How to move to a new tank?

[Todd]

So I am expecting to have my new tank in my living room next week. Its a Lay-down 135, center overflow (herbie style) with drilled return and cord conduit, custom sump, stand and canopy.

I will be moving the contents of my 75g over to their new home and let someone else enjoy my 75 (shameless plug: http://216.187.96.54/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=36598 )

I am wondering what is the best way to move the equipment and livestock over to the new tank?

Equipement I will be moving over includes:
Skimmer (Bullet Clone - in sump)
2 x 400w MH
2 x 54 Florescent dimmable on profilux
Profilux
Cooling fans in Canopy
Tunze Nanostream 6055 on Profilux

New tank will have a new heater, and return pump, that will also be running the skimmer. I also have a spare powerhead kicking around, and an extra skimmer I could use for awhile (Seio 2600 and remora- shameless plug: http://216.187.96.54/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=36597 )

Live stock I will be moving includes:
~80 Pounds of LR
3 green chromis
6 line wrass
Kole Tang
2 maroon clowns
Few inverts (hermits and a shrimp)
Corals on LR, but nothing really hard to move (ie Large SPS)

What should be the moving progression for this tank? I would like to move alot of the equipment first (lighting and profilux) so I can have everything ready for the big move, but I don't want to leave my livestock without lighting and heating control for very long. I would also like to test out the tanks, pump, and plumbing before I have anything in the tanks. Also should I plan on using alot of my water from the 75g tank in the new tank?

The tanks will be about 10 feet apart so moving from one to the other wont be a big problem (knock on wood!)

[kwirky]

Can you figure out some way so that you move all your rock and livestock over the course of 30 minutes? Mix up all new water at the EXACT parameters of the older tank so you can pretty much lift everything out and dunk it in the new tank?

I don't know for sure. I've never done a major move myself but I heard it's best to orchestrate it so it happens in 30 minutes or so if it's possible.

[Todd]

Yeah, moving the livestock should be the easy thing. Its more when I should do that (Before equipment / after equipment) and when and how should I test my tank? Ie with RO water so I don't have to drain it? With tap water so it is easy to fill?

I would like to somehow test the tank (make sure its not a leaker), mix up water, heat it up and get the pumps running, move over my lighting and other equipment and then finally move over my livestock. But I am thinking it will take awhile to get my equipment move over and running. Just wondering if someone had done this before and knew the most effective way of doing it.

[Aquattro]

I moved that 75 into a 150 in about 3 or 4 hours. I had a DSB, so I moved all the rock/corals into rubbermaids, then drained the water into these and a spare 75g (the sump) thenmoved the sand with a plastic scooper thingy. Then I put the rock back in, arranged it a bit, half filled the tank, then started adding corals. Once everything was back in, I added back the rest of the water, then added enough new water to top up the tank. Having somewhere to hold all the water is key (and lots of towels). I think I tested the new tank for leaks with tap water, easy to fill and then drained it into my front yard. Once you have the new tank filled with the right temp water, move the equipment over. Shouldn't be a big deal. First get the sump/return running, then the heater, then flow, then lighting. Easy!

[Borderjumper]

I moved mine last summer. I set up the new tank with new sand and as much of my old rock that I could remove without messing the corals up.( about 1/2)

I bought some new (fully cured) rock and let the new tank run for a month. While it was cycling I was just running the return pump and had a Korelia 4 in there for flow, a skimmer, 2 chromis and I used an old PC light fixture I have stored. After the tank ran for a month or so I spent one afternoon moving over the tunze's, the light, rest of the rock and the corals. Nothing even knew it had been moved. I did have to keep an eye on nitrates for the first 2 weeks loading it up so fast, but all in all it was painless.

[Chaloupa]

we just did our 120g...we have a stock tank(horses normally drink out of these) for water change water that we emptied, transferred all live rock, fish and corals into, which then allowed us to keep a good portion of water (100g tank), put in a heater, powerheads and a lid and started work on getting the new 120 into position to plumb and hook up the new pump, and water test it. All in all it was a 24 hour adventure that went off without a hitch. Once we had water tested it after plumbing the new pump, we cleaned it out again and started to wash the sand. I had many concerns over the sandbed as it was 1.5 years old and I had read too many horror stories about moving established sand beds and wanted to start with a "fresh" sandbed seaded with a portion of the old sandbed. We got the sand in with some of the "old" water, and started to put in rock and fresh SW to top it up. It was easy...the only thing I have had is a small algae bloom...other than that you wouldn't even have known...except the new tank has no scratches and a black background!

[Todd]

So a logical progression would be:

1. Tap water test tanks and pumps.
2. Drain and refill with RO
3. Heat and salt water to taste (About 50g)
4. Move over eqipment and lighting leaving a powerhead and heater running in Old tank
5. Move over about 25g of water
6. Move over Liverock
7. Move over 25g of water
8. Move over rest of livestock
9. Move over rest of water
10. Top up water so tank is full
11. Move over rest of equipment
12. Enjoy a beer

Sound about right? Am I missing anything?

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Todd

Sound about right? Am I missing anything?

Yes, and probably You won't be able to plan for everything, but I would certainly make sure I had more water than I thought I needed. If you don't use it, it's your next water change. Which I'd do within the first week.