# Help-owner has died



## Daniel (Feb 17, 2006)

As per the title I have been offered a six foot marine setup with all equipment,livestock-*must be removed from house.*

I currently keep fresh water tropical fish in a 55 gallon setup and monitor water parameters etc.

The relative of the person who died has limited knowledge of the setup and lives in several miles from me.
but would like some guidance as where to proceed,this has been unexpected and I'm struggling with how the hell I get out of being thrown in at deep end.

The set up is local to me and I plan to collect it including existing water etc.
I'm aware of water requirements, poisonous inhabitants etc.

What worries me is
1) not getting way out of my depth- and if so how to successfully find someone to care/take on some of the livestock. 
2)how much this lot is liable to cost to run.
3)that dismantling and refilling tank with same water I'm not going to cause cycling or shutting down system to transport and getting unpleasant issues.
4)any special considerations with livestock transport.

Please any help gratefully received, unfortunately the tank can not stay in property


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

You need local help. Talk to your LFS and any local "reef" club you can locate. I've seen people coming in to the LFS with big (like 10g) empty plastic bottles and taking them out full of salt-water. See if they have some water containers they can lend or rent to you. Ask them about the livestock. Worst case get $2.34 buckets from lowes with $0.99 lids and take many, many trips. Get lots of people to help you. A 6 ft long tank is HEAVY even in acrylic and you will need a van. Locals will also be more able to estimate cost. I'd guess the main $s are in electricity, salt-mix or saltwater, and live or frozen food.


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## Daniel (Feb 17, 2006)

thanks I have large van, and I'm hoping that I could organise it so I could have several people so as to minimise strip and move and reinstall time.
Preparing the livestock for transport, keeping live rock wet are my worries.
Have a transcube for water. I'm just concerned about how long it would take and I think 6 people needed.

and the tank not cycling

I will enquire time frame I have to move it in, hopefully LFS will be understanding.

What I do not want is a disaster, I therefore will plan it carefully.
With corals etc can you give best way to transport,Fish I'm thinking cool box and bagging them.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

You have a need for speed.

Yo can minimize a new cycle to almost nothing if you hurry. Do ot put the live rocks in buckets of water. Instead, carefully wrap them in soggy newspaper ( soggy with saltwater ) This keeps them wet but also prevents suffocation. It also lets you save your buckets for the water you want to save. The corals can be put in water if it is a short trip.
You'll need to strip down the tank, preferably leaving the live sand in place, and get it set back up in the shortest possible amount of time. Do that, and the next day you should have a hard time even telling that you ever moved it. I used to set up tanks at the county fair this way, and the results were fantastic.


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## Daniel (Feb 17, 2006)

Thank you for all your help and advice, Short term have an experienced person to maintain the tank, If this becomes un manageable we are agreed I will have it and seek guidance from this chap to start with.

I'm sure you will agree that the welfare of the livestock comes first and I really prefer they have a stable environment.


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