Advice needed on moving a tank (a big tank, with discus)

I have found a tank... on the forum actually. @Discus Lover http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/s...us-tank-setup-for-sale-Worcester-Western-Cape is selling his tank and I went to see it over the week-end. Finally after a lot of negotiation and concessions i will live to regret for the rest of my life... I managed to get permission from my wife:love:

I do realize what I am getting into with the discus... I have been doing a lot of research and the fish's best interest at heart. The tank is big and has a low bio load, with the sump filtration and is currently a happy place for fish. If I can preserve that during the move I suspect I will be good

So as you can see it is big and will require quite an operation to relocate. This is the plan:
discus lover will relocate the Discus to his other tank and drain and remove the gravel and other stuff. I will move the tank and set it up at my place. The main aim will be to keep all the bacteria alive during the relocation. I will let the tank cycle for a week or so and then go and pick up the fish and re-introduce them.

The questions are: How much of the tank water should I take with me if any?
How do I keep the bacteria happy and alive?
As the tank will be empty of fish for a few days should I pre-condition water or do it in the tank. The plants will be moving with the tank.
Should I rather take some fish (catfish) and put them in the tank before i go and fetch the Discus?

Any unsolicited advice will also be appreciated.

 

Biggest tank I have moved with was an angle ironed frame 2.5m x 60cm x 90cm with asbestos back, side and bottom.... took 8 guys to carry it..... Water drained to 4"deep... (obviously all ornaments and rocks removed....) and it traveled 450 km.... (overnight)..... At the receiving end..... it was put in place.... filled up with water... heaters and pumps started and they all lived happily ever after.... Had Oscars, Deacons, Blue Acara, Convicts, African Jewels, Blue Gouramies, and keyholes in there......

 

@Biggles if you are going to let the tank stand dry for a day or two you will need a full cycle. Bacteria should be able to stay alive for 4-8 hours (dependent on moisture and water availability).

Best suggestion is to get a bag of ceramic tubes now, give it to @Discus_lover to put in the filter. This will colonise with the existing discus filter media - you then move this bag, with bacteria, to the filter once the tank has been set up and running (at the same time as moving the discus). The plants, gravel and any other filter media will all keep bacteria, provided they don't get too dry, or run out of oxygen.

As always, keep a close check on ammonia and nitrite during the first few days in case there is a spike.

 

The ceramics and filter media in the sump will hopefully stay wet during the move by keeping some water in the sump and it should splash around during transport. I am getting a big jojo tank and pre conditioning plenty of water before the tank arrives. The gravel should also be damp. And by my understanding asking as it is wet and exposed to air it should survive.

 

You can move the sump and keep enough of the tank water to start-up your sump on the other side and let that run until you have everything set up and then move the sump in place.
Take a power head and pump water from the last chamber to the 1st chamber and that way it will keep all the bacteria alive for as long as you want.

 

That should be fine, only other challenge may be the cold, but bacteria normally go into dormancy if that is the case, so won't die off - good luck!

@spider - good idea!

 

+1 on the bacteria never dying they just go into like a hibernation state when they get food again they will start multiplying again in the millions :laugh:

You also need to feed the bacteria some small pieces of flake food every 2nd or 3rd day, it will keep the bacteria happy.

 

@spider I will do that. Keep the sump going, maybe add some food flakes to keep it going while I scape the tank. 1000l tank comes tomorrow and as soon as it arrives i will rinse it out and start conditioning a full 1000l. I tested a bucket of tap water today and in 12 hours it went from pH8.5 to pH7.5 with seachem prime added, if it drops to 7 tomorrow I should be Ok with the 1000l conditioning in 48 hours before i add it to the tank.

 

@Biggles please do us all a favour document the move with lotsa pics

I have never had the B**** to move my 2m tank - paid someone to do it (wit insurance )

 

Conditioning tank arrived and plumbed in. I am waiting for the aquarium to arrive before I run the tubes from the conditioning tank to the aquarium. I need it in place before I drill holes in the wall!the tankdifficult to see but power head 1200l/h making a whirlpool and blowing bubblesfloat valve for topping up the conditioning tank outlet, I still need to figure out how to get this to fit a 4mm pipe

 

Tank settled!!!
Temp 29. Ammonia nitrite and nitrate levels have not budged. I think I went overboard as I have now got 15 discus ( all happy, some still very shy) 1 ram, 16 Cory, 13 cardinals and a Plecoptera
This blue is looking a bit dark, not sure if I should be worried. But he is eating and a bit of a bully.

1 cardinal missing, but I think that was the loner and he wandered by himself. Probably into a discus' mouth.

 

nice move man tank looks great