Moving a reef tank...

[Myanth]

Having some liverock in the dark is good as there are strains of very good de-nitrifying bacteria that grow in the dark. I don't have any myself becuase I like to see it.

As far as the sand bed goes, I would agree strongly with washing it. Drain all the water from the tank that you want to keep and then start moving stuff. Even a rock lifted out of the sand can release some gross stuff that can cloud the water in a hurry.

I would recommend transporting the liverock in water at a constant temperature as you never know what is living inside of it. I found a couple of emerald crabs and a porcelain that didn't make the trip after I moved some rock in a cooler with damp newspaper. It can be transported damp but you will always have some die off and the resulting ammonia increase.

Good luck.