Need aquarium mover in So Cal. 300 gallon reef tank. Asap!

[Bitcoin Reefer]

I’ve got 300 gallon reef tank with coral and fish I need moved tomorrow lol. The tank movers I had setup seem to be flaking now. I’ve got 24 foot truck, and 4-6 guys to help with lifting, but need some experienced movers who can make sure that the move goes smoothly and all my livestock survive! The guys who were going to do it said they had 200 gallon barrel to keep 2/3 of the water, and probably other equipment I imagine.

I may try it myself if worst comes to worst lol. Any tips appreciated, I’ve been reading R2R threads, but 300 gallon with lots of coral and fish seems intimidating which is why finally I was just going to pay professionals, but now seems like they may flake ha. OC to LA area I can DM details.

Thanks!

 

[o2manyfish]

Don't worry about saving the water - Just make up all new water and get it as close as possible to the parameters of your existing tank.

All your filtration is not in the water - it's on the rock.

Don't try to save that sand, just dump the sand (pull out any CUC) and get new fresh sand. Stirring up the sand when scooping and relocating can cause lots of potential issues.

Use coolers to transport the fish and coral - That will keep the water they are in stable while you make up new fresh water and bring it to temp.

If you don't already have water at the new site ready to go you may need to run by a few Smart & Finals to pick up all the filtered water you need to mix up 300g of new salt water.

Dave B

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

Don't worry about saving the water - Just make up all new water and get it as close as possible to the parameters of your existing tank.

All your filtration is not in the water - it's on the rock.

Don't try to save that sand, just dump the sand (pull out any CUC) and get new fresh sand. Stirring up the sand when scooping and relocating can cause lots of potential issues.

Use coolers to transport the fish and coral - That will keep the water they are in stable while you make up new fresh water and bring it to temp.

If you don't already have water at the new site ready to go you may need to run by a few Smart & Finals to pick up all the filtered water you need to mix up 300g of new salt water.

Dave B

Thanks for the tips!

update: the original aquarium mover guy I had finally confirmed he can come. I guess he had a child born AND puppies in last few days and was just too busy to respond lol.

So he’s going to bring oxygen tank to put oxygen in the bags with fish.

He’s going to try to keep most of the water. He has some large barrels. I hope the 24 foot moving truck can handle 2000-3000 pounds lol. I think he’s also bringing his van as well so maybe that will take some of the weight.

As for the sand. My sandbed is relatively shallow. Only 1-2 inches on average, and maybe 3 inches at the very deepest points. I actually stir the sand up every so often, and leading up to this move I’ve been stirring up sections of the sandbed every few days planning for this move. Do you really think I should dump my sand? My tank has FINALLY gotten really balanced and stable. I hate to lose my sandbed which is full of life. I was considering rinsing it like I found in some threads, but if my sandbed is shallow, I’d it really necessary?

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

I do have annoying diatoms that sprung up recently though lol. Maybe it would help to start with fresh sand but seems so wasteful. I have so many copepods, amphipods, worms, and other great critters that feed my fish.