Transporting Livestock, Cleaning and Storing Sand and Rock

[ReeferinTX]

So, as all things evolve, so has our first build. We had to scrap the original thought and location. But that’s ok.
We found a monster deal on a complete system that we are going to break down this weekend and transport 2-1/2 hours back home, limited Amount of livestock and all.
I need some input from the community…
1. Fish and corals are shipped all over the world for up to 48 hours. Can we expect to be able to keep everyone ok for probably 4 hours in buckets? It’s Texas, so we will probably have to close them up for the 2-1/2 hour ride and keep them cooler in the A/C. We willI have QT tanks set up finishing the cycle now. There are few fish… clown, file, damsel, tang, loach, couple clams, couple shrimp, a GSP colony and a mushroom colony.
2. I want to keep some of the live sand and rock. How can I store it? It will be a couple months to set up, we are having floors replaced before setting up.
3. Does anyone have any input on how to clean everything and put it up for a couple months. I know that freshwater and elbow grease is best. I think I heard that citric acid is better than vinegar for tough spots like pumps, sumps and skimmers.

 

[KrisReef]

Vinegar is no good for magnetic pumps, it causes them to crack. I use pool acid (diluted randomly with water until it starts to react with the calcium buildup (it bubbles!) I use it in my bathtube to clean calcium deposits, dilute, with googles and long aquarium gloves. Wipe everything down with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser knock off. should work well to clean calcium deposits on glass.

Rinse the sand in fresh water to remove all the junk. Then store it in salt water in a covered bucket until you are ready to use. (Rinse it again once or twice if it stinks.) Look up the sand rinse thread on here. I just moved a tank, rinsed the sand in a bucket, 10-15 times until no fines were present. Tank looked bacterial cloudy on day two but that went away went I turned on the skimmer.

Now the hard part. It might be better to give those fish to a lfs near the pick up site, especially if they are weak or sick already? Same for clams, etc. Last thing you need to do is bring home a Trojan-Fish. If they are healthy, I have a portable plastic ice chest with wheels that works very good. Put a huge garbage bag inside, fill with 1/4 new water and 1/4 their current water if it seems ok , but no more than half full to prevent sloshing issues when you are driving. Put a white blanket over the cooler to keep the sunlight from heating it, 4 hours isn't long unless they get hot. It they do start heating, grab some ice and put that in a ziplock, or freeze a water bottle and put that in to keep the water temp low. They can survive a temperature drop easier that heat, but ideal is to not freeze the water trying to cool it. You can figure that out. Go slow.

Another issue I keep seeing is folk breaking their glass tanks in transport. PROTECT the EDGES of the Tank from impacts from carrying, loading, sliding around in the back of a pickup or trailer. Tie it down with cardboard or wood to protect all edges from bumping. The thin edge is the weak part of all tanks, don't bump them.

Good Luck, Hope I wasn't too negative with my warnings and suggestions. Just want it to go well for you, and enyone else who is reading this.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

So, as all things evolve, so has our first build. We had to scrap the original thought and location. But that’s ok.
We found a monster deal on a complete system that we are going to break down this weekend and transport 2-1/2 hours back home, limited Amount of livestock and all.
I need some input from the community…
1. Fish and corals are shipped all over the world for up to 48 hours. Can we expect to be able to keep everyone ok for probably 4 hours in buckets? It’s Texas, so we will probably have to close them up for the 2-1/2 hour ride and keep them cooler in the A/C. We willI have QT tanks set up finishing the cycle now. There are few fish… clown, file, damsel, tang, loach, couple clams, couple shrimp, a GSP colony and a mushroom colony.
2. I want to keep some of the live sand and rock. How can I store it? It will be a couple months to set up, we are having floors replaced before setting up.
3. Does anyone have any input on how to clean everything and put it up for a couple months. I know that freshwater and elbow grease is best. I think I heard that citric acid is better than vinegar for tough spots like pumps, sumps and skimmers.

