So I'm moving in December and need help.

I am moving from southern California to the portland area of Oregon, and I have no clue as to how I am going to move my aquarium. Would I need to sell my fish, or is there a way that I can keep them? Also, with either option, I have no idea how I would get the rock out of the water, since the fish hide in it...

 

Wow. I do not envy you. How big is your tank and what do you have in it?

 

if u dont have room in ur car u can rent a one way truck...tow ur car behind it . im from socal as well my sister moved up there and when she moved back down thats what she did. im from socal too looking to buy some live rock i would glady buy it from u .... good luck

 

You don't want my live rock - hair algae.

Also, I'm probably going to have to rent a trailer, however, there is room in my jeep for the tank, the question is more about the inhabitants.

Also pharmrjohn, it's a red sea max, and the only stuff in it are fish/inverts (the arthropod variety).

 

i would suggest you go to your local LFS, and see what they reccomend for moving the fish, im sure you can keep em because they are shipped from accross the continent and survive so if you keep the driving to a max of like 2 days they proably will be ok... just check with your lfs to see how they are shipped from the tropics to them.

that will proably be your best bet, if you want to keep your fish.

if not im sure you can cash them in for some LFS credit... or to a local reefer...

 

Still need pointers.

 

all i can say is lots of styro containers, boxes, bags, and heat packs... how long of a drive is it? your LR can be kept moist in boxes with a damp towel.

 

I moved my 55 gallon from Kissimmee, FL to Louisville, GA back in 2006 and though it wasn't fun, it went ok. 8-9 hour drive! Only lost one crab! Get yourself some 5 gal. buckets with lids, enough to hold your water and rock. make up a few extra buckets of fresh salt water the day before you move and keep the lids on it until you get to your new place. Keep your rock wet as much as you can to avoid die-off. Then get a good sized rubbermaid container with a lid. poke a hole through the lid big enough for an airline tube to fit through and the supply and return for a small filter. get an air pump that plugs into a wall and get an inverter for your vehicle. You'll want to get one big enough to be able to handle running an air pump, very small titanium heater(in dec I'm sure you'll need it.) and one for a very small canister filter if you can afford one. doesn't have to be expensive, just be able to filter through the trip. tear down your tank after you have moved everything else in the van/trailer the tank should be last and be prepared to spend about 2-3 hours on it. have lots of towels, a mop with fresh water and white vinegar. sounds like the move itself will be longer than 8 hours...is that correct? if yes, then leave it all hooked up until you are totally ready to set it up. Depending on the tank size, you can get furniture movers(square wooden things with 4 wheels on each corner) and use a sheet of 3/4" plywood the same size as your tank under it. get a few peeps who are pretty strong and leave the sand in with enough water to cover the sand. Try not to disturb the sand. If you have corals that don't agree with eachother, then put them in seperate containers. You can even go to your LFS and buy a bunch of bags from them and pack up your corals like when you brought them home from the lfs..... you know they ship them and they can live in the bag for 24 hours. same with the fish, but I'd put them into the rubbermaid tub together with a rock or two and in the vehicle you are using to transport them, make sure you set them on a pretty level surface. Oh yeah I used aluminum duct tape and taped the rubbermaid container edges so water didn't splash out if I turned a corner or had to stop hard. Make sure the top also has a few extra hole in it for gas exchange. phewwww hope I remembered everything! it was worth me moving mine and I hope you have as good an experience as I did!

 

What she said.

 

Heeee.

I am from San Diego and will take any corals you don't think will make it