Transferring a Complete Setup?
 

I am hoping to buy a complete setup but the more I read about live rock, live sand, and bacteria in the sump the more I am concerned as to how. Can this stuff be kept alive while tearing down, travelling, and setting up a tank? All the books I have talk about starting from scratch and not moving an established ecosystem.

I suggest buy a complete setup but minus the rock and livestock. Set it up and get it running. Then buy rock (used or new). Then slowly add livestock.

The only really tricky part is the sand bed.. Once disturbed and while transferring it WILL get disturbed you will have a huge spike and probably some amonia. It can be done but tough without some losses. Unless you get a large rubbermaid container for the fish and corals if your getting any and put them in there while your tank settles with a few water changed.

If you aren't going to far or too long, it should be fine. Leave the sand in, unless you're talking a very large tank. Be well prepared with buckets, heaters and pumps

I have 2 recently emptied 50 gallon tanks that I have not decided what to do with yet. Sould I fill them with saltwater and use them as holding tanks? Maybe one for rock and one for sand. If I do buy a tank with livestock included what are my options? Give them away on this forum, have someone with a setup tank hold them, sell them?

If you have 2 50 gal tanks this is what I would do.. I would transfer the tank that I was buying with the sand at the bottom (depending on the size of the tank of course) drain all teh water from that tank and put them into rubbermaid containers since this water is already establed it will help when your puting the tank back together. Leave about an inch of water above the sand to keep it live and transport it to you home. Split the rock and fish into your 2 50 gal tanks and fill up the tank when your filling it up place a garbage bag over the sand bed because when your adding the water back into the tank this will not cause the sand bed to stir up saving a huge spike and lessoning the time it will take for it to cycle. After a couple of days and a few water changes you should be able to put your livestock and rock back into your purchased tank.. Few days if not a week of headache but shoule be worth it in the long run :)

Good luck. If you need to borrow a few heaters and a few power heads let me know as I have a few extra kickin around that you can borrow :)

I have lots of extra heaters but thanks anyways abbyreefer. The tank I get will be too big for leaving the sand in. I don't know of any LFS in Surrey so I will head out to Petsmart on my next break and get some salt. Any brand recommendations?

Kent and Instant Ocean are both great salt brands :biggrin:

How big is your tank you are purchasing ? Remember to have a PH aimed at the surface to break the waterline for oxygen in the tank. I didnt know petsmart sold reef salt ? I think there is a place in surrey (newton) called Pauls aquarium if I'm not mistaken its right behind costco off King George Hwy.

Abby I am looking for a 120-180 gallon. PetSmart has Instant Ocean salt but I would much sooner support a LFS so I will check out Paul's.

Recently moved a 75g across town so sort of similar deal:

-at new place was able to make up 80g of SW, heated and aged for 4 days prior to move
-moving day, placed LR in two large tubs, covered in water
-mushrooms in a pail
-saved 10g water in pails
-placed fish in a 5g pail
-sadly dumped the whole DSB
-drained the tank, scraped of all the feather dusters, rinsed in FW (probably what kill the Coraline on the back glass, hindsight, should have cleared it all off)
-moved the tank etc
-at new house, placed in LR
-added original 10g of water back
-topped with SW previously made
-drip acclimatized fish/shroom, placed in tank
-top tank back up with aged SW

Had planned to keep the top 1" of DSB for seeding in a 33g for a new system I'll be setting up but didn't get it re-caulk in time for the move. Plan was to move the tank keep the LS with PH, heater, once new system up, setup a DSB in the refugium then top with the LS.

Since my current system is just temporary, running it BB. If I was going to keep the 75g, would probably have kept the top 1", moved as above, add new rinsed sand, top with saved sand, add LR, water etc.

if i where u i would just chuck the sand, get new sand then its clean and you wont have to worry about the nutrients in the old sand.