I hate to sound negative but I would pass on this "monster deal" and find another one when you are ready to actually set it up. Are you planning to keep the livestock in small qt tanks for several months? That might stress them out quite a bit. There's nothing wrong with wanting to reuse some of the rock, but unless you're also going to keep it in a temp controlled, well aerated, well circulated container (a large trash can, tote, or another tank), you risk losing whatever life is on them and/or growing things you don't want.
As for the sand, save yourself the hassle and buy new.
Just my 2 cents. Starting your first reef should be exciting, and it would be a shame to end up with problems that could have been avoided.

 

[ReeferinTX]

Vinegar is no good for magnetic pumps, it causes them to crack. I use pool acid (diluted randomly with water until it starts to react with the calcium buildup (it bubbles!) I use it in my bathtube to clean calcium deposits, dilute, with googles and long aquarium gloves. Wipe everything down with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser knock off. should work well to clean calcium deposits on glass.

Rinse the sand in fresh water to remove all the junk. Then store it in salt water in a covered bucket until you are ready to use. (Rinse it again once or twice if it stinks.) Look up the sand rinse thread on here. I just moved a tank, rinsed the sand in a bucket, 10-15 times until no fines were present. Tank looked bacterial cloudy on day two but that went away went I turned on the skimmer.

Now the hard part. It might be better to give those fish to a lfs near the pick up site, especially if they are weak or sick already? Same for clams, etc. Last thing you need to do is bring home a Trojan-Fish. If they are healthy, I have a portable plastic ice chest with wheels that works very good. Put a huge garbage bag inside, fill with 1/4 new water and 1/4 their current water if it seems ok , but no more than half full to prevent sloshing issues when you are driving. Put a white blanket over the cooler to keep the sunlight from heating it, 4 hours isn't long unless they get hot. It they do start heating, grab some ice and put that in a ziplock, or freeze a water bottle and put that in to keep the water temp low. They can survive a temperature drop easier that heat, but ideal is to not freeze the water trying to cool it. You can figure that out. Go slow.

Another issue I keep seeing is folk breaking their glass tanks in transport. PROTECT the EDGES of the Tank from impacts from carrying, loading, sliding around in the back of a pickup or trailer. Tie it down with cardboard or wood to protect all edges from bumping. The thin edge is the weak part of all tanks, don't bump them.

Good Luck, Hope I wasn't too negative with my warnings and suggestions. Just want it to go well for you, and enyone else who is reading this.

Not at all…
I would need to go the other direction to get to a LFS, plus it will be Sunday. We are hoping for the best. I didn’t think of bringing fresh mixed water with us. Will definitely do that, we have a couple 4 gal totes. They’ll be in the back seat area of the truck so I think we can keep them cool enough.
Thanks for the sand tips. I’ll look up the thread.

 

[ReeferinTX]

I hate to sound negative but I would pass on this "monster deal" and find another one when you are ready to actually set it up. Are you planning to keep the livestock in small qt tanks for several months? That might stress them out quite a bit. There's nothing wrong with wanting to reuse some of the rock, but unless you're also going to keep it in a temp controlled, well aerated, well circulated container (a large trash can, tote, or another tank), you risk losing whatever life is on them and/or growing things you don't want.
As for the sand, save yourself the hassle and buy new.
Just my 2 cents. Starting your first reef should be exciting, and it would be a shame to end up with problems that could have been avoided.

Not sure of the timeframe, but I’ve already thought of the likelihood of passing the livestock on to a LFS, it’s not the primary reason. I want the majority of the equipment.
But it is very important to me to steward the live creatures, so I want to transport them and decide the best course very soon after getting them back to Houston.
My wife REALLY wants the the Maroon Lightning Clown though.

 

[Jedi1199]

Stop off at a store on the way and buy a bunch of 5g buckets WITH lids!! I would get at least 6 so every different fish has its own bucket. No need to add fighting to the stress of the move. Get as much of the original water as possible from the seller so you can put the fish directly into the buckets with no acclimation. I would toss in a couple rocks to each bucket as well. There is no need for this, but it may make the fish feel more secure if it has a rock or 2 to hide in.

As others have mentioned... The problem I see here is not the move, it is the delay in setting up the tank again. It can be done, but it is definitely less than ideal. Hope it all works out.