Moving my tank

[doug z]

Moving to a house about 10 minutes away from here (it's a small town)..

Any do's and dont's you could share?

The plan is to put the plants and fish into a 40g plastic tote that I have, with a heater and my 2 canisters set up in there.. Then salvage as much Eco-complete as I can without getting it too contaminated with the lower layer of laterite, and toss the laterite.. It's been in for a year, probably leached all the iron it's going to.. I don't think I'll do laterite again, even though I still have 25 lbs of it.... It's just too easy to disturb it, and then you have to deal with pink water.. Well, maybe I'll do a real thin layer at the bottom.. I'll use the substrate heater again.. If nothing else, it's a good back-up heater.. The Tahitian moonsand.. I dunno if it will be salvageable.. I guess if I rinse the bejesus out of it.. But yeah, get all the sand out of the tank, move it to the new location, get the sand back in, run the diatom filter for a few hours, then get the filters set up, then add the fish again..

Am I missing anything?

[Northernguy]

That sounds right to me!
Moving is never fun.Are you moving the tanks first or last?

[doug z]

Moving is never fun.Are you moving the tanks first or last?

First, probably.. Get it out of the way while I still feel like moving stuff..

[Northernguy]

lol It is a lot of work!
Don't forget a chair! lol
When I moved with tanks I found it real easy to move them last.I set up my furniture and found the perfect spot for the tanks that way.I also had somewhere to sit when i got tired! lol
How many tanks do you have now?

[doug z]

I also had somewhere to sit when i got tired! lol

Good point.. :)

I just have the 2.. The 75, and the 25.. So, it could be worse.. LOL

[Northernguy]

Two isn't so bad!lol
I thought you had a few more than that! Two is a nice number when you think about doing water changes.I had 17 tanks before and had to move them all twice.I sold most everything the next time around.lol

[doug z]

I had 17 tanks before and had to move them all twice.

:ssuprised:

[Red]

Doug, I would do it last, for you can find out where everything is going to be, and you will have more time to mess around with it.

[MrJim]

Moving them last reduces the chance of crunching something into them when moving everything else.

[MonkeyPox]

When I've moved or have moved other's tanks, I remove all the fish and place them in a separate rubbermaid tubs and remove the substrate and water from the display tank. It makes a good opportunity for a good scrub down and you lessen the changes of a crack in the tank with no additional weight in it.

I find that you can drain and replace water much faster and with less of a hassle if there's no livestock inside.

Good luck with your move Doug.

[doug z]

Doug, I would do it last, for you can find out where everything is going to be

I pretty much know where it's going, but yeah now that I think on it, I sure don't want to get it all set up, then stick a chair leg through the front of it.. LOL

I'll do it last.. :)

Moving them last reduces the chance of crunching something into them when moving everything else.

We'll be taking them apart from everything else.. No moving van.. Just a 100 trips with a truck.. :)

It makes a good opportunity for a good scrub down and you lessen the changes of a crack in the tank with no additional weight in it.

Oh yeah, the substrate is coming right the heck out! LOL

There was about 80 lbs of it in the 75, if I remember correctly, and that was DRY!!

Good luck with your move Doug.

Thanks.. Hopefully it will be worth the hassle.. Should be.. It's a house with a big kitchen, dishwasher, big back yard, 2 wood burning fireplaces.. And only $100 more than we're paying for a townhouse with none of the above..

[rich311k]

Good luck! Sounds like the new place is great. I would do the tanks last as well, maybe even the day after everything else is done.

[doug z]

I would do the tanks last as well, maybe even the day after everything else is done.

For sure.. I'm not going to feel like doing much of anything else, after the coaches, mattresses, TV, dinner table, etc..

Ugh.. Just thinking about it makes me wish I had strong, willing friends..

[MrJim]

...more room means more tanks:hmm3grin2orange:

[bushwhacker]

when i moved last i hired my mexican coworker and a cple of his young buddies.... i'm gettin too old for this crap. those boys got me set up in no time lol.. i just drove the truck and pointed where i wanted stuff

[doug z]

when i moved last i hired my mexican coworker and a cple of his young buddies.... i'm gettin too old for this crap. those boys got me set up in no time lol.. i just drove the truck and pointed where i wanted stuff

Hmm.. There's an idea..

[doug z]

Oct 07/09

Geez.. This move has been one big hassle!!

