The move
Moving is a stressful period regardless of the circumstances. However, moving can really be something to dread if you're a marine hobbyist, especially if you have multiple tanks with delicate fish and corals. Whether you're moving cross-country or only a few blocks away, draining your tanks, transporting your fish and livestock, and safely securing your empty aquariums in the moving truck are each taxing endeavors.
On Saturday, July 22, my wife and I moved from our small apartment in west Asheville to a new home in Shelby, NC, about an hour and a half east of Asheville. Two days later on the 24 we returned to Asheville to clean the apartment and move the tanks. What follows is my original plan for the move and then what actually ended up happening... First, let me tell you about my tanks. I have five aquariums, not counting my small vases, ranging from 3 gallons to 55. I have a 3 gallon Eclipse with two African clawed frogs, a ten gallon that was empty, a ten gallon nano reef, my wife's 29 gallon tank that houses an oscar (eventually to be moved to a 220 freshwater ray tank), and a 55 gallon freshwater tank. Obviously, I was most concerned about the nano reef, which has my mandarin that eats capelin roe as well as a thriving crocea clam. But I always wanted to give special treatment to my freshwater black ghost knife and somewhat rare royal pleco.
Knowing how long I would take draining the tanks and arranging the fish in their respective transfer carriers, I knew I did not want to mess with anything aquatic on the actual moving day. I also did not want to put a tank in the full moving truck in the chance something would fall and crack the glass. What ultimately happened on Saturday was I broke down my wife's 29 gallon and moved it and the oscar in the back of my car, as opposed to the truck. (I also moved the 3 gallon Eclipse on this trip which was no problem at all.) This turned out to be the best decision as we would not have had time to break down another tank later on Monday, as well as clean the apartment and get the rest of our stuff we had left behind on Saturday.
I had previously moved the vases to my parents' house in Shelby a week earlier. I drained out a little less than half the water in each vase and kept them at my feet as my wife drove our car down to Shelby.
The vases, frogs, and oscar tank were all moved successfully without any casualties. After returning the moving truck on Saturday, I set up the 29 gallon and put the oscar and his pet brown alleni crawfish back in their tank. I moved the oscar in a 5 gallon Rubbermaid container and kept the crawfish in the tank with an inch of water. Both were no worse for the wear and within an hour they were back to their usual behaviors.
Now a quick detour before we get into the big fish move on Monday.
I had planned my battle strategy in advance and knew I needed a cargo van to move the remaining 55 gallon and nano reef. Having a van as opposed to a moving truck was crucial because the van would be climate controlled and I could easily access the fish or tanks in case of problems, and there would be no worry of them sliding around in a much smaller space. Also, moving livestock in the back of a truck would be like shutting them in your trunk... it would be a suffocating oven, unless they were properly sealed in professional containers as they are in wholesale and retail transfers.
I called to reserve a cargo van from the Budget moving company on Saturday and was assured they had a “climate controlled cargo van” as I requested. I even told them why I needed this as opposed to a truck, and on Monday I actually dealt with the same people I spoke with over the phone. To make a long story short, I ended up with a ten foot moving truck, NOT the cargo van I had requested and paid for. The good people at the Shelby Budget rental office straight out lied to me and kept speaking of the “van” I was getting it up until the guy drove it around and I picked it up. At this point, I had exhausted all my options and was basically stuck so I had no choice but to eat the truck and take it.
Luckily my dad was able to drive his car up to Asheville and help us out. The cab in the truck was pretty big, but it wasn't large enough to hold all the Rubbermaid containers which needed air conditioning for the livestock.
When we arrived back in Asheville, I immediately began to drain the 55 gallon and remove the plastic plants and terracotta pots. A good friend of mine came over and we caught all the fish and distributed them among two 5 gallon Rubbermaids: the black ghost knife, pleco, and kuhli loaches in one, and the angelfish, bala sharks, and oto in the other. The containers were filled to a little over quarter volume with water and an Azoo battery-operated pump was employed to keep each container aerated, the tubing split with a dual valve regulator. It's important not to put too many fish in one container, even with ample fizz, because ammonia can skyrocket under stressful conditions.
We tried to move the tank into the moving truck with the gravel and almost an inch of water, but this proved impossible. I ended up sacrificing one Rubbermaid container to hold more than half the gravel as well as the terracotta and plastic plants. I run a canister filter and use biorings, and I ended up placing the ceramic rings in with the fish (this caused a problem later on).
The nano reef proved to be a little more difficult. I used three transfer containers for this small tank. I placed the live rock, which is covered in zoos, mushrooms, and halimeda algae, in one container, the mandarin and percula in another, and my precarious clam rock which is actually two pieces of tonga ziptied together landed in a 2 gallon bucket.
