55 Gallon Fish Tank Hood Lights
I need some help with a saltwater aquarium…?
Bare with me the situation explanation is kind of long-winded.
So, there is this local guy selling an established saltwater aquarium. He’s selling it with the filters, hood w/lights, stand… everything. I live probably 15-25 minutes away. It’s a 55 gallon tank so it weighs approx 550 pounds filled with all 55 gallons of water. It also has substrate and two clown fish. I am thinking about how I am to transport it to my home. I think that we could empty all the water into several sealed buckets for transport. But I am concerned about if I can transport the clown fish in a bucket full of water and leave them there for maybe an hour while I re-setup the tank at my home. Is it possible?
I’d also like to know if they will be fine without any sort of coral or live rock and stuff.
Hello,
I own several aquariums and have moved several times so I have become well versed at this. Start by picking out the spot you want your display tank to be. Ensure you have a power strip/surge protector etc all in place. You will want to go to your local pet store and pick up a 10 gal (at least) aquarium and a heater and small filter as well. When you own a saltwater tank you have no choice by to own two. You will use this tank throughout your saltwater hobby as a quarantine tank. We will re-visit this in a minute. Try to transport everything in one trip. You will need at least one friend to help. Drain the tanks water into CLEAN buckets. Ensure there are no left over (what ever the bucket had in it to begin with) in it. I would recommend 5-10 gal buckets. You will need more than your total water volume in buckets if the tank has live rock in it. Remember Live rock will displace some volume of water in the buckets. When you get down to about 20 gal of water in the tank and have all the live rock out it is time to net the clowns. Place them in double bagged clear plastic bags with some of the tank water and put those plastic bags in a paper bag. You may place both clowns together. Drain the rest of the water, (your friend should be loading the car at this point) you may leave the substrate in. Also leave a 1/2 water or so in the tank to keep the substrate wet and the fauna in good shape. Load the rest of the items. REMEMBER- if the tank has hanging filters with inserts and bio wheels you will want to keep these wet to keep the biological filtration process going when you start it back up. Drive straight home at a reasonable about of speed. AKA don’t stop for lunch. When you get home… Place a piece of live rock in your 10 gal tank that you bought along with 10 gal of water FROM YOUR BUCKETS!! don’t mix new water yet. Plug in the heater, and filter for the 10 gal tank. NO lights, leave it dark in there. Ensure proper water temp in the tank at least 74 but no warmer than 80 ish. Open the bags and let the clowns swim out into the ten gal, don’t dump the clowns in. Let them go slow and easy. Now to the main tank. Get it on your stand. Put in your live rock, fill it up with water, plug in your appliances. Use a siphon to fill the tank. I cant describe the mess you will make dumping water in with 5gal buckets at a time. When everything is turned on and water temp is right you may move the clowns over. Use a small clean cup to place them in for transfer from tank to tank. Then move the last ten gal over from the quarantine tank. WHEW… Almost done. You may now mix new saltwater for the 10 gal and keep that running for QT of new fish or treatment of sick ones. This will be an all day event so start early. You may scoff at the idea of the 10 gal tank but believe me, you will NEED it in the future. Also, and believe me when I say this. Something WILL go wrong putting together your main tank. Heater wont work, filter will take a dive, you will need more power outlets etc. This 10 gal tank will sustain your clowns whilst you make trips to and fro the pet store/hardware store etc. It seems like a lot of work but the beauty of these tanks will out way your physical efforts in the first week, I promise!!!
Good Luck and happy fish keeping,
_Ryan_
P.S. When you are ready for more fish check out www.animal-world.com It will offer insight as to care and maint of just about any fish your heart desires!!!
55 gallon update
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