Moving My 85 Gallon Tank

[Octopussie]

well the lease is up and its time to move. i have a 85 gallon tank with 120 lbs of live rock and alot of lps and softies. what is the best way to move this beast? also i have crushed coral as substrate. should i switch to sand?

[Kryptikhan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11379669#post11379669 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Octopussie
well the lease is up and its time to move. i have a 85 gallon tank with 120 lbs of live rock and alot of lps and softies. what is the best way to move this beast? also i have crushed coral as substrate. should i switch to sand?

Since your post has gone ignored lol.

Here man, this is a great site.

http://www.melevsreef.com/moving_a_tank.html

[Snowboarda42]

Rent a U-haul, this should go in the very back of the trailer/truck box. Go get 3x 33gallon trash cans, for moving water and rocks. Get the really heavy duty ones though, as you'll be moving a LOT of weight (>300lbs each). Drain 1/3 of the tank water into one of the cans and put the rocks and corals in it. If possible, set it up so there's less chance of a rock falling and breaking corals. Drain another third into your second can, and put the fish in it. The rest of the water can either be thrown out (it'll be gross at this point). Use the third can to mix up 1/3 of your tank's volume in fresh SW (maybe do this at your new place). Remember to wrap tape around the lid of the trash can where the lid meats the base, to prevent water splashing out. You might even tie the lid down. I would throw out all your coral substrate and maybe scrape your tank clean of corraline if you like.

Depending on how far you have to move, consider running a big, good quality inverter, and powering heaters and a powerhead for the coral/rock trashcan, and a heater with an airstone for the fish one. No lighting is needed.

Now would be a perfect time to switch to sand. Get some Caribsea Aragonite, and rinse it in a bucket really well with fresh water. Add it to your tank before you put anything back in. When you go to add water, do it slowly to keep the sandstorm to a minimum. Putting a plate on your sand and pumping the water onto it helps alot as well.

[Octopussie]

all corals are bleached now and everything in the tank is dying except the clams and fish. ill post pics later.