I drained the ten gallon to three inches of water and left coral rubble, my open brain coral, and starfish and other inverts in the tank. A ten gallon is easy to move with some water and the substrate at the bottom and as long as you move it carefully, structural integrity will likely not be compromised.
The nano reef, the clown and mandarin, and the live rock went in my dad's car, and the clam rock and remaining freshwater fish went in the cab of the moving truck. I had three Azoo pumps and two valve regulators... I left the live “colony” rock without aeration and it ultimately was fine for the two hour duration.
We ended up buying two of the largest Rubbermaid containers sold at Wal-mart, as well as bungie cords and twine, to secure the 55 gallon and stand in the back of the empty moving truck. The big containers were used as buffers between the glass aquarium and stand, which were tied to the side of the truck. I have to give it to my wife for this... she secured the 55 gallon, stand, and her potted plants in the back of the truck so well they don't shift one bit.
We made it into Shelby and I began to set up the nano reef immediately. Everything appeared to have survived, although I was almost 100% sure I'd lose the mandarin as it was not looking good during the transfer. But I am very happy to say he made it through, as did every zoanthid, particle of sand, and bristleworm.
My wife had headed over to Asheville Aquarium to buy 5 gallons of premixed saltwater. I ended up using more than half of it to fill up the nano reef. Obviously, massive water changes are part of moving, but I wanted to have as much old water on hand as possible. In retrospect, I think the reef would have been fine with up to a 90% water change.
Around midnight I finished filling the 55 gallon and began to move in the freshwater fish. I should have filled the tank in the basement or carport in case of leaks, but I was exhausted and wanted to get the fish out of their temporary homes. Remember how I had put the biorings in with the fish? I keep the rings in plastic mesh bags, like the kind you find garlic cloves and shallots in at the grocery store. My largest bala shark had gotten tangled in one like a dolphin in a tuna net. His mouth was torn raw, his fins shredded, and when I saw him, I thought he was a goner for sure.
I acclimated the fish to their new water by dripping and then released them all. In a matter of a week the shark regenerated his fins and his mouth wounds healed... now you can't even tell he was injured.
I did not lose a single fish, coral, or anything that I can tell in this move. Everything seems to be thriving, although I am having a green hair algae outbreak in the reef. I attribute this to using reverse osmosis water as opposed to RO/DI, which is the only change that's come to the tank after the move.
So how come things turned out so well for me? Well, I only moved an hour and a half away. I have a very small reef tank, and that made things a helluva lot easier. I had the luxury of being able to move over two different days and largely stuck to my original plan. Every container sans the one with the live rock was aerated, and the fish stayed cool and their transport time was kept at a minimum. I attribute all of these factors, along with a lot of luck and having an anal retentive streak when it comes to fish, to my success in the move.
Now I'd like to outline a few things about moving.
If you have more than three tanks, purchase at least three Azoo battery pumps. They are very cheap and reliable. Also buy a couple valves to split the line.
Stick with 5 gallon Rubbermaid containers, unless you have super large fish. These are easy to handle, don't slosh around, and you'd be surprised how much you can fit in one. Cover with the lid but leave an inch or two of air and tape the tubing onto the side to keep the airstone underwater. And remember don't overstock; rather split the fish up among different containers.
Don't feed your fish for two days prior to the move. This will eliminate a lot of the waste and ammonia buildup in the transfer water.
Corals CAN be exposed to air longer than you think, even many of the so-called fragile ones. This also includes clams and even starfish. Do not be afraid of leaving them exposed to air for some time.
If you're moving for business (i.e. your job), you can write off most of your moving expenses on your taxes. If possible, look into a cargo van for your livestock and/or tanks. Depending on your move, this may only be a couple hundred dollars more, which isn't much in the long run if you've invested thousands in your reef.
Try to keep a positive attitude regardless of the outcome. If your fish all live, wonderful. If they die, hey, you can get some new ones and start over. Keeping a positive outlook will keep your stress down on the move and will give you a win-win outcome, no matter what.
Check the pH, hardness, phosphate, nitrate, etc. of your new water, regardless if it's city or well.
Drip acclimate your fish and corals to their new water as you would a new arrival.
Some things I would have done differently are dedicating an entire day to moving the fish, as opposed to using our last day in Asheville for moving and cleaning. Also I would have done more research on the local moving companies and been sure they had the vehicle I needed and requested.
Here is an excellent resource about moving from the east coast to Oregon:
http://www.joshday.com/movingfish.htm
Though he moved only freshwater tanks, the author has some amazing plant life that puts some of our reefs to shame. And amazingly enough, a lot of the plants and the overwhelming majority of his fish survived the trek.
