How to move a 10 Gal (US) Tank

[Jediagh]

I'm might be moving to a new city due to my job by Jan 05. If I do end up moving it will be a 913.54 mile trip! Or about a 3 day trip!

How the heck do I me my 10gal tank? I have 4 corries and a bunch of plants in the tank and it IS cycled. I don't want to lose all my "good" bacteria in the tank but I'm not sure how to move it? Has anyone ever had to to this before?

Here is what I figured I could do. Let me know what you think.


***FOR PLANTS AND GOOD BACTERIA***
1) Fill a 5 gal bucket with 4 gal of tank water and some of the rocks from the bottom of my tank along with the plants
2) Add the filter unit to the side of the bucket
3) Plug the filter to my AC/DC adapter box which connects to my car cigarette lighter to keep the filter running.

***FOR CORRIES****
1) Remove the beta from his 2.5 gal tank and clean the tank
2) Add 2 gal of the 10gal tank water into the aquarium
3) Add some of the rocks from the 10gal tank
4) Add the corries


***FOR THE BETTA***
1) Add him to the .5 gal carring tank I have.


I know the beta will survive, not sure about the corries? And I'm not sure about the good bacateria? Any sugestions?

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Is there any way for you to get the tanks set up ahead of time? This doesn't seem very likely.

If this is the case, IMO, it might just be easier to give the corydoras and betta away...

You can keep the bacteria alive if you have the filter media and gravel in a bucket with water in it. The bacteria should stay alive.

 

[Undawada]

900 miles is a heck of a long way to haul fish.

I agree with tempest, you'd be best to give away your fish and pick up new ones at your destination.

If that's out of the question, I'd reccomend shipping the fish overnight, the same way they would be sent if you ordered them online.

You'd either need to have a tank ready at your destination or have someone back home package and mail them to you.

As for taking them with you in the car? I don't think they'd survive.

 

[Dwarfs]

Why give them away? Sounds good, since you will be moving the fish will get oxygen from the water sloshing in the bucket, and if you keep most of the gravel (holds majority of good bacteria) with the fish in the bucket, everything should be fine without fish the bacteria would eventually die off. The cories should be OK because they can breathe from the surface if they have to

EDIT: Be sure to feed them and (if possible) clean their water

 

[Tempestuousfury]

The thing is whether or not Jedia wants to refrain from stressing the fish out, or if he is willing to subject them to a bit of rough handling in order to get them over there. There's nothing wrong with taking them all the way there, but it might be rather stressful and cause him? to lose fish in transit.

 

[Dwarfs]

The thing is whether or not Jedia wants to refrain from stressing the fish out, or if he is willing to subject them to a bit of rough handling in order to get them over there.  There's nothing wrong with taking them all the way there, but it might be rather stressful and cause him? to lose fish in transit.

Fish are handled like that from where the store gets their stock from Taken by car from the breeder, loaded onto a plane (or driven the whole way) and brought to the fish store from there It's completely Jediagh's decision of course, I become to attached to my fish to just give them away, maybe it's the same for him and other people as well

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I see your point. I don't get attached ot my fish, so that wouldn't be a problem for me, but perhaps Jedia feels the same way you do.

 

[MXPX4318]

why couldn't the cories go in the tank with the filter on the side and running for the trip? if the filter is secured it would be fine, and then it'd just be like a traveling tank, just my thoughts on it....

 

[NinjaSmurf]

If you have enough room in the front of your car you can just keep the tank up front with you. Then I'd just take out half of the water in the tank, put a cover over it, and keep the filter stuff in a bucket of water you took from the tank. Then when you make pitstops you can just plug the filter in somewhere, let in run for ten minutes or something, then off you go again. As long as you keep the tanks temp okay, by wrapping it with blankets or cranking the heat you should be fine.

 

[Bustacapp]

even with the filter and such would the constant water movement and/or temp changes be terrible to the fish i know the fish stores get there fish in similar ways but i doubt it takes the fish 3 days to get there and all the fish ive seen are in padded boxes in bags im sure this idea would work if you were to move across town or 8 hours away but 3 days ? also have you ever thought about having somone express ship your fish to you once you get there and all set up it may not seem like the best idea boxing them up and such but i think 8-12 hours in a bag (and box with the proper lableing/insulation ) would be much safer and easier all around

bah just read unda's post i am terrible about just skimming and skipping

 

[Jediagh]

I am attatched to my fish!

I rather not give them away.

I'm not too sure if I could move a 10 gal tank with 3/4 full of water from my 2nd floor apt. In additon, I won't have access to my new home until I get there, so no way to setup the tank before hand.

I have taken all 4 corries on small road trips before (3 hour drive) to my parents when my tank was still cycling and they managed okay. I would place them in a /75 gal tank but that in a 5 gal bucket and stuff it with covers so that the small tank could not move around and off I went. So far the corries have done the trip at least 5 times and are perfectly save.

Thanks all for the post. I will update once I get closer to moving day (f it happens).

 

[lucky62]

You could use a cooler , Coleman , Igloo , Thermos , you know what I mean .

Empty the tank altogether and put the fish into the cooler , I would NOT put the top on , not tightly anyway .

wrap it in a blanket or quilt .

look into those heat packs they use for shipping , you have a little time .

 

[c1tyfc]

I am attached to my fish aswell, but i would stop at taking them for a three hour drive to my mums, especially five times. You may aswell get them leads. lol.

 

[Jediagh]

Get them "leads" hum not quiet sure what that means?

I don't take them to my "mums" anymore. I got them an automatic feeder. The lights are on a timer, and there are two filters in the tank so all is good. All I have to do now-a-days is the water changes.

I do like that "cooler" idea. Got some time still before the move so we will see what happens. Right now I'm dealing with a snail problem. Over the lst 4 days I've pulled out 15-20 snails! It seems that everytime I take 2 or 3 out the following day there are MORE!

Tomorrow after I do the water change and vaccum the tank I'm going only drop one small corrie food pellet every other day for a bit. Seems that I might have been dropping too many pellets as of late.

 

[Danno]

I would also use a thermos but before you go make a bunch of water changes and save the water and while your on the road, put that new water in twice a day that way you have a good supply of "happy" water. Also if you could.... I would also put a bubbler in both themoses

good luck