Tank move... but how?

[duberii]

I'm planning on moving my tank about 40 minutes away from my current place, and I am having trouble ironing out the details.

For one, should I individually bag all my corals? I don't have many colonies- I have a cynarina and an acanthophyllia, but otherwise all my corals should be easily baggable. Another thing I've heard is to get a frag rack for a 5 gallon bucket and transport all the frags that way. Which would be better?

Also, I'm thinking of keeping all my current water as well- I have about a 70 gallon system including the sump, so I was thinking of getting something like this:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-...acrfBC3pJSVGZ8mNA7hoC4BIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I'd put the rock and water in these, with the 2 fish I have and all the corals bagged (unless you guys like the bucket route). Then I'd set up the tank with all the water and float the bags, install the heaters, and then re acclamate everything. I'd keep the sand with less than an inch of water over it- I'll do a water change for the 2 days before the move and siphon the sand real good to minimize the stuff knocked up, which shouldn't be a ton considering I just replaced the sand bed a few weeks ago and I continue to siphon.

Any other tips or methods I should be following would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Valum]

I'd leave the water change and leave the amount of water you were going to change and change it when you get there

 

[Valum]

Also your link doesn't work

 

[duberii]

Also your link doesn't work

Try it now?

 

[Valum]

Try it now?

Do you know what type of plastic it is?

 

[Cell]

I'd do a couple buckets or tubs for the corals and separate/group the coral as necessary. I would not keep any sand or water in the tank. I think you might be underestimating the weight of the remaining water and sandbed.

 

[Valum]

Oh yeh definitely an empty tank when I picked up my tank (free) the guy was expecting someone to move it half full because he didn't want buckets of water on his carpet so I messaged saying it will be alot worse I you try and move it with sand and water in

 

[duberii]

I'd do a couple buckets or tubs for the corals and separate/group the coral as necessary. I would not keep any sand or water in the tank. I think you might be underestimating the weight of the remaining water and sandbed.

True- I wasn't really thinking about weight. It's only a 40 breeder but I'd need a second perosn to help me lift it anyway, but if you think that the sand and water would push it over I could put it in one of the bins.

 

[duberii]

I'd fill up the tank by emptying the tank into 5 gallon buckets then emptying those into the bins and then doing the reverse once I get to my new place.

Do you know what type of plastic it is?

No- what plastics are reef safe? maybe I can search for one of that material.

 

[Valum]

I'd fill up the tank by emptying the tank into 5 gallon buckets then em

No- what plastics are reef safe? maybe I can search for one of that material.

From my experience I go with HDPE

 

[Valum]

People talk about food grade which is normally always HDPE plastic anyway but your not going to find a food grade listed bin that size and if you do it will be X3 the price you can fall into a rabbit hole searching for safe containers but people in America talk about using brute trash cans all the time so that might be a safe bet

 

[duberii]

From my experience I go with HDPE

Honestly with how expensive those bins are I could just buy a bunch of 5 gallon buckets and transport the whole tank like that- I have a pickup truck I could take and since the system is only about 70 gallons I could get like 15 of those buckets. That could be under $50

 

[Valum]

Honestly with how expensive those bins are I could just buy a bunch of 5 gallon buckets and transport the whole tank like that- I have a pickup truck I could take and since the system is only about 70 gallons I could get like 15 of those buckets. That could be under $50

My lfs sells old reef salt buckets for £1 each there 15L 3gallons and they also let you borrow them if you need to move a tank might be worth trying that

 

[btackerman]

For your size tank what I would do is purchase a 55 gallon trashcan from Lowe’s or Home Depot preferably brute and get the cart that attaches underneath that way you’re able to unload all your rocks your coral your fish and majority of your water and be able to transport it is only one container that’s also able to be rolled. Save as much water as you can but once it becomes unclear I would just dump it with your sand and get new sand. That way you don’t bring any of the nasty gunk from underneath your same bed but you’re also able to keep the same water your fish I’ve been living in so there is no shock but when you go to add your new water be sure that the water is the same levels to reduce shock. Here is my trash can setup to transport fish and rocks