Moving your fish need not be such a terrifying venture. Well, I'm not saying it's any fun, but if you make a plan and do your best to not let anyone talk you into cutting corners, you should have a successful outcome.
On Saturday, July 22, my wife and I moved from our small apartment in west Asheville to a new home in Shelby, NC, about an hour and a half east of Asheville. Two days later on the 24 we returned to Asheville to clean the apartment and move the tanks. What follows is my original plan for the move and then what actually ended up happening... First, let me tell you about my tanks. I have five aquariums, not counting my small vases, ranging from 3 gallons to 55. I have a 3 gallon Eclipse with two African clawed frogs, a ten gallon that was empty, a ten gallon nano reef, my wife's 29 gallon tank that houses an oscar (eventually to be moved to a 220 freshwater ray tank), and a 55 gallon freshwater tank. Obviously, I was most concerned about the nano reef, which has my mandarin that eats capelin roe as well as a thriving crocea clam. But I always wanted to give special treatment to my freshwater black ghost knife and somewhat rare royal pleco.
Knowing how long I would take draining the tanks and arranging the fish in their respective transfer carriers, I knew I did not want to mess with anything aquatic on the actual moving day. I also did not want to put a tank in the full moving truck in the chance something would fall and crack the glass. What ultimately happened on Saturday was I broke down my wife's 29 gallon and moved it and the oscar in the back of my car, as opposed to the truck. (I also moved the 3 gallon Eclipse on this trip which was no problem at all.) This turned out to be the best decision as we would not have had time to break down another tank later on Monday, as well as clean the apartment and get the rest of our stuff we had left behind on Saturday.
I had previously moved the vases to my parents' house in Shelby a week earlier. I drained out a little less than half the water in each vase and kept them at my feet as my wife drove our car down to Shelby.
The vases, frogs, and oscar tank were all moved successfully without any casualties. After returning the moving truck on Saturday, I set up the 29 gallon and put the oscar and his pet brown alleni crawfish back in their tank. I moved the oscar in a 5 gallon Rubbermaid container and kept the crawfish in the tank with an inch of water. Both were no worse for the wear and within an hour they were back to their usual behaviors.
Now a quick detour before we get into the big fish move on Monday.
I had planned my battle strategy in advance and knew I needed a cargo van to move the remaining 55 gallon and nano reef. Having a van as opposed to a moving truck was crucial because the van would be climate controlled and I could easily access the fish or tanks in case of problems, and there would be no worry of them sliding around in a much smaller space. Also, moving livestock in the back of a truck would be like shutting them in your trunk... it would be a suffocating oven, unless they were properly sealed in professional containers as they are in wholesale and retail transfers.
I called to reserve a cargo van from the Budget moving company on Saturday and was assured they had a “climate controlled cargo van” as I requested. I even told them why I needed this as opposed to a truck, and on Monday I actually dealt with the same people I spoke with over the phone. To make a long story short, I ended up with a ten foot moving truck, NOT the cargo van I had requested and paid for. The good people at the Shelby Budget rental office straight out lied to me and kept speaking of the “van” I was getting it up until the guy drove it around and I picked it up. At this point, I had exhausted all my options and was basically stuck so I had no choice but to eat the truck and take it.
Luckily my dad was able to drive his car up to Asheville and help us out. The cab in the truck was pretty big, but it wasn't large enough to hold all the Rubbermaid containers which needed air conditioning for the livestock.
When we arrived back in Asheville, I immediately began to drain the 55 gallon and remove the plastic plants and terracotta pots. A good friend of mine came over and we caught all the fish and distributed them among two 5 gallon Rubbermaids: the black ghost knife, pleco, and kuhli loaches in one, and the angelfish, bala sharks, and oto in the other. The containers were filled to a little over quarter volume with water and an Azoo battery-operated pump was employed to keep each container aerated, the tubing split with a dual valve regulator. It's important not to put too many fish in one container, even with ample fizz, because ammonia can skyrocket under stressful conditions.
We tried to move the tank into the moving truck with the gravel and almost an inch of water, but this proved impossible. I ended up sacrificing one Rubbermaid container to hold more than half the gravel as well as the terracotta and plastic plants. I run a canister filter and use biorings, and I ended up placing the ceramic rings in with the fish (this caused a problem later on).
The nano reef proved to be a little more difficult. I used three transfer containers for this small tank. I placed the live rock, which is covered in zoos, mushrooms, and halimeda algae, in one container, the mandarin and percula in another, and my precarious clam rock which is actually two pieces of tonga ziptied together landed in a 2 gallon bucket.
I drained the ten gallon to three inches of water and left coral rubble, my open brain coral, and starfish and other inverts in the tank. A ten gallon is easy to move with some water and the substrate at the bottom and as long as you move it carefully, structural integrity will likely not be compromised.
