What Do I Need To Know When Moving A Xl Aquarium That Is Currently Running. H

If this post is not in the proper forum I apologize I looked for a place to post for quite a while and found nothing. Anyway, I was lucky enough to come across an ad on craigslist from a lady whose father in law passed away recently. All the ad said was(large aquarium $100.) Chance has it that I was the first to respond and she told me she new nothing about fish or tanks and just wanted it gone. She told me the dimensions were 72" x 18" x 51" (this is the tank AND stand). Currently running with a big mean JD Cichlid in it. Obviously I couldn't pass all that up for $100.
My question is this: I have never owned, moved or handled an aquarium of this size. I pick it up this weekend. They said they would not touch anything until I got there. Will y'all please tell me step by step what I am supposed to do once I get there to:
- Properly break the tank down while conserving anything I will need later.
- Thoroughly clean the tank and everything inside once I get it home.
- Set it up in my home
- Hopefully keep the JD alive
-What I can reuse or keep in order to not have to cycle the tank all over again.
- Based on the pics below, Is there anything you can tell I should be getting for this aquarium that would make it healthier for the fish and easier on me?
I know its a lot of questions but I would really hate to screw this up. Thank you in advance for any advice given.

 

When you get there:
- Drain the water, you might need a siphon, which they might have.
-Catch the fish last, after draining more than half the water(it’s easier). Bring a bucket to take the fish in.
-Remove all of the decorations before you load it. You don't want one shattering the glass while you’re driving.
-Place all the biomedia/sponges inside the bucket with fish, don't let it dry.
-Get it home, unload it, this is where you can switch the gravel or decor if you don’t like it.
-Fill up the tank, You can use your hose if it’s faster. Add declorinater, place the heater(wait 15-30 mins before pluging in) and plug the filter.
-Acclimate the fish to your water parameters by using a cup and adding water from the tank to the bucket.

You shouldn’t worry about any minI cycle or ammonia spike. That amount of water can dilute ammonia. But do invest in the API master kit if the tank doesn’t have one, to check your parameters. I would also buy a python siphon to make water changes easier.

 

Show up with either one or two 5 gallon buckets . A bottle of seachem prime and your muscles lol if you have an air pump lying around that works too. Put half tank water in one of the 5 gallons and the other half treated freshwater with the seachem. Based on the picture is say drop 4 drops of prime in that bucket. This first bucket will house the fish during breakdown and transport. The other 5 gallon will house all filter media to keep it alive (make sure to treat this water as well . If you bring an air pump and air stone you can oxygenated the bucket that you will place the fish in while you break down the rest of the tank. I suppose you will also need a syphon if they don’t have one. Plan on getting to know these people because this isn’t a step in and step out job lol. If you do use your own syphon let it completely dry out before using it on your tank Incase that tank has diseases that way you won’t spread it. When you get everything home and the tank refilled immediately put the filter media back in the filter and start it up let that run while you do your new scape and then add the fish.

When you get there:
- Drain the water, you might need a siphon, which they might have.
-Catch the fish last, after draining more than half the water(it’s easier). Bring a bucket to take the fish in.
-Remove all of the decorations before you load it. You don't want one shattering the glass while you’re driving.
-Place all the biomedia/sponges inside the bucket with fish, don't let it dry.
-Get it home, unload it, this is where you can switch the gravel or decor if you don’t like it.
-Fill up the tank, You can use your hose if it’s faster. Add declorinater, place the heater(wait 15-30 mins before pluging in) and plug the filter.
-Acclimate the fish to your water parameters by using a cup and adding water from the tank to the bucket.

You shouldn’t worry about any minI cycle or ammonia spike. That amount of water can dilute ammonia. But do invest in the API master kit if the tank doesn’t have one, to check your parameters. I would also buy a python siphon to make water changes easier.

Way more organized than my rant lol well put my friend

 

If that HOB filter is the only one on the tank (and I'm not seeing any tubing that would indicate otherwise), you'll need to invest in something better soon-ish. It probably has enough media and bacteria to handle the waste of that lone fish, but it probably doesn't have the capacity/flow rate to really keep the tank clean, or for any additions or stock changes you may be thinking of down the road.

 

Thank you for the replies. ELON MOLLUSK The tap water at my home actually has about .25-.50 ppm ammonia in it. Does this change your opinion on the amount of water diluting the ammonia? Should I do anything besides ad Prime following the directions on the bottle? wodesorel I have 3 aquariums as of right now and I definitely have an API master kit. My pH is around 7.8 and as mentioned before my tap water has ammonia in it. I also have an aqueon canister filter ready to go for when I get it home. I may add another filter of some sort depending on how these two keep up.

I guess now is a good time to see if anyone would like a full grown JD.... Free.

 

I borrowed a big beer cooler when I moved my Oscar. He wasn't going to fit in a bucket.

 

The only thing ill add is with a tank that big your better off removing the substrate before you move it.

 

Thank you for the replies. ELON MOLLUSK The tap water at my home actually has about .25-.50 ppm ammonia in it. Does this change your opinion on the amount of water diluting the ammonia? Should I do anything besides ad Prime following the directions on the bottle? wodesorel I have 3 aquariums as of right now and I definitely have an API master kit. My pH is around 7.8 and as mentioned before my tap water has ammonia in it. I also have an aqueon canister filter ready to go for when I get it home. I may add another filter of some sort depending on how these two keep up.

