[bobthehobo9]

Hey everyone, I have only posted to this forum once before, I think, but I am on here all the time reading what everyone posts and I have to say that I have learned a lot from you guys!
First off:
I'm a senior in high school and I have a 10 gallon fowlr tank set up in my marine science class. The problem is that winter break starts this week and no one will be at school to care for the tank or its inhabitant. This means that I have to bring it home with me for the two weeks or so that we are off. The drive is only 20 minutes at most so the distance really isnt a big deal; and there is only a coral banded shrimp (banded coral shrimp... whatever) living in the tank along with some live rock.

I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to successfully pull the move off.

Also, while I'm doing all this work on the tank, I figured it would be a good time to add a bit more sand (love those DSB's!) so... I'm wondering if, once I get everything setup at home and the live rock and Hugo (the shrimp) back in his house, can I add more sand to the tank with him in the tank? Or would it be more advisable to remove him, add the sand, and then add him back into the tank once everything has settled down and the water has cleared?

Thanks,
Erik

[art_of_war]

If all you have a small shrimp, moving the entire tank isn't worth it. If you're more concerned with the care of the shrimp, I'd leave the tank and catch the shrimp and move him to a tank you have at home.

[leebca]

Erik. Welcome back!

First, the move. You want to make it manageable. Remove some of the water and store it in a plastic 5 gallon container. You want to keep the rock submerged. Transport water and tank, making sure tank remains a reasonable (normal tropical) temperature. You may have little to worry about if you are indeed in Tampa, FL.

I've had responsibilities such as this in my high school (before computers). I just made an arrangement with the janitor/school to come in twice a week to care for it. The shrimp will not need to eat everyday and will do fine beinf fed twice a week for a couple of weeks IF it has been properly fed and cared for previously.

As to the substrate change out. I would not suggest you do this with that sized aquarium. A deep sand bed will leave little to 'see' in the aquarium, reducing the water and making an already small aquarium that much smaller.

If you truly mean a DSB, then this is a radical alteration of the biologics in that small of system. I would not have the shrimp there for this process AND before you add sand, you'd have to thoroughly clean the substrate that is there. If you put in more sand on dirty substrate, the trapped organics will likely create hydrogen sulfide (toxic to fish even in very small quantities) and other promblematic chemicals. I don't think reporting Hugo's death at the start of the New Year will get you any bonus points.