Cross-Country SR80 Build – Macro/Mixed Reef Journey

[skywhitney]

Hey everyone! It's been a long time since I've been on here but big changes are afoot so here I am. I'm starting this thread to document a big move and ongoing build of this tank—for myself and anyone who wants to follow the journey.

I’ve always wanted to run a macroalgae/mixed reef setup. To me, it captures the essence of a natural reef, and honestly, I just love the look. So a few months ago, I connected a 60g tank to my existing 120g reef. It was up, stocked, and thriving—then came news that we’d be relocating halfway across the country for work. I’m excited for the new adventure, but that left me with a big question: what to do with the tanks?

I decided some of the livestock had to come with us (yeah, I'm that guy). I sold off a lot of the corals, gave others to friends, and crammed what was left into an empty Nuvo 40 I had lying around. It didn’t take long to realize some of the corals weren’t going to coexist peacefully for two months in such tight quarters.

Enter fate: my LFS had an Innovative Marine SR80 and stand on sale—the exact setup I’ve been eyeing. I have no idea how it ended up in the back of my truck but it is what it is. I like the SR80 for a few reasons:

• It’s spacious without being overkill.
• The AIO design makes things easier during the move, and just in general for this type of setup.
• I’ve always had great experiences with IM products.

Now I could really use some input. Fish, inverts, and macroalgae will be easy to move. Corals? Possibly not so much. I’m stuck between three options:

1) Buckets: Separate corals by type in sealed 5g containers. My concern here is chemical warfare or one coral nuking the batch.

2) Bagging individually: This seems safer but I’m horrible at bagging effeciently.

3) A combination of both options 1 and 2.

The trip will take 16–20 hours over two days. Any tips from those who’ve done something like this would be hugely appreciated.

Current Setup:

• Tank: IM SR80
• Lighting: 2x Ecotech Radion XR30 Pro G6
• Flow: 2x AI Nero7 (switching to 2x MP40QD)
• Control: Apex Pro with Trident

Fish:

• Melanarus Wrasse
• Tailspot Blenny

Inverts:

• Cleaner Shrimp
• Emerald Crabs
• Hermits
• Snails

Corals:

• Birdsnest
• Multiple Chalices (Purple & Teal, Big R Weirdo, & Raja Rampage)
• Torches (Hellfire & Dragon Soul)
• Hammers (Blue & Splatter)
• Octospawn (Yellow Tip)
• Blasto (Purple Ring)
• Duncan
• Fascination Galaxia
• Mushrooms (Bounce, Godzilla, Interstellar, Lava Lamp, Stripper Lips, Purple Pimple Discosoma & others)
• Crown & Cabbage Leathers
• BTAs (Black Widow & Sunburst)
• Misc Zoas & Palys
• Purple Gorgonians
• Neon GSP
• Christmas Tree Rock

Macroalgae:

• Fauchea sp.
• Galaxaura sp.
• Euchema spinosum
• Coelarthrum sp.
• Gracilaria (multiple types)
• Caulerpa (multiple types)
• Halymenia sp.
• Scinaia sp.
• Codium

Other:

• Red Sponges

If you've made it this far it's finally picture time!

 

[Andy Sager]

Very nice. The livestock look s really healthy.

 

[skywhitney]

Very nice. The livestock look s really healthy.

Thanks! I appreciate it.

It's also my main concern, how to keep them healthy through the move.

 

[Andy Sager]

Thanks! I appreciate it.

It's also my main concern, how to keep them healthy through the move.

How far are you moving them to?

 

[skywhitney]

How far are you moving them to?

16-20 hour drive, split over two days. I put a few options for how to move them in my first post. I'd love some feedback on which one might be the best

 

[Andy Sager]

Bag them individually. If you can not get your local fish store to add some oxygen and close the bags ( they should be fine in sealed bags as they travel close to 40-48 hours that way when shipped) , Get yourself a cooler or 2 or 3 , put the corals in individual bags. Cover them with water ( just over their height) and leave the bags open but fully extended so the water does not splash out in the cooler so that they get oxygenated. Every couple of hours, open the cooler to let the air outside go into the cooler and air inside the cooler escape. ( Use a paper plate or something to fan the air just to get an exchange. ) The fish: I'd get a battery operated air pump from a bait & tackle shop so that they have oxygen all the way in their own cooler. ( Do the same with opening the top to exchange the air. )
I'll add that 50 years ago, I moved some freshwater fish from NJ to S. Florida in the back of our car. These were larger fish and there was no way to leave the bags open so every 2- 3hours I had to have my Dad pull over so I could open the bags and exchange the air because I had no oxygen in the bags. In the end, I had a breeding trio of adult Angelfish and 9 Oscars from 3"-6" all arriving alive after 3 days in the car.

