Re: [GSAS-Member] Moving, Need Your Expert Advice

[Matt Staroscik <matt@wrongcrowd.com>]

For a cross-town move, your reef stuff should be pretty hardy. Live rock will 
do OK wrapped in wet 
newspaper for an afternoon, though submerged is better. (I have read that 
sponges are especially 
sensitive to being in air, so be aware of that if any rock has sponge colonies.)

I'd get some plastic buckets and tubs, remove everything into its own container 
(one for rock, one 
for sand, separates for coral), cover with water, and then reassemble the tank 
as quickly as 
possible at the other end. Have a quantity of fresh heated saltwater at the 
destination home. You could even set 
up all the rock and livestock in heated tubs with shop lights and powerheads 
for a few days if you 
had to. (borrow heaters & powerheads from club members if you need to set up a 
temporary tub home. 
I think I have 2 of each I can loan you.)

At Costco you can get a big box of that disposable tupperware, you could put 
each type of coral 
into its own travel container that way. More expensive than bags, but easier to 
work with since they 
are rigid. Not enough water volume in there for a long stay, of course...

If it were me, I'd just toss the snails/crabs in with the live rock but bagging 
them would probably 
be a safer trip.

Your 55g fw tank may be movable with substrate and plants in it, if the 
substrate layer isn't too 
think and heavy. But I wouldn't count on it.  If you have to tear it down 
completely, just move 
the plants wet, or wrapped in wet newspaper and bagged in plastic, and 
reassemble. Move the fish in 
a bucket, keep them in a heated tub until the tank is ready. 

I wouldn't worry too much. It's a lot of work, but keep things wet and warm and 
it will be fine. 

Good luck! 


On Tue, Feb 27, 2007 at 03:26:56PM -0800, maus@llarian.net wrote:
> We're moving for the first time with 55, and 40 gallon tanks (and  
> some goldfish in a huge bowl). I'm worried primarily about our  
> saltwater tank. We want to devote an entire day to it so that it goes  
> smoothly.
> 
> How to reduce casualties?
> What's the best way to breakdown and transport?
> 
> We have lots of plants in our planted 55 gallon... finally JUST GOT  
> IT PERFECT (for us, boohoo). And there are about 40 fish in there.  
> How to save plants? What order to tear down?
> 
> Salt
> How to protect live rock?
> How to protect small inverts?
> How to protect crabs/hermits?
> Remove corals/rock first and then chase everybody down?
> 
> Donations of bags or ways to borrow moving stuff? Where to get  
> affordable bags/styrofoam crates?
> What to look out for in the first few days?
> 
> We have time to work this out... won't be moving them until the  
> second week in March.
> 
> Lisa and Kevin Chan
> 
> 
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-- 
Matt Staroscik
matt@wrongcrowd.com | http://wrongcrowd.com
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