Less Than 4-hour 65gal To 125gal Move

Objective:
* Successfully move established 2 yr old 65gal tank (profile) to new 125gal in four hours or less without loosing a cycle.

Assumptions:
1* Old tank has two matures bio filters: Fluval 306 and Aquaclear 110.
2* New 125gal tank is positioned, leveled, cleaned and ready for filling.
3* Additional new Fluval 406 filter has been added to new tank.
4* Additional intermediate 25gal tank will be used during the transfer. The tank is already positioned next to 125 gal tank.
5* Additional gravel has been prepared cleaned and already placed in new tank.
6* During transfer, up to ten 5gal buckets will be needed.
7* New tank location is around 2 miles away from old tank location.
* 7a Both tanks have same height. This allows to transfer wet canister biofilter without redoing the in/out hoses (time saver).

Procedure:

Phase A
8* drain 5 buckets of water (40%) from old tank
9* remove all fish from the old tank and place in those buckets for transfer
10* remove filter 110 and keep it as is - wet plus the heater
11* drive with all above to new location (critical step), around 20 min including loading, drive and unloading.

Phase B
12* install 110 filter in intermediate 25gal tank plus heater
13* fill 25gal intermediate tank with water from 5 buckets along with fish, activate heater
14* at this point we have intermediate tank with fish and same water and one of two live filters from old tank.
15* drive back to old location with emptied five 5-gal buckets

Phase C
16* drain remaining water from old 65gal tank (8 buckets)
17* collect all plants and place in those filled buckets
18* collect gravel from old tank into separate container keeping it wet (2 buckets)
19* remove second 306 bio filter from old tank keeping is wet as is
20* and drive to new location (critical step)

Phase D
21* place wet gravel in the new tank
22* add 8 buckets of water from old tank
along with plants
23* connect 306 filter
24* turn on new 406 filter
25* transfer fish from intermediate 25gal tank to new 125gal tank along with water from it
26* add 60gal of new primed water to fill up the new 125gal tank
27* transfer heater to 125gal tank and turn it on.

At this point we have new 125gal tank consisting of:
* 65 gal of water from old tank
* two matured filters from old tank 306 and 110
* 60 gal of primed water.

Theoretically the fish should see it as 45% water change. The additional 406 filter will mature as new tank operates with old filters.

The timings math based on past experience for all these steps shows little over 2.5 hours for all phases plus 1 hour of margin resulting in 3.5hrs for total transfer procedure. Remaining half hour is safety margin for 4 hrs which is experimental time of life for bacteria from old tank with filtration turned off.

The physical transfer is scheduled for Saturday next weekend, the 17th.

I will try to document all steps with some photos and report here.

In the meantime I appreciate comments and suggestions. And of course your opinion whether you believe it's going to work. I do. Thanks for reading.

 

Sounds like you have a good plan.

Not sure if the 4 hours for B.B. is an issue as long as it stays wet.

I think you’ Be fine.

 

You have way more time than 4 hours. When I moved it was about a half hour car ride but I didn't have the other tanks at the other end. We moved a 75, 2 55's and a 29. Plus I had to bring all the water needed since I was still working on the plumbing. We had about 8 hours in moving the tanks and I didn't end up with even a hiccup.

 

Thank you guys.

Couple risk variables in the mix which slightly concern me are:

* 50% addition of new gravel, although the same type (I had it stashed since I setup old tank), whether it may impact cycle balance to the point of loosing it;

* new 406 canister filter, I am thinking whether I should start conditioning it in old tank for these next 8 days before sheduled move, whether it make sense.

 

The new 125gal tank has been transported from local pet store to my destination.
It's a 6ft (72in) wide monster with height (25in) and depth (18in) exactly same as my old 65gal tank. It's basically two my old tanks side by side.

Despite of the size, I was able to fit it in my full size SUV along with the stand. If tank or stand were just quarter inch wider, I would have to rent pickup.

Unloading tank and stand and placing both where they belong was also possible with just me and help of my lovely and strong wife, who I thank so much for putting up with my lifelong hobby.

With this new tank, I intent to let my 6-pack of 4-inch clown loaches to grow even more and strive with plenty of space to go around.

