Is there ANY easier way to move your entire reef?

[SimplyVibing]

Just spent the last six hours moving my reef from a 20 tall to a 50 tall. Below you will see me immaculately flawed process. Please, please, give me some constructive criticism so I NEVER go through this hell again.

1) Made 40 gallons of salt water using instant ocean and a 50 gpd RODI unit

2) Checked for leaks by filling with hose water in the garage

3) Cleaned the tank with by running the filter and using a dishwashing tablet— dads idea. Washed/rinsed 4+ times. We were extremely concerned that there may have been mineral spirits in the tank.

4) Heated water/ran new filter for a few hours. Used 3 little preset heaters. My big heater was in my still-intact 20 at the time.

5) Stabilized temperature at 77F and salinity around 1.026

5) Start moving the big rocks first. (Fish were too fast for me— 50 pounds of LR in a 20 tall makes it hard to catch them)

6) Added old tank’s established filter

7) Catch + drip acclimate my 3 fish over about 1-2 hours

8) Move rubble and anemones

9) Move coral + inverts

10) still dripping inverts

Put the fish in about 15 mins ago and they seem to be doing ok.

 

[BamboozleBean]

When you’ve invested a lot of money into something, I’d say being extra careful can’t hurt.
Just imagine moving a reef double the size of yours.
I’m moving a 10 gallon to a 20 gallon and I’m not looking forward to that.

 

[Terri Caton]

Just moved a 139 gal. HUGE amount of work.

Only thing I can see that you could save time on is dripping the inverts. Just temp acclimate them and put them in as long as your parameters are good.

 

[SimplyVibing]

Just moved a 139 gal. HUGE amount of work.

Only thing I can see that you could save time on is dripping the inverts. Just temp acclimate them and put them in as long as your parameters are good.

Okay, thanks! I’ve always read that inverts need to have crazy long drip times. I’ll go ahead and plop those bad boys in there

 

[SimplyVibing]

When you’ve invested a lot of money into something, I’d say being extra careful can’t hurt.
Just imagine moving a reef double the size of yours.
I’m moving a 10 gallon to a 20 gallon and I’m not looking forward to that.

10 to a 20 should be easy! Good luck

 

[Magellan]

You can’t be too thorough! Other than drip acclimating I’m not sure I would have skipped a single step you took. Congrats on the upgrade!

 

[SimplyVibing]

You can’t be too thorough! Other than drip acclimating I’m not sure I would have skipped a single step you took. Congrats on the upgrade!

Thanks bud!

 

[Terri Caton]

Okay, thanks! I’ve always read that inverts need to have crazy long drip times. I’ll go ahead and plop those bad boys in there

I’ve never done anything but temp acclimate then. Considering I have 6 cleaner shrimp 10 peppermint shrimp, 3 Emerald crabs, a bazillion snails and hermits plus...I can pretty much assure you that’s all you need to do.

 

[Magellan]

I’ve never done anything but temp acclimate then. Considering I have 6 cleaner shrimp 10 peppermint shrimp, 3 Emerald crabs, a bazillion snails and hermits plus...I can pretty much assure you that’s all you need to do.

Now that’s a healthy cuc! Urchins too?

 

[Terri Caton]

Oh. Congrats on the upgrade. They always look big at first but it seems like no time at all before you’re dreaming of a bigger one. Lol

 

[Terri Caton]

Now that’s a healthy cuc! Urchins too?

Yes. A sexy shrimp I only see once in a while. Star fish. I forget what else.

I’m not crazy (mostly). The 139 gal was a rescue tank I bought and I inherited most of them.

 

[Magellan]

Yes. A sexy shrimp I only see once in a while. Star fish. I forget what else.

I’m not crazy (mostly). The 139 gal was a rescue tank I bought and I inherited most of them.