I guess now is a good time to see if anyone would like a full grown JD.... Free.

Nah to be honest you really only need about 1 to 2 drops of prime per gallon, I use 1 drop per gallon personally. I’d keep that jd cichlid in there until you know that tank isn’t diseased then you can move some of your stock to the tank . That way the beneficial bacteria won’t die off which it will if it goes 24hrs without a food source. I’d rehome it after about 3 weeks just so you have an idea of the tank health which is usually indicated by fish health .

 

I'd would take at least 6 buckets, there should be 150 plus pounds of substrate in that tank. Trying to move that tank with the substrate in it could cause the bottom glass to break or mess up a seal between glass panel. A new plastic dustpan will help to scoop out the substrate. You may find 2 furniture dollies and 3 cargo straps handy. once the water is drained, substrate emptied, lift the tank off the stand onto the furniture dollies and strap it down with two of the cargo straps. Wheel it out to the truck and lift into the bed, try to get it on the far left or right side of the bed. Place the stand next to the tank. Both should fit between the wheel well of a pickup bed. Use the other cargo strap to keep the tank and stand from moving. Load the rest of the gear in the truck. I have moved more then enough big tanks, especially lately.

 

Thank you everyone for the reply. Today is the big day.
I have packed the following. Please tell me if there is anything else I should have. (I am packing as if they have nothing there because frankly I don't know what they have for equipment.

3- 29 gallon tube with lids
6 - 5 gallon buckets
1- water pump w/ garden hose
2- transfer pumps w/ garden hose
6 -moving blankets
8- cargo straps
1- 6' x 18" x 1 1/2' heavy duty foam for in betwen tank and stand while transporting
prime
xl fish net
dust pan to scoop substrate
2- 50' extension cords
If you can think of anything else please tell me, I have about an hour before I leave the house. Thank you

1- air pump w/ stone

 

Thank you everyone for the reply. Today is the big day.
I have packed the following. Please tell me if there is anything else I should have. (I am packing as if they have nothing there because frankly I don't know what they have for equipment.

3- 29 gallon tube with lids
6 - 5 gallon buckets
1- water pump w/ garden hose
2- transfer pumps w/ garden hose
6 -moving blankets
8- cargo straps
1- 6' x 18" x 1 1/2' heavy duty foam for in betwen tank and stand while transporting
prime
xl fish net
dust pan to scoop substrate
2- 50' extension cords
If you can think of anything else please tell me, I have about an hour before I leave the house. Thank you

Yep , you got everything but the air pump and air stone. It will just make the fish more comfortable in the bucket while you break down the tank. Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

 

Good luck

 

Well, All in all I would call it a success. I got the aquarium and stand home safe after a 75 mile journey. It took 3 times as long coming back as going there LOL. Are all tanks 125 gallon made out of 3/8" glass? That was a heavy bugger! Thankfully I took everything you guys suggested because the people I purchased it from didn't know ANYTHING about the hobby. Its actually a pretty sad story. It turns out this tank and fish belong to the man's father and mother however they died in a plane crash last December. It was a personal plane (2 seater). I guess the father had his pilots liscense and he was teaching his wife to fly and somehow the plane crashed. I digress
The JD is over 16 yrs old the man said and no one has cleaned the tank since the father passed back in December!! As for the filter media and BB's. I took the sponge and filter cartridge out and preserved it in a 5 gallon bucket half full of tank water. I used it in a 75 gallon tank at my home that is on day 7 of Stability on its first cycle. The smell from that tank was horrible. I did not want to bring any of that into my home it was so bad. So I guess I will just have to do a fishless cycle on the 125 gallon. Anyway thank you all very much for the input. It surly helped.

Now my question to agaonize over for the next few days is.... What to put in an empty 125?!?! (my brother put the JD in his 75 with another JD just a little smaller.)

 

I'm glad to see you got it back safely. Yes most of the 125' are 3/8th or thicker glass and they are heavy. That's why I suggested furniture dollies.

 

Well, All in all I would call it a success. I got the aquarium and stand home safe after a 75 mile journey. It took 3 times as long coming back as going there LOL. Are all tanks 125 gallon made out of 3/8" glass? That was a heavy bugger! Thankfully I took everything you guys suggested because the people I purchased it from didn't know ANYTHING about the hobby. Its actually a pretty sad story. It turns out this tank and fish belong to the man's father and mother however they died in a plane crash last December. It was a personal plane (2 seater). I guess the father had his pilots liscense and he was teaching his wife to fly and somehow the plane crashed. I digress
The JD is over 16 yrs old the man said and no one has cleaned the tank since the father passed back in December!! As for the filter media and BB's. I took the sponge and filter cartridge out and preserved it in a 5 gallon bucket half full of tank water. I used it in a 75 gallon tank at my home that is on day 7 of Stability on its first cycle. The smell from that tank was horrible. I did not want to bring any of that into my home it was so bad. So I guess I will just have to do a fishless cycle on the 125 gallon. Anyway thank you all very much for the input. It surly helped.

Now my question to agaonize over for the next few days is.... What to put in an empty 125?!?! (my brother put the JD in his 75 with another JD just a little smaller.)

Glad you got everything back ok and that’s a sad story but it’s nice that you will love that tank as much as that guys father did! Carry on that legacy . When it comes to the stocking of that tank I’d have to say SNAILS! Millions and billions of SNAILS!