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potentially going to take the plunge - moving an established tank

1K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  badxgillen 
#1 · (Edited)
I have been doing my reading for many many months and in that time been looking for the right setup to get going on a fairly large tank for a decent price... I may have finally found the almost perfect setup.

First I'm a newb and this would be my first tank, but my uncle has been doing salt tanks for many many years and has agreed to help me out.

I am not interested in corals for now and want to do a FOWLR tank for my first tank. I'll let the coral bug bite me when I have a good amount of experience. Until then I need to test my hand at keeping fish alive.

I found a guy selling an established tank ($1000). His tank has been running 10 years. It's a 180G with dual corner overflows and DIY stand. Tank comes with all plumbing, RO unit, acrylic sump, a 3 month old 1/8 hp Reeflo Super Dart pump, a Berlin skimmer (2 years old), Live Rock, lighting & moonlighting (excluding MH Lights). Tank comes with a tomato clown, 2 diamond gobies, 2 regal tangs, a purple tang, a foxface, a copperband, some snails & cleanup crew, and a small # of corals (stag, mushrooms, toadstool, and polyps). This setup also comes with two 55 gallon plastic water drums for various chores.

I am concerned with me being a beginner with moving and with a few of the fish on the list... The copperband and the purple tang in particular since I am a newb. I believe our inital plan is to move all the livestock into one of my uncle's 200 gallon tanks he has been running for years that he recently removed all of his livestock from. We break down my purchase tank, leaving the substrate in it with just enough water to keep it moist for the move and move the live rock covered in the current tank's water in one of the drums. Move tank stand and sump. Set them up at my place. Hook up the RO and mix new water in the other drum and pump it into the tank. Let things settle Add live rock, top off with more new mixed water. Let settle and Cycle. Then start to move the fish over. My uncle has been thinking about getting a copperband for a while so I am going to give him the corals and the copperband as I think he is better suited to them and to show appreciation for his help.

Anyone have any advice ideas etc. I'm kinda jumping right into the deep end and would have preferred to start from scratch doing things a little more slowly, but feel I'll do OK with help from my uncle to get things started. The startup cost is much more attractive than starting from scratch too. Not to mention many of the included fish were on my list as potential tankmates anyhow.

I am going to look at the setup this weekend and decide if I want to buy.

Nick
 
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#2 ·
Hi Nick,

Can't help you with the saltwater setup but just want to say best of luck with your setup. There are plenty of salties here who will be able to help out/give suggestions.
 
#3 ·
good luck with that. i think it's cheaper to buy a whole set up as a set then one by one.
 
#4 ·
sweet

you are on the ball...your uncle is a valuable asset ...fish sitting the fish in an established enviroment is great..and with such a large tank you will be lucky to get it moved with the substrate in it ...but if you do even better...i dont think there is much advise i can give to you about this as it seems you already have a good teacher...keep us posted after you got it all set up ....oh and dont forget you will probably go through a few spike and blooms after re setting it up...due to the fact that there are no fish inhabitants add them back slowly when you do to not over stimulate your system...but you probably know all this....good luck and....ADIOS....
 
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