, the cabbage coral, and a sailfin tang. everything else is really just mushrooms, green button polyps, white star polyps, kenya tree (hope that is where i have my die off), 2 softies that i got for free, a damsel that just won't die (going on 4 1/2 years), and a convict blenny......

for the sand, i was planning on bringing a small tupperware full of my tank's sand and buying some new out in SF.

the water is really bay water?!? really? 8O
i would have thought that the "sea water" we make for our tanks is not like just any ol' sea water... what about all the ships and boats that run through the bay?