My nano... my dilemma...

[L76]

I have a well established nano with a large BTA, a small maroon clown, 2 peppermint shrimp, various red and blue leg hermit crabs, and an assortment of mushrooms and corals... and my wife and I just bought a new house.

The nano has to move. None of my friends can house my critters... and I do not want to sell them to the LFS. Any thoughts? Can I move this tank without restarting the cycle/killing the inhabitants?

P.S. The move is only 7 miles from my current home.

-L76

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[Anonymous]

I'd say so. A while back, my stand for my 55 was about to give way because it was made out of flakeboard. So I had to take the entire tank down, replace the stand, and bring it back up. No real issues.

Save every drop of clear water, and make new water for a water change. Carefully place the LR into a 5 gallon bucket with the clear water, and try not to disturb anything. Place the anoneme and clown back in another 5 gallon bucket with more clear water. Take remaining base rock and rinse in new water to get rid of detritus etc. And rebuild the tank at the new location with some new water, remove LR, put more old water back into the tank as well, finally drip in the anenome and clown just to make sure everythings cool. If you have sand, it's a nice time to replace the LS with new.

Anybody else feel free to jump in here, but that's what I'd do.

HTHs.

 

[SnowManSnow]

Absolutely. Just use the same substrate, LR, and most of the water and you should be just fine

B

 

[Anonymous]

Yep, you can do it. I have done this a bunch of times. How big is the tank?

As mentioned, save every bit of water you can before it gets "disturbed" into a container, so you can re use. A big thing you have to take into account is not to let things get chilled while you do this.

 

[Anonymous]

Just did a move of about 7 miles with a 90g!

I have a "bit" of a cycle going on. VERY MINOR - everyone is happy.
I am also having a bit of a diatom outbreak too. It just means I have to wipe the tank glass every other day.

Invest in a couple nice rubbermade containers with lids (or 5 g buckets), and a couple cheepo heaters. You will be fine!

 

[L76]

Thanks guys. Nano is 15g. I'd post pix but cannot figure out how to do it on this forum. The BTA is attached at base to the largest live rock in the tank and it stretches out big and tall toward my dual compacts. Looks beautiful. I will probbaly have to move the anemone together with the rock it is attached to and the clown in one 5g bucket. Then the remaining clear water in another bucket.... and then the live sand and remaining rocks in the tank. Reintroduction process will be to put clear water back into tank, let it cylce for a while and the reintroduce the BTA and clown. If I am clever... I can get this all done in less than 2 hrs. Think it'll work? I am thiknking of using the oppty to do a 30% water change through the process (I have actual ocean water purchased from LFS for the change)

cheers,
L76

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys. Nano is 15g. I'd post pix but cannot figure out how to do it on this forum. The BTA is attached at base to the largest live rock in the tank and it stretches out big and tall toward my dual compacts. Looks beautiful. I will probbaly have to move the anemone together with the rock it is attached to and the clown in one 5g bucket. Then the remaining clear water in another bucket.... and then the live sand and remaining rocks in the tank. Reintroduction process will be to put clear water back into tank, let it cylce for a while and the reintroduce the BTA and clown. If I am clever... I can get this all done in less than 2 hrs. Think it'll work? I am thiknking of using the oppty to do a 30% water change through the process (I have actual ocean water purchased from LFS for the change)

cheers,
L76

Figure 3-4 hrs. I usually double my estimations and come out correctly. :lol: You might be different!