Help me make a decision (1 Viewer)

[adahm]

I am having to redo the flooring in the whole house in the next few weeks, some tiles popped out and we have decided to change the flooring to wood. I am thinking about what to do with my 90 gal aquarium as it will have to move. It has been running for about 1.5 yrs. I have a few corals, mostly frags, 5 fishes and two anemones. I am concernd about what I will need to do for about 4 weeks (could be more) as I am doing most of this myself and it will take a little while. I am also concerned about keeping the aquarium on the wood floor.

I know I will have to break the tank down to move it out of the way, probably into the garage for a while and if I were to start all over again I would rather go for a larger tank and change a few things I did not think about initially as this was my first swaltwater tank. I would probably take a few months to start again.

Things have just moved too fast in the last few days and I am not sure about what to do. What would you do in a situation like this? What should I be thinking about with regards to my tank.

 

[steveb]

My random musings...

Me I would look at it as an opportunity to upgrade....

Tearing it down and moving it is probably going to cause a mini cycle. But its doable & people move tanks all the time. I would have two containers for the rock... One to swish the rocks around in to clean trapped detritus from them (good time to do it) and another to hold while you move.... Is your garage cooled or is there a chiller on the tank? I would be concerned about temp changes moving from house to garage this time of year.... Could you move it to the last room you plan on doing? That way it would have 3-4 weeks to settle again. Once your ready to do the last space you could then move it back. Be careful of the sand bed. Either entirely replace it, try to disturb it as little as possible or pull it all out and clean it thoroughly to release any trapped organic material, hydrogen sulfide pockets etc...

 

[Ostentum]

I personally will never put a tank on wood floors again. Wood and water don't really mix especially if the water can get underneath the wood to the subfloor. That's when the most damage is done to the wood. I ripped out almost all of the wood in my house last year and replaced it with tile that looks like wood couldn't be happier with it. I wouldn't attempt to put any livestock in the garage unless you have an overpowered chiller this time of year. And agree with Steve. Move it to the room your going to do last then move it back. Good luck

 

[steveb]

Maybe take a look at the ceramic tiles that look like wood....

 

[LSUFireGal]

You can also cut and leave tile under and around the tank and save enough flooring to patch when, if you move the tank.

 

[jsbaker]

I'd think twice about putting it on wood floors, as LSUFireGal suggested maybe leave tank on tile and do the wood around it. I had a freshwater 110 tall pop a seam last Monday at 6:15 in the morning, luckily i was running late that day and heard the waterfall of water shooting 4 or 5 feet out the side of the tank.

Needless to say I have a 300 to 400 square foot formal living and dining room (aka fish room) that now needs all new flooring because the wood floors in it are trashed and 3 other tanks that will have to be moved to do it. Kind of ironic two weeks before I told the other half I wanted to rip the wood out and put ceramic down.

 

[adahm]

My random musings...

Me I would look at it as an opportunity to upgrade....

This is the way I am thinking also.

Is your garage cooled or is there a chiller on the tank? I would be concerned about temp changes moving from house to garage this time of year.... Could you move it to the last room you plan on doing? That way it would have 3-4 weeks to settle again. Once your ready to do the last space you could then move it back. Be careful of the sand bed. Either entirely replace it, try to disturb it as little as possible or pull it all out and clean it thoroughly to release any trapped organic material, hydrogen sulfide pockets etc...

Don't have a chiller nor is the garage so that's out. Ironically last week I spent a whole day moving redoing my rocks but still was not satisfied. This does give me another chance at it by breaking it down for a little while . Going back to your initial comment...

I personally will never put a tank on wood floors again. Wood and water don't really mix especially if the water can get underneath the wood to the subfloor. That's when the most damage is done to the wood. I ripped out almost all of the wood in my house last year and replaced it with tile that looks like wood couldn't be happier with it.

Maybe take a look at the ceramic tiles that look like wood....

My wife has always wanted wood floors and now that the time has come I don't want to disappoint. I am trying to sway her to travertine.... but unless that works out I think Ill have to give up on the tank for a little while.

I'd think twice about putting it on wood floors, as LSUFireGal suggested maybe leave tank on tile and do the wood around it. I had a freshwater 110 tall pop a seam last Monday at 6:15 in the morning, luckily i was running late that day and heard the waterfall of water shooting 4 or 5 feet out the side of the tank.

Needless to say I have a 300 to 400 square foot formal living and dining room (aka fish room) that now needs all new flooring because the wood floors in it are trashed and 3 other tanks that will have to be moved to do it. Kind of ironic two weeks before I told the other half I wanted to rip the wood out and put ceramic down.

I have the tank currently on laminate, mostly all the damage I have on it is due to the RODI tat I forgot to turn off in the kitchen and overflowed a few times.
Granted the laminate it was part of our frankenfloor and I was planning to change it anyway, and wood is a substantial investment and damage due to a leak is definitely a concern.

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions. I will probably let this tank go, there is always a next time and a chance to upgrade and a little while. Maybe even with a purpose built space.

 

[Ostentum]

I am a stop on the tank tour if you want to see what the tile that looks like wood really looks like. I know several of my friends have brought their other halves over and were sold on it. Plus it is cheaper. Win win. They get the wood floor look you get the tank

 

[Slayer311sGirl]

I like that compromise, and I would be sold if I were not as into the hobby as my hubby...

 

[adahm]

Finally decided on travertine flooring so won't have to part with my tank just yet.

Now to figure out how to keep everything alive for 10 days outside of the tank.

 

[fishcraze_1]

Finally decided on travertine flooring so won't have to part with my tank just yet.

Now to figure out how to keep everything alive for 10 days outside of the tank.

Glad to hear my friend.

How are the rainbow acan and bi-color hammer?

 

[adahm]

They are both doing well. The hammer appears to be splitting heads already and color is very vibrant.

The acan has also grown although it appears to be changing color to orange from the deep red. Maybe it's the LEDs. We're you target feeding? Just asking cuz it won't take thawed mysis. It is starting to put out its tentacles a bit.

I have lowered the LED intensity further and noticing a lot of growth activity in the tank.

 

[fishcraze_1]

I target fed brine shrimp.