Moving

[MikeYQM]

I'm planning a move in a month. I have to take apart my 30 gal tank & 3 fish; 2 clowns & watchman goby, pistol shrimp & inverts.

My plan is to divide the rock, and live stock between 3 5 gal buckets and keep the rest of the water as well.

My question is, how long will fish be ok in 5 gal buckets with powerheads & live rock? The transport won't be long, but once in the house, I may not get the chance to setup the tank for a bit. I figure with running power heads they should be ok for a while, bur is it hours, days?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[carey]

I wouldnt leave them more than a few hours if at all possible. I've moved my tanks a few times and it can be done in one day.

Make sure that all your live rock is totally submerged or you will get die off and end up with an ammonia spike.

It's not totally required to keep all the water for putting in your new tank, I've used some used water and the rest was new.

also, if you wanted to change your substrate now is the time. Moving a tank can mix the sand up pretty good and cause a mini cycle possibly, so after you get your fish back in I would for sure monitor thew tank for a few days.

Hope that helped some

 

[Grizz]

I maintain 10 lease tanks and form time to time have to remove the stock I use 30g totes keep the fish (i QT in them for 4 weeks) seperate from the inverts as the nitrates will spike, no need to stress them, using 5g pails is ok just after adding rock you may be down to 2-3 gals of water not much room for error.

If you not goin to replace the substrate be sure to wash it very well Do your power heads have a sponge prefilter you want as much a BB as possable mabey add a small HOB added to the main tank now to build a Bacti base, let us know how it go's

 

[MikeYQM]

If I move the fish to a large tote, with power heads & canister, will that give more time? I'd like to leave it overnight to let the sand settle with everything else in buckets/tote.

With everything submerged, water flowing and the fish being filtered in a large tote, it shouldn't be too different than a tank right?

 

[Grizz]

Right the more water you can put them in the better They will be fine for a week or more just test the water at least every other day, even after putting them back in the main tank I would use new salt water to fill the tank and discard the old give the fish a place to hide in the tote it will help reduce there stress some LR will help

 

[MikeYQM]

Great, thanks!!