Moving Need advice

[funkyseamonkey]

I am moving this month and this will require me to move my 125 gallon tank. When I moved my 45 gallon i messed up i guess but my tank cycled all over again. What do I need to do step by step to move and set this tank back up without any problems? Please let me know. There are fish, live rock, Sand, and corals in this tank. What process would you do if this was your tank?
Thanks,
Sarah

[Europhyllia]

When I move tanks I get new sand -all dry. I have not had very good luck with disturbing the sandbed of an established tank. Always gives me some kind of crazy cycle so I don't use the old sand.

[Troy Valentine]

Sarah,
How old is your current system? How deep is your sandbed? A small cycle is normal, you've interupted the systems equilibrium. Microfauna that were once in an anaerobic environment are now in an aerobic one, and vice versa. This process will be amplified in a system thats aged with a sand bed greater then a couple of inches.

[Troy Valentine]

If you dont have access to multiple tanks for the fish, coral, and live rock. Rubbermaid tubs will do the trick. However, think of your sand bed as its own entity, and let it be the last thing you remove/disturb in the moving process. If the sandbed is >2" and has been around awhile, you can take a small sample in a cup, and give it the old "sniff" test, and if it smells like sulphur(rotten eggs) it will need to be cleaned thoroughly with freshwater, or just replaced like Karin said. That is definitely the easiest way.

[kkiel02]

I try and keep all rock submerged in water while moving to reduce die off. I just clean my sand which the live rock will seed anyways. Livestock is moved via ice chests to keep water temps stable. I also do 50% new water 50% established water.

[alton]

Ice chest, borrow plenty of ice chest to keep the water temp stabilized. If you moved today you would be fine but tomorrow maybe 90. Package fish in one with an air pump, corals iin one, rock in another. Sand and algae are your trouble makers when you move. If you have hair algae and it dies when you move, it can poison your tank. If you can move the tank leaving some water and without disturbing the sand you maybe okay. I did this with my 158, but it will be heavy. Don't put fish back into the tank until tank temp has stabilized.

[funkyseamonkey]

ok....and it has been set up as a 125 for about 6-8 months...and like I said it was a 45 before that. the sand bed is about 2 inches deep. Are there maast tubs and such that can be borrowed? maybe lots of buckets? the move of the tank will probably be in a week or 2....Thanks for your advice anything else would be greatly appreciated.

[Regric25]

Rubbermaid Brute 34 gallon trash cans with lids, buckets, water pumps, air pumps, boxes, towels and energy are your friend.

When moving the tank if possible leave the sand in the tank and syphon all water but about 1/2 to 1 inch. That way you minimize disturbing the sand bed.

Use as much of the cycled water as you can when you put it back together.

Keep live rock submerged and corals/fish/inverts in temp regulated tub/bucket/icechest...

Go slow, careful not to forget anything but at the same time be quick about the move to minimize impact from moving.

It's possible to do this with great success. Have a plan of attack and follow it to a T. Make it the last thing you move in the new house and the first thing you set up once it gets moved.

Make an inventory list for everything so you don't forget anything and pack what you can the night before. Make a check list so you don't miss any steps.

Good luck with your move!

[tiger_eyed1]

I have moved large tanks more times than I care to mention.

How far away are you moving (miles)?

Time
How long before you move the furniture will you have access to the property? This is something that you’ll need to dedicate yourself to doing. You won’t be able to move the tank and furniture at same time. That’ll drive you crazy. Based on the complexity of your system and stock, it may take you all day. For example, it took me 12 hours to shut down, disconnect, move the tank 12 feet, and set it up again.

Cycle
Like the people above have mentioned, the minute you take the rock out the water and disturb the sand bed, you’ll get a small to medium cycle. That is hard to avoid. Secondly, two inches of wet sand in a 125g tank will be super heavy and place too much stress on the seals. IMO that is too risky, remove the sand.
You are probably going to re aquascape your rock anyways. It is easiest to make the rockwork look good just before you fill the tank with water. I know, you are exposing the rock to air, but it’ll be ok for the 20-30 minutes it takes you to get it looking just right. The owners of several LFS in Florida showed us this method and it is amazing how better your design is when the rock is dry. Think about low tide, coral & rock gets exposed to air and it’s ok. I do 50-60% water changes with my rock and corals exposed to air monthly(lights off)

Quarantine
I would setup some small tanks in the new place until your primary is cycled and ready.
If the 125 is only 8months old, it hasn’t fully settled anyways so it won’t be a big issue. Reef tanks usually take over a year to fully establish equilibrium. Regardless, are you prepared to risk moving everything and placing your stock directly back into the 125 knowing that you may get a cycle? QT is the way to go.

Containers
We all have Rubbermaid tubs and empty salt buckets. I even have a few 40g water barrels. When I moved my 220 I was able to transport 100% of my water, rock, sand, and had another 20% of NSW ready. Planning is the key. If this is a local move, I’m sure people will let you borrow containers (so long as you promise to return themJ )

Sand Bed
Your sand bed is only 2 inches so as long as you had good flow, you should be able to reuse some of it right away. This is what I do. Remove the top inch and place in one container covered with saltwater. This layer will be your new bottom layer. Now the bottom will/may be anaerobic and burn your nose hairs. You’ll probably need to rinse it. Note: if you won’t be able to get the sand back in the tank within 3-4 hours, it may start to turn. So planning is the key.

Transportation/ Tank Protection
A 125 has a nice footprint. Shifting and moving can put unneeded stress on the seals and glass. When you move the tank, it needs to be transported on a flat platform. At HD or Lowes you can purchase the foam board to add additional cushion to reduce stress. The distance you travel and if the tank is being moved with additional items will depend on the amount of protection the tank will need. One good bump could lead to disaster. Are you moving it yourself via U-Haul type truck or are you hiring movers?

Quick checklist
Temporary tanks/Quarantine tanks for fish and corals
Circulation/ skimmers / air pumps for temporary tanks
Heaters /Fans for temporary tanks
Lights for temporary tanks
Containers to transport Water
Containers to transport Live Rock
Containers to transport Coral
Containers to transport Fish
Containers to transport Sand
Containers to make NSW at new location
Salt
RO/DI setup in new location
Platform or crate to transport 125
Towels / Shopvac
Time & Patience

[Regric25]

WOW!! Way to sum it up! LOL Was that all in one breath?? :P Good advice!

[funkyseamonkey]

wow thanks for that tiger! Thats exactly what i needed.

[cowboy572]

I was fixing to do a post just like this. I was informed I will have to be moving in the next 2 months. My tank is not at large as this one, 110 gallons, it's a decent size that prompts some thinking before moving. Depending on what happens, it might move downstairs or it might move somewhere else. I want to thank everyone for the great info, because I just want this move to go as smooth as possible.