 

[duberii]

For your size tank what I would do is purchase a 55 gallon trashcan from Lowe’s or Home Depot preferably brute and get the cart that attaches underneath that way you’re able to unload all your rocks your coral your fish and majority of your water and be able to transport it is only one container that’s also able to be rolled. Save as much water as you can but once it becomes unclear I would just dump it with your sand and get new sand. That way you don’t bring any of the nasty gunk from underneath your same bed but you’re also able to keep the same water your fish I’ve been living in so there is no shock but when you go to add your new water be sure that the water is the same levels to reduce shock. Here is my trash can setup to transport fish and rocks

How would you secure it in your car?

 

[btackerman]

How would you secure it in your car?

renting a trailer is what I did and strap it down tight.

 

[BighohoReef]

Here is what I’ve done in two separate moves:

• Tank types: Waterbox 135.4 and Red Sea 450
• Fish in bags and transport in a 5g bucket
• Corals I’d recommend bagging it! If you can’t I’ve used the black bins from Costco to move corals. I’ve gone as far as to keep them in these bins for 5-6 hrs during a move and I’ve also use the bins to cycle live rock for weeks. This also goes for transporting your rock and sand.
  Tank: Make sure to protect the bottom of the glass. In the two moves I’ve placed the tanks pressed wood for transport. It helps support the bottom and offers a layer of protection. You don’t have to move it with the wood on the bottom but placing it on wood for transport helps.
• Water: Keep as much of your water as you can. Brute can would be ideal. (Probably 3), If not buckets w/lids would be my next recommendation. If you can find food grade buckets that would be idea, especially for reuse, for short transport you’d be fine with buckets from a hardware store (new not used)
  
  Let me know if have specifics happy to try and answer any of the unknowns.

 

[duberii]

renting a trailer is what I did and strap it down tight.

I have a pickup truck I could take- do you think that would work?

 

[Shesame]

I have some point I would do differently.

First , a 50 gallon full of wather is almost 200 kg (50 x 3.79) or 415 lb. So i do not recoment you to keep that much wather in this bin. If its moving in your car or something it could be dangerous.

Also, i recomend you to put you rock in a buckket separate.

For the fish, i recommend you to put them in a small container because if its in a buccket the wave can knock them to the side. and as you say if you go to your lfs to take some bucket bring your fish and ask him if you can put them in a bag.

And why not just keep 50 % of wather and add the other 50 % at your new place.

And in my opinion do not keep the sand just by new sand it is much safer.

 

[duberii]

Here is what I’ve done in two separate moves:

• Tank types: Waterbox 135.4 and Red Sea 450
• Fish in bags and transport in a 5g bucket
• Corals I’d recommend bagging it! If you can’t I’ve used the black bins from Costco to move corals. I’ve gone as far as to keep them in these bins for 5-6 hrs during a move and I’ve also use the bins to cycle live rock for weeks. This also goes for transporting your rock and sand.
  Tank: Make sure to protect the bottom of the glass. In the two moves I’ve placed the tanks pressed wood for transport. It helps support the bottom and offers a layer of protection. You don’t have to move it with the wood on the bottom but placing it on wood for transport helps.
• Water: Keep as much of your water as you can. Brute can would be ideal. (Probably 3), If not buckets w/lids would be my next recommendation. If you can find food grade buckets that would be idea, especially for reuse, for short transport you’d be fine with buckets from a hardware store (new not used)
  
  Let me know if have specifics happy to try and answer any of the unknowns.

Thank you! Why would you recommend getting 3 of them? Even for the price 2, I could get a set of 10 buckets and lids, which seems more simple to move, so I'm leaning toward getting/sourcing the buckets for the move.