Help, I'm need to move my planted tank

[Kissofthegorami]

I would pull out the taller plants. Grab them by the base and try to get all their roots. The stems are fragile remember. You can then lay them carefully on wet newspaper or put them (like swords) in a bucket vertically.

 

[Aqualung]

Personally I would remove everything, including the substrate. No need to risk cracking the glass by leaving unnecessary weight in there. I recently moved, along with my 29 and 40 gallon tanks. I filled rubbermaid tubs with tank water, caught what fish I could, and then pulled the plants and driftwood out so I could catch the remaining fish. The plants I just laid in a shallow rubbermaid with some water. I put a few plants in each tub for cover, along with my filter sponges to preserve the bacteria.

In my case, the water chemistry at my new place was quite different from the old, so I brought a few 5 gallon containers of the water they were used to with me. The fish were fine in the rubbermaids until I got the tanks set back up and let them settle.

It was quite a bit of work, but not as bad as I anticipated and I didn't lose any fish in the process. It did take some time for the plants to re-establish, but now my tanks are looking better than they did before the move.

 

[Kasakato]

LoL, you people must be strong! I can lift my 20g with gravel, and some water but thats it. I would try to get as much water out as possible, because it can stress the tank.

 

[congealedmeat]

I moved my tank with 2 people, 30 gallons with all my gravel in it, minus rocks, about 200lbs. I don't think the tank is any worse for wear, and I have a piece of glass in the corner to create a second level. It survived as well full of gravel, and I'm no pro-siliconer.

I don't think that the base pressure is going to change much at all if it is just gravel in the bottom of the tank. The pressure will be spread evenly over all the bottom glass unless you're doing some heavy duty tilting. With the tank empty the gravel will not move much, and the pressure is all on the strongest part of the tank(the bottom).

My plants would have broken if I'd left them in, and the roots severely damaged just from the shifting gravel. The stems would likely break too since they can't float.

I moved my tank 3/4 full of water with all rocks & stuff across a room the other day and it seemed ok too, no leaks, cracks or scared fish. I didn't tank the tank off the stand though, I just had a friend help me pick up the stand and do a shuffle.

 

[superjohnny]

I've moved tanks a number of times and this has worked for me...

• Go to Home Depot or Lowe's and get a bunch of 5g buckets with lids. Clean them thoroughly (NO SOAP!)
• Do daily water changes for a few days prior
• Take out all the plants, rocks, decorations, heaters etc
• Siphon water into buckets (water from the top of the tank... no mulm!)
• Put the fish & plants in the 5g buckets (they're much easier to get out with no place to hide)
• Drain water
• Remove substrate
• Drain water... get it all out. Use a sponge if need be
• Clean the tank
• move it
• set it up again with your substrate & plants
• add water
• add fish

The more water you move from the old location to the new the better your chances. Water looses heat quickly so the shortest period between emptying the tank and re-filling it the better. Do your best to reduce the stress on the fish... no sudden temperature changes. Also, don't feed your fish for 2 days prior to moving. When they get stressed they poop and when they poop in the bucket the water gets dirty fast.

It's 2:51am so I may have missed something. I'm going to bed now.

Cheers