Along with them, three other fish are moving in, Wilma - a 5 inch angelfish, Winston - similar size red spotted severum, and finally my recent addition a pesty, full of energy troubkemaker growing fast Yellow discus Barney which almost doubled the size in less than 3 months.

I will keep thread updated with nexy steps and lots of photos. For the start, just installed new 125gal tank.

 

The move is postponed by one week. In the meantime I am preparing additional portion of the gravel, identical to the type I have in my old 65gal tank..

After throughout gravel multiple wash in tap water, final wash is done in primed water to ensure no chlorine remains on the new gravel. The chlorine presence could affect the entire transition process by killing beneficial bacteria in the old gravel I am putting on the top of the new one.

 

Last Saturday I finally made planned move and all went successful.

I started around noon and had my fish in new tank all setup by 3.30. No surprises.

Next morning water was crystal clear and remains this way. Checked water parameters daily, all great, cycle stable, zero ammonia, zero nitrites, residual nitrates (used all 65gal water from my old tank). Acidity was slightly below neutral (6.8) which was balanced using always reliable and gentle Seahem Alkaline Buffer.

Here are some photos from the move.

pic.1 Tank leveled, additional gravel washed and in place. Note: I used primed water with last flush to ensure no chlorine remains in the gravel, this could affect bacteria which came with bio filters, gravel decor and plants from my old tank.



pic.2 Chlorine meter is always my friend to ensure no fatal mistake is made.



pic.3 The fish in intermediate 29gal tank waiting for large tank setup completion.



pic.4 And finally in new home.



pic.5 Next morning water is crystal clear and cycle is maintained. Job done!





So the move wasn't so complicated, good planning is always important.

Thanks for reading.

P. S. Btw, my 65gal tank is empty and available with stand for anyone to pickup. Send me PM if you are interested.

 

Last Saturday I finally made planned move and all went successful.

I started around noon and had my fish in new tank all setup by 3.30. No surprises.

Next morning water was crystal clear and remains this way. Checked water parameters daily, all great, cycle stable, zero ammonia, zero nitrites, residual nitrates (used all 65gal water from my old tank). Acidity was slightly below neutral (6.8) which was balanced using always reliable and gentle Seahem Alkaline Buffer.

Here are some photos from the move.

pic.1 Tank leveled, additional gravel washed and in place. Note: I used primed water with last flush to ensure no chlorine remains in the gravel, this could affect bacteria which came with bio filters, gravel decor and plants from my old tank.
View attachment 425220

pic.2 Chlorine meter is always my friend to ensure no fatal mistake is made.
View attachment 425221

pic.3 The fish in intermediate 29gal tank waiting for large tank setup completion.
View attachment 425222

pic.4 And finally in new home.
View attachment 425223

pic.5 Next morning water is crystal clear and cycle is maintained. Job done!
View attachment 425224
View attachment 425225

So the move wasn't so complicated, good planning is always important.

Thanks for reading.

P. S. Btw, my 65gal tank is empty and available with stand for anyone to pickup. Send me PM if you are interested.

Wow. Glad it all went smoothly. I did a similar switch a couple of days ago except I was placing my new tank (135g) in the same spot that the 55 gallon had previously been. I guess I should have planned it out better because it took MUCH longer than your 3.5 hours. I hope all your fish enjoy their new home!

 

Thanks for asking. They look a bit overwhelmed with all the space they have now, especially loaches still trying to find hiding spots; however severum, angelfish and the Barney discus looks better that ever end seem to enjoy new spacious tank.

I hooked up additional 406 Fluval filter planting some biomass from old filter by squeezing some goo from old sponge insert and exchanging some biomax tubes. This should help bacteria to spread across new filter much faster.

 

Great job.

You said it, “Planning.”

 

Fantastic tank, I look forward to the updates!

 

It has been over a month since the move and my tank is doing great.




Recently I had upsized one of my bucket filters to 406 model so now I have two of them with one filled with a bunch of extra bio media to keep cycle working at it's peak. I still keep 110 over the edge filter just as an add-on but I'm planning to remove it two 406 filters should be plenty fory 125 gallon tank.

I guess this concludes the subject and this thread. I hope it helped some of you to get idea about moving tank without loosing a cycle. To be more comfortable in moving your tank from one place to another with the minimum risk.

Thank you for reading and good luck.

 

Nice tank, really like the super red Severum.