|
Tank Log: Moving Day |
After all the prep work is done, it is time for the big move. The move, which consisted of aquascaping the live rock and moving the contents of the 70 gallon tank required the better part of a 13 hour day. The plan was:
| Move the corals into the holding tubs filled with tank water and a heater and pump to keep the water moving. |
| Catch the fish and move them directly into the new tank. |
| Sift the sand in the 70 to remove some of the detritus and move it to the 225. |
| Aquascape using the 200lbs of new cured live rock plus the base rock from the 70 |
| Move the corals into the 225 and mount them into place. |
The plan worked pretty well. For the last 4 or 5 days, I have been mixing the 20 gallons of RO water that I get and putting it into the 70 and moving 20 gallons from the 70 into the 225. This helps to adapt the inhabitants of the 70 to the new water conditions in the 225 and helps to ensure the water parameters match well on moving day without having to mess with slow acclimation.
 |
Here is the tank with the 200 lbs of new live rock placed along the front so that I could add the 70 gal sand and base rock in the back. |
 |
Here is one of the tubs holding the specimens. This one houses primarily LPS and soft corals. |
 |
Here is the other tub that holds the clams and SPS. I separated them this way since some soft corals can tend to pollute their environment when they are unhappy. |
 |
Here is the tank with the live rock aquascaped and the corals basically in position. |
Below are some shots of the finished tank on the next day when I finally added the lighting.
 |
Here is a front shot of the tank. It does not do a very good job of showing the caves and berms that have been formed. There are basically 3 outcroppings, one on each end and one in the middle. The berm on the right side has clearance all the way around it. |
 |
Here is a shot of the right side from the front. |
 |
Here is the left side from the front |
 |
Here is the right end of the tank. |
 |
Here is the left end which is setup as a lower current area primarily for LPS and soft corals. |
Everything appears to have made the move well (knock on wood). In the pictures above, some of the specimens, like the Sinularia have not really expanded yet. After a couple of days of acclimation, I will post some new pictures with more detail.