 

[skywhitney]

Bag them individually. If you can not get your local fish store to add some oxygen and close the bags ( they should be fine in sealed bags as they travel close to 40-48 hours that way when shipped) , Get yourself a cooler or 2 or 3 , put the corals in individual bags. Cover them with water ( just over their height) and leave the bags open but fully extended so the water does not splash out in the cooler so that they get oxygenated. Every couple of hours, open the cooler to let the air outside go into the cooler and air inside the cooler escape. ( Use a paper plate or something to fan the air just to get an exchange. ) The fish: I'd get a battery operated air pump from a bait & tackle shop so that they have oxygen all the way in their own cooler. ( Do the same with opening the top to exchange the air. )
I'll add that 50 years ago, I moved some freshwater fish from NJ to S. Florida in the back of our car. These were larger fish and there was no way to leave the bags open so every 2- 3hours I had to have my Dad pull over so I could open the bags and exchange the air because I had no oxygen in the bags. In the end, I had a breeding trio of adult Angelfish and 9 Oscars from 3"-6" all arriving alive after 3 days in the car.

Well ironicly enough it just so happens that my drive will be from NJ to FL as well.

The more I've thought about it, the more comfortable I've become with the individually bagged route. I can easily get a small oxygen tank so that'll make it easy to fill the bags. Right now the plan is:
- Bag each coral individually
- SW fish and cleaner shrimp have their own container with airstone
- Crabs and snails will be separated and bagged
- Rock, I'm not worried about thankfully
- FW fish will have their own container with airstone.

At this point I think I'm as ready as I can be without actually bagging stuff up. Now the game of hurry up and wait begins.

 

[Andy Sager]

If you have an oxygen bottle, you can fill the coral bags with 1/2 oxygen and 1/2 room air and use rubber bands to seal the bags. Full oxygen may burn them. For the fish, you want to fill bags 1/3 water, 2/3 oxygen and they have 48 hours in the bags. OR, if you have access to them, they make " breather bags" where it's all water and the CO2 permeates the bag and the oxygen stays. Supposedly fish can live for days in those bags but I've never used them so I won't swear to that.

Where in NJ are you and where in FL are you going? I come from Monmouth County, across the street from Monmouth University and moved to S. Florida where I lived for 33 years. Now I'm in Central Florida for coming up on 18 years.

 

[skywhitney]

If you have an oxygen bottle, you can fill the coral bags with 1/2 oxygen and 1/2 room air and use rubber bands to seal the bags. Full oxygen may burn them. For the fish, you want to fill bags 1/3 water, 2/3 oxygen and they have 48 hours in the bags. OR, if you have access to them, they make " breather bags" where it's all water and the CO2 permeates the bag and the oxygen stays. Supposedly fish can live for days in those bags but I've never used them so I won't swear to that.

Where in NJ are you and where in FL are you going? I come from Monmouth County, across the street from Monmouth University and moved to S. Florida where I lived for 33 years. Now I'm in Central Florida for coming up on 18 years.

That's great info on filling ratios, thank you!

I've received stuff in breather bags before but I never put any stock into a plastic bag being sufficient for four more than 48 hours. Not saying breather bags don't work, I just don't trust bags in general.

I'm in Burlington county right now and we'll be in central FL as well, closer to the gulf side. I've never been to FL so this will be an adventure for sure

 

[Andy Sager]

That's great info on filling ratios, thank you!

I've received stuff in breather bags before but I never put any stock into a plastic bag being sufficient for four more than 48 hours. Not saying breather bags don't work, I just don't trust bags in general.

I'm in Burlington county right now and we'll be in central FL as well, closer to the gulf side. I've never been to FL so this will be an adventure for sure

If you are going closer to the coast, you'll want to invest in some good battery operated air pumps or an emergency backup generator as that side of the state has historically had more effects from storms than the Central or East coast sides. Case in point, last year, Hurricane Helene did not come ashore on the west coast but caused a lot of water damage from the winds driving water inland. That caused power failures away from the coast.
You'll have to get used to no snow in the winter and be prepared to sweat a lot the first year or two. We moved down the year there was snow flakes in Miami :^0 and I remember it so well because I still had my NJ blood and was dressed in shorts, a sleeveless tee shirt and flip flops that January, doing laundry at a local laundromat because the washing machine was broken in our house. With my hands full of laundry baskets, I felt this cold drop on my bare shoulder and when I looked up to see if it was raining, I saw it was SNOWING!!!! You'll see, you'll notice the difference between a Floridian and a visitor in the winter when you see how people are dressed. Visitors will be dressed in shorts and maybe a sweatshirt and Floridians will be dressed in Eskimo Parkas and double layers of jackets and pants. You'll see.

Good luck on your move and keep us posted.

 

[skywhitney]

A whole house generator is a must for us so that is absolutely going to happen. In the meantime I do have battery backups so I'm covered there for the moment.