need advice on moving a reef tank please

[scalesandfins]

i will be moving my 90 soon and need some tips and tricks.
a few questions i have is
1) will it be better to take the sand out completely and rinse it and all that or leave it intact?
and should i bag up all my corals separatly? what about the ones attached to rocks? i plan on moving all my rock in a trash can with water covering them. my fish are goin in styrofoam boxes.
is there anythin else i should do?
im also goin to paint the background. should i do a dark blue or black?
im really worried about throwing my tank off alot and killing my corals. so what ever is best for the tank.

 

[Heathd]

i will be moving my 90 soon and need some tips and tricks.
a few questions i have is
1) will it be better to take the sand out completely and rinse it and all that or leave it intact?
Get it out of the tank. Its going to be wet and heavy and you can stress the tanks seams moving it with sand. Best cause scenario is to just toss it and start new, but if budget doesnt allow, set back a cup or two of the old stuff for seeding, and rinse the hell out of the sand before putting it back in. Agitating sand to the extent of removing destroys or hurts most of the fauna and bacteria colonized anyways. So your not losing much by rinsing.

and should i bag up all my corals separatly?
You can. You can also shove em in a 5 gallon bucket if they are loose, unattached.
what about the ones attached to rocks?
you can put them in a large storage bin, with lid, one layer only and water to cover them.
i plan on moving all my rock in a trash can with water covering them. my fish are goin in styrofoam boxes.
is there anythin else i should do?
Temperature and drip acclimate all your tank inhabitants (you could do the bag acclimation technique if you are feeling lazy. Have about 20-30 gallons of fresh salt water mixed and in buckets before you move. Save all of your old tank water you can... just not the dirty doo doo water that you have after removing the sand
im also goin to paint the background. should i do a dark blue or black?
Ive done both, and I think I actually prefer black now. But its all preference.
im really worried about throwing my tank off alot and killing my corals. so what ever is best for the tank.

Make sure you test very frequently because your tank is going to go through another small cycle.

 

[scalesandfins]

thanks heathd, is there any way i can avoid losing or replenish the critters in the sand?
also i am using cycled water from my lfs to fill it back up instead of trying to move my water.
what should i do with my bio in my wet dry area?
im also goin to clean everythin, i have alot of gunk in the bottom of my sump that was moved with the tank the first time and i didnt really notice

 

[Joeygee23]

Things are going to break no matter what you do. Save the pieces though, they'll grow back.

 

[jworth]

thanks heathd, is there any way i can avoid losing or replenish the critters in the sand?
also i am using cycled water from my lfs to fill it back up instead of trying to move my water.
what should i do with my bio in my wet dry area?
im also goin to clean everythin, i have alot of gunk in the bottom of my sump that was moved with the tank the first time and i didnt really notice

The critters in the sand will replenish themselves over time. I would not use the LFS' water unless you are talking about water they sell in jugs that has not been used. Use as much old water as you can, and then top off with freshly made salt water with the same salinity etc. The bio in your wet dry can be put in a bucket with water.

 

[Heathd]

thanks heathd, is there any way i can avoid losing or replenish the critters in the sand?
also i am using cycled water from my lfs to fill it back up instead of trying to move my water.
what should i do with my bio in my wet dry area?
im also goin to clean everythin, i have alot of gunk in the bottom of my sump that was moved with the tank the first time and i didnt really notice

Really need to use your old water, as much of it as possible.
1) its what the fish are used to. I know it sounds dumb, but...

2) You dont know whats in your LFS's water.

Using your old water is the best way to avoid going through new tank syndrome.

 

[scalesandfins]

its pre mixed water they have in a holding tank in the back.
so what about half original water and half new water so its kinda like a 50% WC?
would that be ok?

 

[Heathd]

its pre mixed water they have in a holding tank in the back.
so what about half original water and half new water so its kinda like a 50% WC?
would that be ok?

I still think the more original tank water the better, but if thats all you can do because of logistics, its certainly better then nothing.

 

[scalesandfins]

well i have enough buckets to move most of the water. as well as the water that will be with the fish and live rock. which idk if i should reuse?
the live rock water will prob get pretty dirty as well as the fish water

 

[Heathd]

the live rock water will prob get pretty dirty as well as the fish water

Maybe...

The last couple of tanks I have moved, it has depended on how diligent I was on cleaning the LR with a powerhead.

If the LR water gets murkey, just toss it after you get done setting it up.