Advice On Moving A Tank Please

[Byron]

Yes, that simplifies matters.  All water must be removed, but the substrate can remain.  I actually moved my 3-foot 33g on its stand much like this one, a couple times, and I have had this particular tank running since 1995.  Just get all the water out.

 

[BiggTexx]

Just an idea, but have you ever used a fish trap?  I did this once for a large school of tetras and it worked overnight...
 
https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXHfER3-WYY

 

[Akasha72]

thanks Texx ... I might have a go at catching my tetra's with that!

 

[Akasha72]

Hi again. I've been today and chosen my new carpet and it's due to be fitted on 7th May. Things are now more serious and I'm already considering where I'm going to store my stock.
 
I have a small tank that I use for fry mostly. It measures 46cm wide, 26cm deep and is 25cm high. I estimate it holds around 30 litres of water. It has a lid, I have a spare heater and I have two filters I can use - I have an Interpet PFmini (filters up to 40 litres) and I have a PF1 too (which filters up to 48 litres) I'm considering putting most of my small fish in this tank - that would include 8 harlequins, my black neons (not sure how many I have of those now) the oto's (I think I only have two now, havn't seen the 3rd for a while) and female curviceps - she needs to be away from the male as he bullies her. Will this tank be large enough for these fish for up to 3 days maximum?
 
As to the rest of my stock: I have a large plastic storage box which I've used before for storing fish whilst I move their homes around. It holds around 50 litres approx. I was planning to add to this my larger tetras and male curviceps. My angels for a short while while the tank is moved and refilled and then they can go back in the tank because they are easy to catch.
 
I plan of draining the tank down to the last 1 and a half inches of water, taping the tank to the base then sliding the tank (or rather the base with the tank still on it!) the 6ft that it needs to slide to get out of the room. This means I can leave the cories, ancistrus and SAE's in the tank. It will only be this empty for around half an hour (if that) before I re-fill it. 
 
The larger tetra's will need to stay in the storage box until the tank is back in situ in my living room - this will probably be a maximum of 2 days. In this time none of the fish will be fed as I doubt I'll be able to get to them. Regarding filtering the storage box - well I could add the PF1 to it and filter it that way - for 13 tetra's it will probably surfice. The alternative is to remove one of the externals from my main tank and try and get it running on the storage box - I doubt it will run though as the storage box will have to be on the floor and common sense says the filter will need gravity to run?
 
I just wondered if all this sounded like a good plan or not ... just another mind over the situation would be useful

 

[BiggTexx]

Will this tank be large enough for these fish for up to 3 days maximum?
 
I just wondered if all this sounded like a good plan or not ... just another mind over the situation would be useful

I think the pla is fine and honestly, I have seen fish survive in much worse situations for much longer than 2-3 days.  I think the main point is being able to monitor them during this time and maintaining any situations that may arise.

 

[Akasha72]

this is going to be my biggest worry as until the tank is slid into the kitchen it's difficult to tell if I will be able to squeeze past it to get to the fish. I already plan to move food and drinks out of the kitchen before the tank goes in just in case. I can live on sandwiches and take away for a couple of days it that has to be but I hate the fact that I might not be able to check that the fish are doing okay. Unfortunately there is nowhere else for them to go. I'm so limited to space

 

[frapadoodle]

Again my sympathies. I know how worry snowballs concerning our fish during these trying times. It is sheer panic not being able to check on them.
Glad to hear the carpet is picked out and scheduled. Fingers crossed that the tank move is smooth as ice.
As for your Angels being an easy catch, quit bragging! I have trouble netting them in a tank half the size. Even when they are the only ones in the tank.

 

[Akasha72]

lol! There's nowhere for them to hide they're just too big to hide in plants - hence easy to catch lol

 

[Akasha72]

okay, just an update. 
 
I got myself a large plastic storage box today - with a tight fitting lid. It will hold 100 litres and measure 46cm high so plenty deep enough for my angelfish. It's actually bigger than I expected but I'm still going to seperate the smaller fish into the small tank. I'm worried without plants to hide and no food being added for a couple of days that the angels might get hungrey...
 
So, next question. The storage tub smells strongly of plastic and I'm a bit concerned that this could harm the fish. It there a good way to clean it before adding any water or fish so I know it's safe?

 

[freerunner416]

Put it in the bath... get in the tub and scrub it.....
 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Wow, sounds as if you got yourself in a bit of a tizzy over this :lol
 
Really is understandable though. Stressful for me just thinking about it :x
 
And i do understand the lack of space in a flat, I live in a 2 bed flat and space is pretty much a premium. This is one reason why I had to sell my 350 l Juwel Trigon tank when was moving to this flat, simply no space for it, still miss that tank
 
Your plans do sound pretty good actually, storage boxes and temp tanks are the best way to go for the short term for a few days.
 
Catching the fish, found the best way is to get everything out of the tank bar the substrate, a few inches of water and having tow nets will greatly help.
 
Good luck with everything, good chance for a tank re-scape here

 

[Akasha72]

I am going to try and catch my cories but if it means stripping the tank to do it the I'll probably give up and just leave enough water to keep them covered while we slide the tank (it's only a short distance to the kitchen - around 12ft) and then I'll re-fill the tank. It's only going to be drained for a few minutes and so the stress to the cories is likely to be less than chasing them around with a net for hours. I've got plenty of parcel tape and so I can make sure the actual tank doesn't slide or move from it's base at all. That way the base and seams should be safe. 
 
This is the main reason I'm a stressed out fish keeper at the moment. There's so many things that can go wrong ... even though it's unlikely! Doesn't stop me worrying!
 
I'm actually still really happy with my tank scape. My plants are reasonably good (got a bit of BBA rearing it's head again but it's miminal) at the moment and I'm fairly happy with their placement ... and to be honest ... a re-scape is the last thing on my mind!
 
 
I've currently got the large storage box sat on some towels with some old tank water in (I water changed my tank this morning so tipped the old water in there) as I wanted to check it was water tight before I add fish.
 
I gotta say ... I NEVER want to have to do this again S~T~R~E~S~S   

 

[Akasha72]

well the moving process has begun and I'm a little stressed! 

 
A week ago I discovered one of my tetra's had (possible) body flukes and so I was forced to set up my 30 litre tank early to house my snails while I treated the tank. Then I discovered that the snails were creating ammonia (I didn't know they could until then!) and so I had to open my external to get my small filter sponges out so that I could add a filter to their tank. I then decided I may aswell begin moving fish slowly into it. My kerri tetra's are unaffected by the flukes and there's only 3 left now. They're old boys and they get bullied a bit so I decided to move them first. They've been in there bickering amongst themselves for about 4 days now and so I decided today to try catching my neons to add to them in the hope the company would stop the bickering. It took me an hour to catch 4 neons!!!! 

 
There's still 2 neons (I think) in the main tank (also not affected by the flukes) but I've given up trying to catch them. They're stressed and I'm stressed and it's not good for either of us.
Still the kerri's seem to like the company so that's something I suppose 

 ... this is not going to be as easy as I thought ...meh
 
 
Just 7 days till the tank has got to be drained and moved ... I think I might be bald by then 

 

[frapadoodle]

Relax, take deep breaths, a little at a time. You have a week, and bald would not be a good look for you. Besides a sunburned scalp is really painful,(I speak from experience.)

 

[Ch4rlie]

Relax, take deep breaths, a little at a time. You have a week, and bald would not be a good look for you. Besides a sunburned scalp is really painful,(I speak from experience.)