Tank Journal Archive

[Mr.Reeefer]

So our house will be ready in 2-4 weeks time, so I really need to start getting prepared "tank wise".

I need a plan!!! I have a plan!!! My plan scares me!!

The whole tank move, will need to be done within 24hrs, from tear down, to re plum and re stocked.

This is what I currently have.

1. 180L NSW at new house waiting
2. 80L NSW at current dwelling waiting
3. Night before bag up corals and pack in foam boxes(10pm start) (12pm finish)
4. Use 80L NSW to top up what has been used from tank to bag up corals

5. (6am) remove LR from DT, rap in wet newspaper and place in foam box
6. Remove LR from fuge, wrap in wet newspaper and place in seperate foam box. Remove Chaeto and dragons breathe, place in bag with water and in foam box
6. (7am)Drain remaining SW from DT and sump into drums.
7. (7:30)Disconnect all plumbing
8. (8am)Tank, sump, cabinet and all foam boxes moved to ute
9. (8:30)Drain fuge into seperate drum
10. (9am)Add fuge and fuge water to ute
11. (9:15)Drive to house 15min away
12. (9:30)Unpack all foam boxes into garage
13. (10am)Tank sump and fuge moved into position, fill fuge with fuge water and add power head and maybe heater depending on weather.
14. (10:30)Plumb tank, sump and fuge and wait 2 hours to dry.
15. (12:30)Fill tank with with 50% old tank water and 50% NSW,
16 (1pm)add sand and let settle for 10min
17 (1:20)turn on all pumps and open overflows, let settle 1hr
18. (2:20)Check temp and salinity
19. (2:25)Super quick aquascape
20 (3pm)acclimatise fish and corals and inverts
21. (4pm) add most fish (4:30) add agressive fish (5pm) add inverts
22. (6pm) water param check and feed tank.

I'm exhausted already, if anyone has tips or better ideas please let me know, as this is the best I can come up with to have it done in 24hrs.

Thanks in advance :)

 

[Mr.Reeefer]

Btw I just remembered, I didn't include my frag tank with that. FFFUUUUCCCCKKK! It's only little so I will have to incorporate it somehow.

 

[gtrxu1]

At least you have a plan, looks like a sound plan as well.

I have done 4 moves since I've been reefing, the first time was the only time something didn't go wrong.

The last time was a complete disaster

 

[MagicJ]

Personally, I wouldnt try to re-establish the tank on the same day, especially as you have some plumbing to redo.

Buy/borrow some large tubs (garbage bins are fairly cheap) to house your fish/corals for a few days - you don't need to worry about light for a couple of days which will give you a chance to take a breath and sort yourself out.

 

[Lesley]

Well thought out plan. Only thing is and trust me in this. Take the time you think you have & double it. On our first move we chucked a carton of beer to local lfs & he held all my corals & fish for 2 days All you need is one thing in that schedule to go wrong & your then talking over. 24 hrs in bags & boxes. Let lfs babysit, take your time to scape etc. & then when 100% ready add stock. Think of it as a holiday for all your critters.

 

[daveH]

I'll be following this one.
I have a move coming up at the end of the year and need as much input as I can get.
I've always thought I would be good to post a proven step by step tank move procedure.
One that is fine tuned by our members who have past experience in moves.
Also including some definite do-nots.

 

[Lesley]

Me again. Don't use wet newspaper. It breaks down. & you end up with broken bits in all the cracks that appears in your tank for weeks that you never knew where there. Wet towels are def easier, stay wet longer can really soak them & easier to get off ! Just run all the towels your going to use threw a double plain water rinse cycle to remove any soaps etc. oh. Another thing I prefer sand first water after not water then sand. Have a tub of waste salt water to shake and rinse live rock off before towel. Makes it so much cleaner & less detritus when placed back in set up. Less detritus means less nitrates straight away. Have prime ready to use as you will have a mini cycle & it will safely get your livestock through it. Stability is also a fantastic product to help you get your good bacteria back up quickly. Prime. & stability are programmed to work together. Make sure you have an extra 100 lts of water. Once rocks are removed the remaining water will be full of crap and filthy, possibly even unusable. Can't hurt to have more ready just in case.

