Moving 5 hrs away

BFVJ3 · Feb 21, 2024

Hello all. So I am moving from the Keys to Cocoa, FL. It's about a 5 hr drive. I have a 32gallon biocube. I have a 2nd one I'm going to have staged with water in it but no rock or sand as I wanted to transfer when I get my main tank there. I plan on putting the rock and sand in buckets with the current water and then transfer to the new tank. I will pack the corals and fish to be taken to a LFS until I get the tank stable. Will the rock and sand be OK in 5gal buckets fornthe 5hr trip. I have never moved a tank. Can I place the corals and 2 fish inside after aclimating or should I stick with the LFS? Thanks all.

tharbin · Mar 4, 2024

BFVJ3 said:
Hello all. So I am moving from the Keys to Cocoa, FL. It's about a 5 hr drive. I have a 32gallon biocube. I have a 2nd one I'm going to have staged with water in it but no rock or sand as I wanted to transfer when I get my main tank there. I plan on putting the rock and sand in buckets with the current water and then transfer to the new tank. I will pack the corals and fish to be taken to a LFS until I get the tank stable. Will the rock and sand be OK in 5gal buckets fornthe 5hr trip. I have never moved a tank. Can I place the corals and 2 fish inside after aclimating or should I stick with the LFS? Thanks all.

Since this thread is pretty old, I assume you probably already made the move but if not, the sand and rock should be fine in 5 gallon buckets. The fish and coral, I think you would be better off using a Styrofoam cooler (if you ask at your LFS there is a decent chance they will have one laying around you can use. Car rides are a lot bumpier than we realize though. Be careful packing the coral and fish as it is not uncommon to justle the coral to the point of breakage in a move. If you can keep the fish/coral in the front or second row seating it would be better. Good luck. If you already moved, how did it go?

BFVJ3 · Mar 21, 2024

So we finished out move Sunday. So far, it seems successful. What I did.

Took all corals out and placed them in bags or specimen containers. My 2 fish, cleaner shrimp, and crab went into a 5gal bucket with aerator. Emptied all water from the tank and took rocks out. Placed the tank in my 5th wheel and added 5 gal water, and placed the rock back in the tank, which allowed the rock and sand to stay wet. The cleaning crew stayed in the tank as well. Corals and fish rode in the cab of the truck with the dogs. When we got to the new house I had a tank setup from the week prior with water only and placed all the corals and fish in there. Reversed everything I did on the main tank and got it setup to start cycling. So far everything seems fine in it. Will be testing the water today. If all is fine I will transfer the fish to the main tank and then hopefully corals next week.

Gumbies R Us · Mar 21, 2024

BFVJ3 said:
So we finished out move Sunday. So far, it seems successful. What I did.

Took all corals out and placed them in bags or specimen containers. My 2 fish, cleaner shrimp, and crab went into a 5gal bucket with aerator. Emptied all water from the tank and took rocks out. Placed the tank in my 5th wheel and added 5 gal water, and placed the rock back in the tank, which allowed the rock and sand to stay wet. The cleaning crew stayed in the tank as well. Corals and fish rode in the cab of the truck with the dogs. When we got to the new house I had a tank setup from the week prior with water only and placed all the corals and fish in there. Reversed everything I did on the main tank and got it setup to start cycling. So far everything seems fine in it. Will be testing the water today. If all is fine I will transfer the fish to the main tank and then hopefully corals next week.

Glad the move went smoothly!