On top of everything else (not being able to find anything, the back breaking labour, running around, etc) I JUST got my phone hooked up today (after 8 days without), no internet still (next week), and no TV (next week as well?)..

Very annoying..

The fish tank move was all the hassle I was dreading and more..

NEVER, NEVER will I deal with laterite again..

Made everything that much more complicated..

I got it set up in a day, but I still haven't gotten around to aquascaping it..

Nearly killed my BN..

I started by pulling out my plants, so of course the roots were full of laterite and clouded the tank.. So I had to run my diatom filter to be able to see anything..

Then I made the next brilliant error of putting the laterite infessted plants and the fish in the same tank!! >:(

So I couldn't do a head count, but I did my best to get everybody else..

I thought on the off chance I DID leave anyone in the main tank I'd see them zipping around as the level got lower and lower..

Nope.. Not my BN.. He was one cool customer.. He stayed rock still as I sucked all the water out of the tank..

I didn't notice him till about 15 minutes after I'd drained all the water..

I thought he was dead, but when I went to fish him out he started moving.. So I got him in the temporary tank straight away, and he's still alive today, a week later..

I guess there was just enough moisture in the substrate that he was able to hang in there..

Geez.. :(

I salvaged as much of the Eco-Complete as I could, but most of it had chunks of laterite in it..

I had just enough for a top layer..

I used the BAD Eco-Complete, the big pebbly stuff that I got from Big Al's and ended up not having to return (lucky!), for the bottom layer..

I put the substrate heater in.. Like I say, good secondary heater if nothing else..

I'll try to get around to aquascaping the new tank soon..

Thinking a main focal point of driftwood, with A. nana at the base..

Pretty much what I had before, but hopefully different ENOUGH.. :)

What I wouldn't give for some Manten or Seiryu stone!!

(besides ALOT of money to Aqua Forest Aquarium in the States.. LOL)

[Red]

I am glad your move went well besides the BN.

[Lady Hobbs]

Laterite is good if your tank or plants never need moving. Not so good if you move, so you've found out. I used it once......never again.

I will also be moving most likely before winter. Not looking forward to it, either. My tanks will be moved last, however. Hope you like your new digs and it works well for you and the family.

[doug z]

Yeah, if I'd put a little more forethought into it (rinsed the roots off before putting them in the temp. tank, put the fish and the plants into seperate tanks) it would have went alot smoother..

Didn't get my damage deposit back, on account of the rug around the fish tank being so soiled.. D'ohhh....

Oh well, with 2 little boys the rest of the place wasn't in such good shape, either.. :)

Permanent marker and crayon on the carpets, walls.. Destroyed blinds and curtains...

I'll have to make sure I have runners all the way around the tank in THIS place, even though I didn't need to put in a deposit (prooly have to just up and pay for a new carpet.. LOL).

[Lady Hobbs]

You try to not make a mess on carpeting but it never seems to work that way. I finally got an old shower curtain and lay it in front of the tank I'm working on. I can't count the times my python has fallen from the tank throwing water everywhere.

[domjd05]

Then salvage as much Eco-complete as I can without getting it too contaminated with the lower layer of laterite, and toss the laterite.. It's been in for a year, probably leached all the iron it's going to.. I don't think I'll do laterite again, even though I still have 25 lbs of it.... It's just too easy to disturb it, and then you have to deal with pink water.. Well, maybe I'll do a real thin layer at the bottom.. I'll use the substrate heater again.. If nothing else, it's a good back-up heater.. The Tahitian moonsand.. I dunno if it will be salvageable.. I guess if I rinse the bejesus out of it.

Am I missing anything?

UGH laterite is a PITA.. it looks awful when that stuff is disturbed.. it looks like somebody dumped a coffee with extra cream in the tank or something.

[doug z]

I finally got an old shower curtain and lay it in front of the tank I'm working on.

Good idea!

UGH laterite is a PITA.. it looks awful when that stuff is disturbed..

Yeah, think I'll just do tabs from now on..

[terrapin24h]

I would suggest using coolers to move the fish. Put a black garbage bag in it then fill it with water then move the fish in it. I would transport the filter media and plants separately. The more you put in together, the more can get banged around, and fish don't take well to that sort of thing. Otherwise, i think your plan sounds good

--chris, hoping to never have to move any of his tanks

[doug z]

I'll print that out for next time, thanks!