Help! Question about moving and setting up a new tank.

[Melissa1919]

I have had 30 gallon salt water tank for almost one year and in a month am moving to an apartment over 2 ½ hours away. I want to go down to a 20 gallon tank. I was looking at an Eclipse, but was wondering if the filter that is built in would work well? It is just going to be three fish (two clownfish and a damselfish) I am not going to work with a reef until I get out of college. I know the pet store told be that the minimum tank size should be 30, but will 20 gallons be a safe size for just the three fish? It is a 2 ½ hour dive to move them, but am thinking about setting up the tank and letting it run for two to three weeks before moving them there.
Is it a good idea to take some of their sand and water and adding it into the tank to help the set up process? Also does anyone have any good suggesting on how the best way to transport fish? Thanks you!

 

[brandon4291]

I wanted to welcome you personally and thank you for stopping in! I'll let my brethren chime in on fish ideas, but I'd submit that transferring some of their current living materials over to the new tank should help speed up the cycling, as long as you don't transfer crud or detritus accumulations into the new tank which could cause ammonia fouling and death. If you transport sand, make sure it's clean and if it's rocks, make sure they don't bring a brown cloud into the new tank. Rinse em first. as long as you test ammonia and nitrate in the temporary system I think they would be okay. Note that each fish has innate stress tolerances based on genetics and prior husbandry, so if one keels over during the move and all systems check out okay I think that's just the luck of the draw when moving. It is stressful even in the best of preparations. I think you can prevent all three from dying just by testing and being careful, and by changing water often in that smaller tank while you are holding them.