Sexy shrimp and Pom Pom crab are next on my list of critters! People spend so much $$ trying to make their tank inhospitable for algae... when all they need is to let nature do the work for them. I have numerous snails and hermits and a tuxedo and shrimp in my 28g, lets me feed all the time and just occasionally clean the glass. Corals grow like weeds

sorry to hijack your thread OP! Any FTS for us?

 

[Terri Caton]

Sexy shrimp and Pom Pom crab are next on my list of critters! People spend so much $$ trying to make their tank inhospitable for algae... when all they need is to let nature do the work for them. I have numerous snails and hermits and a tuxedo and shrimp in my 28g, lets me feed all the time and just occasionally clean the glass. Corals grow like weeds

sorry to hijack your thread OP! Any FTS for us?

I love my Tuxedo Urchin! Every day he looks different with all the things he covers himself with.

And so true. I never understood the obsession with super clean tanks. A functioning ecosystem is much less work.

 

[Magellan]

I love my Tuxedo Urchin! Every day he looks different with all the things he covers himself with.

And so true. I never understood the obsession with super clean tanks. A functioning ecosystem is much less work.

I’ve got some old pictures/video somewhere of my tuxedo carrying around a full intact molt from my fire shrimp, and scaring my cleaner shrimp with it! Here’s some of my favorite pics of him though, his name is Magellan if that tells you anything

 

[Terri Caton]

I’ve got some old pictures/video somewhere of my tuxedo carrying around a full intact molt from my fire shrimp, and scaring my cleaner shrimp with it! Here’s some of my favorite pics of him though, his name is Magellan if that tells you anything

Here are a couple of mine. I should name him Hercules!

In the top pic he’s riding on the back of a large hermit crab.

My favorite was the day he tried to carry a dead coral stick around. Gave that up pretty quickly though. Lol
Ignore the tank. That’s right after I rescued it.

OP, do you have an Urchin yet?

 

[Magellan]

It’s a hermit crab sandwich! I love pictures like that, it’s a really natural reef. (I can’t even stand to have frag plugs visible, I won’t buy corals if I can’t take them off the plugs!). In that second pic your urchin looks like a little puppy dog trying to carry an entire tree in his mouth LOL

I found it! This was from the ugly stage of my tank too.

 

[Mical]

Moving any reef tank is an endeavor and the only way you know it was a success is by the results. I'ld say you did alright and taking the precautions you did were worthwhile.

I moved 2 tanks earlier this year (we moved to a new home) and without help. A 65gal and a 120gal - in 5 gal buckets. Moving the tanks were more stressful than moving my personal belongings & family. All said, I lost a tuxedo urchin but 9 nems, fish, corals all survived.

 

[Magellan]

Moving any reef tank is an endeavor and the only way you know it was a success is by the results. I'ld say you did alright and taking the precautions you did were worthwhile.

I moved 2 tanks earlier this year (we moved to a new home) and without help. A 65gal and a 120gal - in 5 gal buckets. Moving the tanks were more stressful than moving my personal belongings & family. All said, I lost a tuxedo urchin but 9 nems, fish, corals all survived.

Sorry about your urchin :/

 

[Tamberav]

Dishwashing tablet? Soap residue can kill fish. What you mean by minerals? You mean from the hose/tap water? I rinse stuff in tap all the time, its such a little amount, it won't matter.

I don't drip anything but starfish or other super sensitive stuff. Never had a problem.

It does sound like hell... lol I just move over the old water + add new salt water mixed up to temp and toss everything in (replace the sand bed)... annnnd done

I used to be paranoid but after 10+ years in the hobby and none of the crap I used to be paranoid ever making any difference... I don't sweat it anymore.

 

[SimplyVibing]

I’ve got some old pictures/video somewhere of my tuxedo carrying around a full intact molt from my fire shrimp, and scaring my cleaner shrimp with it! Here’s some of my favorite pics of him though, his name is Magellan if that tells you anything

My tuxedo urchin carries around some clove polyps that I neglected to glue down, suction cups, whatever he can find.