NEWBIE who is MOVING

Moving my 75g tank in the morning. I just posted another thread in the newbie area but thought I might get more hits here. I am wondering if disrupting my livestock will release toxins. The tank is dirty and the previous owners neglected it but it is running with healthy livestock and LOTS of bacteria and eco-life....suggestions?

 

Depends what you have in there?

 

Livestock...

It includes a yellow tang, 2 anemones, a suckerfish, 2 damsels, 2 slightly bigger blue fish than damsel (?)lol, and 2 clowns...

 

I meant..

Disrupting my live ROCKS, will it disrupt the livestock?

 

Give us a list. How many small tanks do you have? Any 10g, 15g, 20g? Also, what is your situation with garbage cans that have not been used?

If the tank is dirty and have to move it, the sand will most likely need to go. Especially if the tank is not properly cared for. You can take it out and clean it good with RO water. Rinse it well. Or buy new sand and make yourself a new sandbed.

The LR can be kept damp or beneath some of your tank water in a clean garbage can. Just put a powerhead in there to keep the water moving. A heater is not necessary.

Livestock (fish) and most LPS and softies (don't know about SPS---I don't keep them) can be kept in a small holding tank for a few days with nothing more than a powerhead and a heater. DON'T OVERSTOCK YOUR SMALL TANKS!!!!! It's not so much a question of waste but of oxygen saturation in the water. We must keep them breathing.

So there are a few basics. But I need to know more in terms of your livestock and your tank situation in order to help you out adequately. Good luck.

 

Your anemones may not make it. Take great care with those. How far do you have to move? How long are they going to be in holding tanks?

 

BTW, your fish should make it no problem. You have hardy fish.

 

I have...

I have 2 27g black sturdy plastic bins that the lids snap shut. 3 5g buckets with lids, a 50 watt submersible heater, a 150? watt small powerhead and an air pump for 20-100g.

I am moving just up the street but figure with all the cleaning needed they might be in the QT for 1-3 hrs, probably 2.

I just bought argonite sand, 36lbs, and 20lbs of coral sand to mix with it. I was told to take out the undergravel filter because it's old technology.

So with all this...is it possible all of the toxins will release and kill my fishies?

 

You should be fine. When I transferred my 75g to my 90g, I did it over five days. I didn't lose one fish. I didn't lose my anemone. I did lose a Xenia, but that was OK. I would keep the anemone and clowns in their own bin.

I think you are going to be just fine with this amount of time out of the tank. Good job in replacing the sand. Let us know how it went.