Moving a saltwater tank...not fun!

revhtree · Dec 19, 2013

Moving a saltwater tank...not fun!

Upgrading a saltwater tank....somewhat fun.

If you're like me, the thought of ripping apart your saltwater tank is not something you'd choose to do voluntarily. Even if you were upgrading the saltwater tank, I still bet you would not be thrilled about ripping your whole system apart and rebuilding it while your fish and corals are sitting in buckets.

And sometimes you have to move the tank. Moving houses, moving offices, upgrading to a bigger (or smaller) system, all of these are examples of when you have to bear the burden of tearing down your tank.

In Mark Callahan's, aka "Mr. Saltwater Tank" newest guide, "Moving and Upgrading A Saltwater Tank: A Pocket Guide for Saltwater Tank Owners, he makes the moving or upgrading process as straightforward and as least stressful as it can be. Mark's books are known for being straightforward, to the point and easy to read and this book was no different.

The book starts by presenting 7 pillars of truths for moving a saltwater tank which warn you of several major mistakes to avoid and what to expect while moving a tank such as that the move is going to take much longer than you think and that your sand bed should be replaced.

The book then dives into walks you through upgrading your tank, moving your tank locally and moving your tank over a long distance. Mark has moved a lot of tanks in his saltwater tank career and in the past year alone he has moved or upgraded 5 tanks (all with zero livestock losses) and it shows in the book as there were lots of details pointed out that you wouldn't think of unless you had been through the process several times.

For those of you moving long distances and are wondering about shipping fish and coral, a chapter in the book is dedicated to how to safely prepare and ship your fish and coral. Again, the book draws on Mark's experience and shows you details you wouldn't think of till you did it yourself such as using oxygen and polyfilters to increase fish and coral survivability.

One of the more valuable parts of the book are the checklists that lay out how to prepare for the move/upgrade weeks in advance. These checklists are simple, yet well thought out so that you don't have to do the thinking (or guessing) in the weeks or days leading up to your move when you trying to get everything together.

The book also includes videos demonstrating shipping fish and different coral and fish transport methods so if you are visual learner, you'll get to see these processes laid out on your screen.

I have moved and upgraded my aquarium several times and I wish I would have had info like this at the time. I'll be using this book to make sure I'm fully prepared so I have success with my move that I will encounter next year for sure though.

Updated: I like bargains and I've found out that the moving and upgrading a saltwater tank guide is on sale for only $11 during a holiday sale Mark is running. (Sale ends Dec 24th)

Check it out here.

TJ's Reef · Dec 19, 2013

Thanks for the heads up on another book to add to my collection...... though makes me wish that I had written it.....lol

I have moved and/or upgraded several times now and have helped many many others over the years. It would have certainly been easier with a reference guide or official check-list to go off of. So by adding to library will have a good piece of reference to loan out for when I cannot be there physically to lend a hand to a Reefer in need.

Cheers, Todd

alan.reef · Dec 19, 2013

Thank you Sir Rev

Flameback Pair · Dec 19, 2013

Just curious, does the book mention anything about how to remove sand-dwellers from the old sandbeds that will be discarded?

mrsaltwatertank · Dec 20, 2013

powers2001 said:
Just curious, does the book mention anything about how to remove sand-dwellers from the old sandbeds that will be discarded?

what kind of sand dwellers do you need to remove?

CakemanPA · Dec 21, 2013

mrsaltwatertank said:
what kind of sand dwellers do you need to remove?

I think he was referring to removing live critters to put in new sand bed after the move upgrade.

I'll be purchasing this before my upgrade from my 18 month old 50 gal cube to my 170 gal cube. I am putting in a new sand bed but was planning on seeding with my existing sand and bringing in worms and snails from existing sand.

Thanks for the review and thanks for the book/guide.

Flameback Pair · Dec 21, 2013

mrsaltwatertank said:
what kind of sand dwellers do you need to remove?

Great to see you hear mrsaltwatertank! I love your videos! Mainly I have super tongan nassarius snails which will be easy to find but I have some tiny snails in the sandbed--less than an eighth inch long and there are scores of them. I'd like to save as many as I can. I'm sure there are also bristle worms, just need a few to seed the new refugium. The new tank will be barebottom but will have a fuge in the middle chamber of sump. I just might transfer old sand bed and slowly remove and discard it from the new system.

CJBROWN · Dec 21, 2013

Just ordered one...thanks!

kj91867 · Dec 21, 2013

brand new to the salt reef hobby....
just curious....
if one did have to tear apart a system, would it be fatal for everything?
if not, then how long can things survive in buckets before getting the new system situated? thx

kj91867 · Dec 21, 2013

ps

ps....just seems that tearing it apart would be super stressful for reef animals as well as fish.

prime8reef · Dec 22, 2013

CakemanPA said:
I think he was referring to removing live critters to put in new sand bed after the move upgrade.

I'll be purchasing this before my upgrade from my 18 month old 50 gal cube to my 170 gal cube. I am putting in a new sand bed but was planning on seeding with my existing sand and bringing in worms and snails from existing sand.

T hanks for the review and thanks for the book/guide.

I would get a screen and scoop out sand a cup full at a time, sifting out the critters. Keep one or two coos of the old sand to seed the refugium new sand or bacteria dose before acclimating the inhabitants back in. But that's just me :)