I just moved a a large tank for the first time, a150gl. from a place I bought it to my home abotu 10 miles away. I put everythign except the LS into my 75 corner tank. The LS was deep and I didn't want to reuse it becuase it was 3 years old and I was afraid of hydrogen sulfide int he new tank.
I had 5 large 30gl tupperware containers sitting in the van with the heater going. It was cool when we started the move but warmed before we finished. Had 3-5gl buckets and 4 styro containers form the local reef shop in the house ready to go into action, plus some fish bags for fish and inverts.
I first shut off all power and filled the buckets with tank water, then dumped them into one of the containers in the van.
I then stated removing the LR (total of about 150lbs) into the buckets that my partner stood and filled with tank water. I placed the LR into the van containers with the water and dumped the water in the bucket into another container and this went on for abotu an hour or so, my partener filling buckets with tank water and me filling them with LR and transfering them into the van.
Then I caught the fish and inverts and put them into bags with tank water, all the time keeping from disturbing the sandbed.
When we got down to the LR sunk into the SB we worked quickly so as not to dirty the water remaining with too much LS sediment.
I then drove slowly to my house and started transfering the LR into the 1/3 full ( fresh salt water already brought to temp the night before) tank untill all the LR was in.
I also during this time pumped the tub water the LR was moved in into the tank and once it was filled I turned a couple PH on to move the tank water.
I then moved a shrimp and a couple inverts into the tank and watched their reaction then a fish and watched its reaction. After seeing they were fine I transfered the snails, inverts and fish then corals, hooked up the sump and throughout the day and next fine tuned everything.
Went pretty smooth mand didn't loose anything. Would have been able to move the 150 and set it up, have 1/3 fresh saltwater up to temp and ready but I want to clean and resilicone the tank. Just would have had to have a large rubber trash can holding the fresh salt mix and a pump to pump it into the moved and placed tank, then started the LR transfer and so on.
As you can see everything took it just fine. Pic tonight.
But it wouldn't have gone so smooth except I asked here on RS and got some good pointers on moving it. Thanks again everyone.