Moving down the block. Tank move help

moneymm · 07/20/2019, 08:32 AM

So I’m moving to a new house about 400 yards away. I have a 50 gallon tank.

I was thinking to put 40 gallons or so in my tank garbage can I use for water changes. And the rest in 5 gallon buckets.

Then me and buddy can lift into back of pickup and run it right over to new house and put the same water back in.

Any problems with this idea?

Oldreeferman · 07/20/2019, 09:39 AM

You ever lift a full 40 gal waterheater before? Several 5 gallon buckets with sealing lids is the most id spread this out to if you plan to re-use the tanks water so you don't end up at the Hospital with a bad L4 bud or pull a man boob. Saltwater is even heavier then fresh & we are talking around 8 lbs+ a gal or more.
40 gallons X 8.2lbs =328 lbs. more or less.

boojumsnark25 · 07/20/2019, 10:06 AM

It's doable, I've done quantities like that in the past, but I probably wouldn't do it again. If it was 350 pounds of rocks, I would - because rocks don't shift around at the slightest movement. But once that water starts swishing around, it feels like a whole lot more weight...

billdogg · 07/20/2019, 12:46 PM

You and your tank will be better served by mixing up fresh saltwater and the new place and then moving the live stock in a bucket or 2 with lids that have a couple gallons each of water in them. How old is the tank? After removing the livestock and rocks (to another bucket or two) I'd use all the remaining (old) water in the tank to thoroughly clean the sand. Stir it up well, allow the crud to settle on top, siphon off the crud and repeat until you have emptied the tank. Old sand will almost always have significant detritus buildup that if left in place will just contaminate any water that you try to refill the tank with.

moneymm · 07/21/2019, 06:49 AM

yea i guess ill just leave the water in the garbage can and go back and forth with 5 gallon buckets a couple times.

billdogg · 07/21/2019, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moneymm

yea i guess ill just leave the water in the garbage can and go back and forth with 5 gallon buckets a couple times.

???

Don't move a drop more than you need to keep livestock alive and well. Moving "used" water, regardless of how long the tank has been set up is a complete waste of time and effort. 100% of the denitrifying bacteria lives in and on the rocks and sand.

immortl · 07/21/2019, 01:08 PM

When I moved my tank (30g) about 250 miles, I used a cooler and 5g buckets for rocks and live stock, all filled with new water. I also had 5g buckets with new water to fill the tank at the destination.

At the old place, after removing rocks and live stock, I drained tank down to the sand bed stirring it up to suck out as much detritus from it as I could. Then I loaded everything into car and drove over to new place. When setting it back up, I first filled tank with about 15g of water, stirred up and vacuumed the sand bed again, then filled the tank up with new water and put everything back in.

If I had had more water available I would have done even more sand bed rinsing, but I was limited by number of buckets I could fit in the car and was anxious to get everything back into the tank. Overall process, tear down, packing up, driving, setting everything back up, took me about 12hrs overall. I had no issues.

rocklobster1 · 07/21/2019, 06:41 PM

I would just use new water personally. maybe 1- 5 gallon bucket.

07/20/2019, 08:32 AM	#1
moneymm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 548	Moving down the block. Tank move help So I’m moving to a new house about 400 yards away. I have a 50 gallon tank. I was thinking to put 40 gallons or so in my tank garbage can I use for water changes. And the rest in 5 gallon buckets. Then me and buddy can lift into back of pickup and run it right over to new house and put the same water back in. Any problems with this idea? __________________ 45 Gallon Bow DT - Lifereef Berlin Sump/Skimmer - 36" ATI Dimmable Sunpower 4 x 39W Phantom Clown, Ocellaris Cown, 10 Snails, 4 Hermit Crabs

07/20/2019, 12:46 PM	#4
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	You and your tank will be better served by mixing up fresh saltwater and the new place and then moving the live stock in a bucket or 2 with lids that have a couple gallons each of water in them. How old is the tank? After removing the livestock and rocks (to another bucket or two) I'd use all the remaining (old) water in the tank to thoroughly clean the sand. Stir it up well, allow the crud to settle on top, siphon off the crud and repeat until you have emptied the tank. Old sand will almost always have significant detritus buildup that if left in place will just contaminate any water that you try to refill the tank with. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

07/21/2019, 06:49 AM	#5
moneymm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 548	yea i guess ill just leave the water in the garbage can and go back and forth with 5 gallon buckets a couple times. __________________ 45 Gallon Bow DT - Lifereef Berlin Sump/Skimmer - 36" ATI Dimmable Sunpower 4 x 39W Phantom Clown, Ocellaris Cown, 10 Snails, 4 Hermit Crabs

07/20/2019, 09:39 AM	#2
Oldreeferman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: NW Indiana Valparaiso Posts: 505	You ever lift a full 40 gal waterheater before? Several 5 gallon buckets with sealing lids is the most id spread this out to if you plan to re-use the tanks water so you don't end up at the Hospital with a bad L4 bud or pull a man boob. Saltwater is even heavier then fresh & we are talking around 8 lbs+ a gal or more. 40 gallons X 8.2lbs =328 lbs. more or less.

07/20/2019, 10:06 AM	#3
boojumsnark25 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 67	It's doable, I've done quantities like that in the past, but I probably wouldn't do it again. If it was 350 pounds of rocks, I would - because rocks don't shift around at the slightest movement. But once that water starts swishing around, it feels like a whole lot more weight...

07/21/2019, 01:08 PM	#7
immortl Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 114	When I moved my tank (30g) about 250 miles, I used a cooler and 5g buckets for rocks and live stock, all filled with new water. I also had 5g buckets with new water to fill the tank at the destination. At the old place, after removing rocks and live stock, I drained tank down to the sand bed stirring it up to suck out as much detritus from it as I could. Then I loaded everything into car and drove over to new place. When setting it back up, I first filled tank with about 15g of water, stirred up and vacuumed the sand bed again, then filled the tank up with new water and put everything back in. If I had had more water available I would have done even more sand bed rinsing, but I was limited by number of buckets I could fit in the car and was anxious to get everything back into the tank. Overall process, tear down, packing up, driving, setting everything back up, took me about 12hrs overall. I had no issues.

07/21/2019, 06:41 PM	#8
rocklobster1 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 57	I would just use new water personally. maybe 1- 5 gallon bucket.