 

[daveH]

Me again. Don't use wet newspaper. It breaks down. & you end up with broken bits in all the cracks that appears in your tank for weeks that you never knew where there. Wet towels are def easier, stay wet longer can really soak them & easier to get off ! Just run all the towels your going to use threw a double plain water rinse cycle to remove any soaps etc. oh. Another thing I prefer sand first water after not water then sand.

Great tips - these are the finer points that need to be listed.

 

[Lesley]

Great tips - these are the finer points that need to be listed.

Thank you. One 1000lt move 5 hour drive & 1400 lt exactly 14 months later. We actually learnt a few things. Lol. NEVER again !

 

[MQ-9]

I have had terrible experiences wrapping soft corals in newspaper, in particular leathers. Something that works for me in moves is using tubs at the new place that have wavemakers or airstones running in them (and maybe heater or chiller). That way I can get my livestock from the tank, then drive to new place, put livestock into tubs, add some dechlorinator with an ammonia binder, cover to prevent jumpers. Then I go back and start stripping tank, then move tank, then set back up and then place livestock from tubs into the tank. This way livestock are only in bags and buckets for the time it takes to bag them and drive them over. Better than it being hours. If the tubs are big enough you can also move your rock too. This means you wont have as many things like sponges die off. Take your time rescaping the rocks, best to let crap settle so you can see what you are doing and put rocks in right way up. Its very hard to rescape rocks once fish and coral are in as you often end up crushing fish or losing frags. Nothing is worse than the final rock tweak you do crushing your favourite hawk fish. I really hate moving.

 

[Mr.Reeefer]

Hi Reefers,

I hope all is well.

Okay

@MagicJ, this has been considered and is another good idea, and is still on the cards:). I need to calculate how many tubs i would need, if i have enough pumps to keep the water circulating, enough heaters to heat it. If not how many of everything i will need to buy and how much i can make it happen for. Even if it worked out to be $500.00 or more, with how much live stock costs its a good investment, If i do take this option, then all live stock would have to be in the tank the next day, i dont trust myself keeping live stock alive in tubs for an extended period of time.:confused:

@Lesley, My local LFS stores are not pro active enough to baby sit my live stock unfortunatly, they know what they are meant to be doing, but too lazy to do it. The one i get my NSW from has a staff member who is now doing her PHd in marine biology, yet most of there fish have white spot, it's not her fault, she isnt the owner and only works a few days, also i save on an extra major water parameter adjustment with the fish. There are some good shops, but too far.:(
I figured if i dont finish by 5pm by plan, even if its 10pm im still within the 24hr period for fish, right on for corals, also, i will have 180l of NSW at hand if needed, worst case senario, i acclimatise all fish to NSW in bin, then empty all fish into a tub with some NSW with an air stone at 2pm.
Love the towel idea, will definatley be doing this.:D
Sorry but I dont dose, if any issues arrived that i couldnt get out of otherwise i would consider it though, i think maybe some light feeding for the first two weeks. I hope that if its done smart and quickly there souldnt be too much change to cause major issue, the hardest hit will be the fuge, im going to drain as little water out as possible to carry it, if it could be carried full i would, and it will be last to be emptied and added to the ute, and will be the first to be off and refilled with its own water, and a powerhead straight in. I think this is most important for me, if i can keep this fuge stable and not alter it too much, it will keep the tank stable when up and running again. I will leave the LR in it when moving it. Just need to round up some people.:p
I will have 180L ready waiting at the house, and it turns out where im moving, the LFS is 5min away, so i just need to make sure that if i will need more i do it before 5pm.
I will be keeping 50% of the tank water, this water will be siphoned straight out of the tank into a drum, then added back to the tank later on with NSW.
all water for transporting live rock will be discarded, then a light dunk in a bucket of NSW to clean it out a little.
Thats the only positive out of this is, I get to start from scratch, but the clock will be ticking.
Thats extreme lesley, and you upsized too, i hope you dont plan on moving
again.