The nano reef, the clown and mandarin, and the live rock went in my dad's car, and the clam rock and remaining freshwater fish went in the cab of the moving truck. I had three Azoo pumps and two valve regulators... I left the live “colony” rock without aeration and it ultimately was fine for the two hour duration.
We ended up buying two of the largest Rubbermaid containers sold at Wal-mart, as well as bungie cords and twine, to secure the 55 gallon and stand in the back of the empty moving truck. The big containers were used as buffers between the glass aquarium and stand, which were tied to the side of the truck. I have to give it to my wife for this... she secured the 55 gallon, stand, and her potted plants in the back of the truck so well they don't shift one bit.
We made it into Shelby and I began to set up the nano reef immediately. Everything appeared to have survived, although I was almost 100% sure I'd lose the mandarin as it was not looking good during the transfer. But I am very happy to say he made it through, as did every zoanthid, particle of sand, and bristleworm.
My wife had headed over to Asheville Aquarium to buy 5 gallons of premixed saltwater. I ended up using more than half of it to fill up the nano reef. Obviously, massive water changes are part of moving, but I wanted to have as much old water on hand as possible. In retrospect, I think the reef would have been fine with up to a 90% water change.
Around midnight I finished filling the 55 gallon and began to move in the freshwater fish. I should have filled the tank in the basement or carport in case of leaks, but I was exhausted and wanted to get the fish out of their temporary homes. Remember how I had put the biorings in with the fish? I keep the rings in plastic mesh bags, like the kind you find garlic cloves and shallots in at the grocery store. My largest bala shark had gotten tangled in one like a dolphin in a tuna net. His mouth was torn raw, his fins shredded, and when I saw him, I thought he was a goner for sure.
I acclimated the fish to their new water by dripping and then released them all. In a matter of a week the shark regenerated his fins and his mouth wounds healed... now you can't even tell he was injured.
I did not lose a single fish, coral, or anything that I can tell in this move. Everything seems to be thriving, although I am having a green hair algae outbreak in the reef. I attribute this to using reverse osmosis water as opposed to RO/DI, which is the only change that's come to the tank after the move.
So how come things turned out so well for me? Well, I only moved an hour and a half away. I have a very small reef tank, and that made things a helluva lot easier. I had the luxury of being able to move over two different days and largely stuck to my original plan. Every container sans the one with the live rock was aerated, and the fish stayed cool and their transport time was kept at a minimum. I attribute all of these factors, along with a lot of luck and having an anal retentive streak when it comes to fish, to my success in the move.
Now I'd like to outline a few things about moving.
If you have more than three tanks, purchase at least three Azoo battery pumps. They are very cheap and reliable. Also buy a couple valves to split the line.
Stick with 5 gallon Rubbermaid containers, unless you have super large fish. These are easy to handle, don't slosh around, and you'd be surprised how much you can fit in one. Cover with the lid but leave an inch or two of air and tape the tubing onto the side to keep the airstone underwater. And remember don't overstock; rather split the fish up among different containers.
Don't feed your fish for two days prior to the move. This will eliminate a lot of the waste and ammonia buildup in the transfer water.
Corals CAN be exposed to air longer than you think, even many of the so-called fragile ones. This also includes clams and even starfish. Do not be afraid of leaving them exposed to air for some time.
If you're moving for business (i.e. your job), you can write off most of your moving expenses on your taxes. If possible, look into a cargo van for your livestock and/or tanks. Depending on your move, this may only be a couple hundred dollars more, which isn't much in the long run if you've invested thousands in your reef.
Try to keep a positive attitude regardless of the outcome. If your fish all live, wonderful. If they die, hey, you can get some new ones and start over. Keeping a positive outlook will keep your stress down on the move and will give you a win-win outcome, no matter what.
Check the pH, hardness, phosphate, nitrate, etc. of your new water, regardless if it's city or well.
Drip acclimate your fish and corals to their new water as you would a new arrival.
Some things I would have done differently are dedicating an entire day to moving the fish, as opposed to using our last day in Asheville for moving and cleaning. Also I would have done more research on the local moving companies and been sure they had the vehicle I needed and requested.
Here is an excellent resource about moving from the east coast to Oregon:
http://www.joshday.com/movingfish.htm
Though he moved only freshwater tanks, the author has some amazing plant life that puts some of our reefs to shame. And amazingly enough, a lot of the plants and the overwhelming majority of his fish survived the trek.
Moving your fish need not be such a terrifying venture. Well, I'm not saying it's any fun, but if you make a plan and do your best to not let anyone talk you into cutting corners, you should have a successful outcome.
posted by Josh Day at 12:20 PM
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