[mikaila31]

I'm a freshman in collage and for the first year I am living @ home, which is about 15min from campus. I just finished my first semester! Anyway, come next year(fall 09) I will most likely be living in the dorms. I've got 3 planted tanks(15gal, 20gal, 55gal). Only the 20gal is allowed in the dorm room. I can't part w/ my high-tech 55gal and I didn't want to leave it at home. Since I'm a Biology major I asked for permission to set it up in one of the education buildings. My adviser really seemed to like the idea. I've been up to the biology wing and was very depressed. All they had where some stuffed birds, bones, and preserved fish on display. Where's the "Biology".

My adviser said my idea was highly doable, which is the good news. The bad news is my 55gal(well actually all my tanks) will have to be moved back and fourth from home to school about 4 times a year! Until I move out of the dorms. The other bad news is the Bio-wing is on the fourth floor, there is an elevator, but I don't know how big it is.

So how does one go about moving a high-tech tank? Am I going to have to completely tear it down? Take all the plants out and stuff? It's got about a 100lbs of eco-complete in it. Two of the moves will be done in Winter. I may setup a rubber-maid tub to house the fish for a couple days. That way I can move the fish to the temporary tank, then move the 55gal and let it sit for a few days, then move the fish back.

 

[Tex Gal]

I would not move anything bigger than a 10 without tearing it down. I have left the substrate in a 15 before. 4 times a year sounds exhausting. I think you would end up with ammonia spikes and algae blooms. Just when your tanks would settle down again you'd have to move them again. Not sure how doable that is.

 

[Bert H]

If home is only 15 minutes away from campus, I'd just leave it at home. You should be able to alter your dosings so that they could be done 3x a week or so, and come home, do laundry and do a water change. Don't know how your folks would feel about that, but...

 

[queijoman]

I was trying to move a 10gal tank with two inches of water and substrate in the bottom when it got a crack longways from one side clear to the other. I think that moving your 55 gal without completely tearing down is very risky, even if you have a lot of people to help.

 

[starrystarstarr]

Moving tanks is a huge mess. I used to be an army wife and we moved a lot. The plants and fish suffer alot. It takes a while after your finish setting up the tank for it to come back to life. (the way it used to be)
When i moved my tanks i tore everything down, piled the gravel in buckets put the plants in ziplock bags with newspaper. Put the fish in huge rubber maid tubs.
it was a 55g, 20g tall, 10g, two 5g

 

[mikaila31]

I'm still pretty set on moving it. I know moving it around all the time will be exhausting. But my tanks are the main reason I chose to major in biology, so not having them around would be a pretty big deal for me. Leaving them at home isn't an option in my book. At the very most I could only go home once a week and it would require someone to come get me from campus as my car will be left at home. My parents and family know nothing about tanks, they don't know what kind of fish I keep even though I've had them 3 years! No clue on the nitrogen cycle or basic maintenance either. I feel leaving it at home would be just as risky as moving it around. It holds most of my breeding groups and favorite fish that can't be housed in a smaller tank. If worse comes to worse and moving it around proves to be too much, I will see if someone in my local aquarium group would be willing to take care of it for a while.

Other than that I am willing to deal with any algae breakout. I'm not sure why I would get ammonia, but I will plan ahead for that. I guess I will tear it all the way down, when the time comes. I can see how all that gravel in there could be a problem when the tank is shifting.

 

[FishandTurtleJunkie]

If home is only 15 minutes away from campus, I'd just leave it at home. You should be able to alter your dosings so that they could be done 3x a week or so, and come home, do laundry and do a water change. Don't know how your folks would feel about that, but...

X2 Sage advice...

 

[Tex Gal]

The reason you would get ammonia spikes and algae outbreaks is that you are disturbing all the substrate that houses all the yucky stuff that is being broken down by your nutrifying bacteria. It will release into your water since you will have to disturb it in a BIG way. A lot of your bacteria will die since you won't be able to keep O2 and water flowing through it. So each time you tear down and set up again you will have this happen.

I feel for you. I've had tanks since I was 12, that's 4 decades! (Boy that makes me feel old!)

 

[dnrdarryl]

Make a 'stretcher' like those used by medics out of 2X4 and 1/2" plywood. Leave the tank on it. Remove water and fish. Start dating someone from the football team(not the kicker). Have him and friends carry tank to new location and refill.