Tank move

[seabass]

I'm remodeling our basement, so I had to move my 40 gallon breeder. It will eventually go to a TRUVU 100 W Reef Ready (48x24x20), but for now I moved it to a 50 gallon tub (like you can find at farm supply stores).

 

One last look at my 40B.

 

I filled the new tank with sand and about 10 gallons of new saltwater water. This gave it time to settle a bit before I added anything (if I was simply moving the tank, obviously this would be the first step after the move).

 

Then I siphoned out about half of the old water (to later add to the new tank). I put the loose coral, along with those that were on smaller rocks, in individual Ziploc bags and floated them in 5 gallon buckets.

 

I caught my fish with a small container and put them in 5 gallon buckets as well (along with the snails and crabs). The old sand be was still fairly undisturbed at this point, so I partially filled a Rubbermaid Brute container with old tank water (to be used for transporting LR).

 

Then I siphoned off a couple of cups of sand from the top layer of the old sand bed into a bucket (to seed the new sand bed). When I lifted the larger base rocks, the water became cloudy. I put this LR into the Rubbermaid container that already had some water in it (I needed a neighbor to help me move it).

 

It was just easier to discard the old NASTY sand (much of which had been there for years) along with the remaining water (which had been fouled by disturbing the sand bed). Then I rinsed the tank for future use.

 

After moving the buckets, I added some of the old tank water and seeded the new sand bed with the bucket of old sand that I kept for this purpose. I then placed the larger rocks from the Brute container, added the corals that were in Ziplocs, and then added the fish, crabs, and snails.

 

Here's what it looks like with the equipment,

 

and with lighting.

[knight]

Looks like it will be a nice move. Hopefully nothing dies.

[seabass]

Looks like it will be a nice move. Hopefully nothing dies.

Thanks, I actually moved it Saturday. I'm pleased to report that everything is doing fine.

[seabass]

After my Emerald crab died, bubble algae started to take hold again. Several pieces turned clear and sent spores throughout my tank (and bubble algae everywhere). Since the move, I've been on a mission to physically eradicate it by breaking off pieces of rock that it occupied. I had to frag a bunch of coral to accomplish this goal, but I think I finally got it all.

 

My clownfish Chips checking out my work.

[got2envy]

Wow that was a very thought out move! I loved your 40B and can't wait to see what ya do with the 100

I think I need one of those tubs now

[seabass]

Wow that was a very thought out move! I loved your 40B and can't wait to see what ya do with the 100

Thanks!

 

I think I need one of those tubs now

Yeah, I could have used my 40B, but this gave me more room to spread things out. The lights and skimmer don't fit very well, but I really wanted to separate some coral and get rid of the problem algae that has followed me since my very first tank.