Planning a move, need some advice

[avbarr11]

I'm moving apartments at the end of August and have been planning my move strategy. The biggest problem I face is since I'm transferring within the complex, they tell me I may be homeless for a night (they do all their moves in the same 24 hours). I have a 12g NC mixed reef set up right now, and a 10g hospital tank that my two clowns have been in for 4 weeks so far getting over some ich. My plan is to move my display a week before my move into a friend's house, and move my fish back to the tank at that time. This way I can focus all my attention on the tank for a day and not have to worry about it during the move. After my move, in a week or two, I'll move it back to my new apartment.

 

However, it's occurred to me now that this might be a good time to upgrade to a larger tank, as I'm forced to move my tank anyways. So one option would be to transfer my display as is to my friends place for the week, then after I move set up the new larger tank with all new dry sand and dry rock, then move my display straight into it. Could this be detrimental or more stressful to my animals and system or is it just as bad as having to move the tank in the first place? Since I'm planning to ditch my display sand upon the first move to the friend's house, then start with dry rock and sand in the new display, can I avoid a mini-cycle, or should I try to seed and cycle the new display before moving my tank back to my apartment?

[seabass]

If you transfer all of your live rock to the new tank, you should be fine. I assume this is your plan. If you have any media in your filters, leave the old media running in the new tank for a week or two.

[avbarr11]

If you transfer all of your live rock to the new tank, you should be fine. I assume this is your plan. If you have any media in your filters, leave the old media running in the new tank for a week or two.

 

 

Ok cool, thanks

[imadams]

if you plan to add dry rock to the new setup, make sure you cycle it in a tub/vat/container with a power head for a week or so first. If you didnt and you just happened to get a cycle, it would really suck!

[Hoosierfan]

How big of an upgrade are you thinking about?

[avbarr11]

if you plan to add dry rock to the new setup, make sure you cycle it in a tub/vat/container with a power head for a week or so first. If you didnt and you just happened to get a cycle, it would really suck!

Ok, does the rock need to be exposed to light, or can I just throw it in a 5gal bucket and shut the lid?

 

 

How big of an upgrade are you thinking about?

I'm thinking of upgrading to a 20 long, I might go up to 30g but no bigger than that. So I'd be about doubling the size of my tank.

[aaron1987]

The water will need to be circulated but light is not necessary.