@daveH, i think so too, like i said, i have a plan, but if others would help me make a great plan, im all for that.:)

@MQ-9, this is how i would do it if i take that path,:confused: no matter what, i still want everything to happen quickly to get the tank up and running,
regarding scape, this will definatley be done before live stock are in the tank, they will be stressed enough, i wont expect them to play dodge the rock:pand if i am running on time according to the schedule and start scaping by 2:25pm the sand would have had 1hr 25min to settle enough, i could take an extra 30min or more on the scape, im happy i have a time alloted schedule as it gives me something to go off and keep me updated on whats yet to be done. Even if i am running an hour behind schedule i still have 4 hours on corals and 12hrs on fish to be within 24hrs and thats without tubs.:)

I will be going to buy all plumbing fittings this week, with extra everything for emergencies:)

I dont know which avenue to take yet, i think putting the fish in a tub is a good idea, maybe same plan, but instead when i get to the house at 9;30am i tub the fish straight after i do the fuge, it will throw my schedule out by +15min i think. I will pre setup the day before power, tubs etc.

 

[Mr.Reeefer]

At least you have a plan, looks like a sound plan as well.

I have done 4 moves since I've been reefing, the first time was the only time something didn't go wrong.

The last time was a complete disaster

wow, i couldnt imagine doing it four times, if you ever do it again, you need a plan maaaaannn.:)
do you feel like sharing your disaster story?

 

[Lesley]

Yeah. We were lucky that our lfs had a free standing red sea tank with just some corals. & live rock. So didn't ever have fish in main tank system. Sound like you've got it well sorted. Good luck.

 

[Mr.Reeefer]

Yeah. We were lucky that our lfs had a free standing red sea tank with just some corals. & live rock. So didn't ever have fish in main tank system. Sound like you've got it well sorted. Good luck.

wow how great is that, not only did they mind them but V.I.P treatment as well:p

then why dont i feel like it, im nervous and dreading it! i have moved a 140L tank from upstairs to down stairs before and that was hard enough:eek

 

[ezza]

wow how great is that, not only did they mind them but V.I.P treatment as well:p

then why dont i feel like it, im nervous and dreading it! i have moved a 140L tank from upstairs to down stairs before and that was hard enough:eek

I think if I owned the LFS @Lesley shops in, a: i wouldn't be worried about my income and b: you'd work to keep such a valuable customer!

Where do you live @Mr.Reeefer ? Maybe someone could give you a hand. I would be happy to depending on my physical ability to...

 

[Mr.Reeefer]

I think if I owned the LFS @Lesley shops in, a: i wouldn't be worried about my income and b: you'd work to keep such a valuable customer!

Where do you live @Mr.Reeefer ? Maybe someone could give you a hand. I would be happy to depending on my physical ability to...

I assumed this, it's good when you support your LFS that they can help out when the time comes time.

Im in camden, Sth western suburbs of sydney, I would never say no to some help, only rule is, we talk about reefing while working:p
I really thank you for offering your support ezza, but Health first ;)

 

[ezza]

I assumed this, it's good when you support your LFS that they can help out when the time comes time.

Im in camden, Sth western suburbs of sydney, I would never say no to some help, only rule is, we talk about reefing while working:p
I really thank you for offering your support ezza, but Health first ;)

You are more than welcome to pods. Especially with the impending removal of the refugium. Don't want to waste them!

 

[gtrxu1]

wow, i couldnt imagine doing it four times, if you ever do it again, you need a plan maaaaannn.:)
do you feel like sharing your disaster story?

43 Degree Day, two mates who pulled out so another mate who had no idea gave me a hand.
Took another 12 hours on top of the 12 hours it took to move the house. We also lost the keys to the new place during the mayhem so we had to break in.

Ended up with all the Corals in tubs, temps went crazy even though it was night.

Had coral death for about a month afterwards.

 

[Mr.Reeefer]

43 Degree Day, two mates who pulled out so another mate who had no idea gave me a hand.
Took another 12 hours on top of the 12 hours it took to move the house. We also lost the keys to the new place during the mayhem so we had to break in.

Ended up with all the Corals in tubs, temps went crazy even though it was night.

Had coral death for about a month afterwards.

Faaaark, thanks for sharing mate, unlucky, you loose allot of coral or did they bounce back? 43degress is bad, Weather plays a big part, I'm not hoping for a hot day, and I will now chain keys to my belt on one of thos elastic things.

Also I am moving the house and tank on seperate days, wouldn't think of doing the two on the same day, just doing the tank in one day is elevating my blood pressure.

 

[gtrxu1]

I believe it was stinging/chemical warfare while in the tubs. Ended up losing a few hammers almost instantly (brown jelly the next morning) And a few Acans and Favia declined in the weeks after the move.