Moving 30 gallon Cube this weekend...

[Ram_Puppy]

ok, I am moving a 30 gallon cube this weekend.

I just want to verify I am doing it intelligently. It is being moved from northern San Antonio to a ranch just north of boerne.

Step 1) Wednesday - take a tuffy Garbage can out to ranch along w/ RO water, salt, & a pump and start mixing up a batch of saltwater.

Step 2) Saturday - remove live rock & coral. Coral will be bagged in an ice chest.

Step 3) Remove Fish - place in a bucket 50% full w/ water. will have battery operated air pump running on the bucket the entire time. (Probably not neccessary but I have one, and why not play w/ it.)


Step 4) Break down filter, skimmer & chiller, drain water to 1 to 2" above sand bed.

Step 5) Plug HIATT into a batter pack to keep the bacteria alive and in good condition during trip (this is a highly aerobic sysetm)

Step 6) Load it all in the truck

Step 7) Unload it at the ranch

Step 8) Clean Filter (it's time for it's scheduled maintenance)

Step 9) Add filter, skimmer, chiller back to mix

Step 10) Fill tank half way w/ conditioned saltwater at same salinity as old tank

Step 11) Add Live Rock

Step 12) Add water to 2 Inches from top.

Step 13) power on filter, chiller, etc..

Step 14) Float & acclimate Coral - then place back on rocks

Step 15) Float & acclimate fish, release

Step 16) Top off water

Step 17) step back and observe

Lights will not be powered back on until the following day.

[Chicken_Eye]

sounds like you got it wish i was there to help

[Ram_Puppy]

lol, ok, nice, no powerhead, but i wasn't planning on using on either... :) thanks Josh,

and to the other Josh (ChickenEye), man, I wish you were here to, but no worries! When you do come through though, I'll take you out to the flying saucer... beer from around the world. can't beat that.

[erikharrison]

Tell me about this battery backup of which you speak, mere mortal! ::too many video games!::

[Ram_Puppy]

lol, Erik,

it's just a black and decker jump box you can buy at walmart - its just a larger more expensive model that has an ac outlet on it as well.

Update:

The move has been done for 2 weeks now. I experienced 0 fatalities, and infact, didn't even lose the coraline on the rocks (just on the tank walls.)

I lowered the water down to an inch over the sandbed and then put the tank in the truck. all the fish and coral went into buckets, and teh live rock went into a large icechest, which I topped off w/ water. it was a pain in the butt to move, but I am glad I did it that way.

A couple quick jaunts to CB pets has since increased the coral population as well. :)