How To Move Fish An Tank

[dtaylor21184]

Ok I'm moving away in around 3 weeks and I want some advice and a step by step guide on movin my fish and tank.

I'm moving about 2 hours away so not really just around the corner

any advice would be very gratefully received

the tank is 3 foot I am thinking of putting that in my car so it don't move around too much and to reduce the chance of it smashing but putting the stand in the removal van.

I have live plants what is the best way of movin them? Should I leave them in the tank with a bit of water?

How do I transport the fish?

 

[Jenste]

well you can not transport the fish IN the tank

what types of fish do you have? This will better help us tell you how to package them for the trip.

As for the tank itself - just drain and go
Keep the filter media moist if you can to keep bacteria alive.

 

[dtaylor21184]

No I wasn't going to transport the fish in the water I was going to maybe bag them and box them with some sort of heat supply cos it'll be a while until I am able to get them back in the tank.

I will take the filter media out and put it in bags with some tank water to keep it moist.

The fish are

tetra (cardinal and glowlights)
corys (sterbai)
rams
yoyo loach
honey gourami

It's probably going to be around 2 - 3 hours from leaving the tank to returning to it

is there a chance some may not make the journey?

 

[dtaylor21184]

It's probably going to be around 2 - 3 hours from leaving the tank to returning to it

is there a chance some may not make the journey?

 

[coldcazzie]

They should be fine.

Visit your lfs and ask them to show you how to bag up fish if you're unsure about it, and purchase some bags from them. 1/5th water to 45/th air, twist the top of the bag until it is not depressable any more, then fold the twisted bit over and tie with an elastic band. Store in a polystyrene box, or a cardboard/plastic box if you don't have a poly box but make sure then they are wrapped in towels. Stick to around 6-8 fish per bag for the teras, less for larger fish.

Put the plants in a bucket with some tank water - they'll be fine. Obviously make sure you have a strong tub for the substrate - wet sand is HEAVY! (I made that mistake with the gravel for my tank when I moved, and half of it ended up on the garden path!)

Put the filter in a bucket too

Putting the tank in a car is fine, but actually if you're using a reputable removal company they should be fine to take it in the van, and they should take due care, and of course if they don't they will have insurance for you to get a new tank with! but putting it in the car should be ok, as long as it is completely empty and obviously well padded, and strapped in somehow if possible.

 

[Gavo]

I would put the fish in large food safe container/s with a lid (loose fitting is ok) then use a battery airpump with airstone.
Then when the tank is fully empty and loaded up put the container/s into the bottom of the tank so any water spilt while in transit wont matter

 

[fluttermoth]

All good advice there, they only thing I'll add is strip the tank down as late as you can, and make it the very last thing onto the van or car, and the very first thing off; and start setting it back up before you do anything else (except find the kettle, that's the very first thing )

 

[Mikaila31]

Use bags not containers to house the fish unless the fish is large or has spines. Containers are harder and more likely to harm a panicked fish. Put the fish in a cooler and keep it closed and dark most of the way. leave the tank empty. Tanks are not designed to hold a load while it is shifting from the movement of a vehicle.

I would expect all fish to make it, apart from possibly a neon or too. Your biggest risk is stress. It is very important to keep the fish in the dark as soon as you bag them up until when the are ready to go back in the tank.

 

[dtaylor21184]

Ok thank you for all the advice it's really helping me plan moving day, getting them there safely is my biggest priority for the day

 

[laura120381]

i am sure they will all be fine if you follow the advice given above. i moved my 4ft discus tank to a new house 1hr and a half away and everyone survived!! just be sure to package them correctly and keep your filter moist. if you can, try and keep a decent amount of original tank water. also don't feed them on the day before or the day of the move.

good luck! let us know how you get on....

L

 

[dtaylor21184]

Thanks I will do I move at the end of the month so not long now

 

[mmanist]

Yes, the dreaded MOVE!! I moved 3 tanks in march, (a 35 and 2x10 gallons) It was about 25 degrees and snowing. I packed all my fish in 5 gallon buckets and put them in boxes to keep the heat in , then had battery powered airiators. I managed to not loose any fish, in a 8 hour move!! So I was very thankful for that.

 

[dtaylor21184]

What is the best way to keep the temperature up a bit just so it doesn't drop too low?

 

[coldcazzie]

Layers.

Towels, newspaper, polystyrene box or cool box, etc.

 

[emilythestrange]

I am currently planning a move of about 30 minutes with a 100 litre tank, im unsure of how to move the water with me, because surely i have siphon it all out of house 1 to empty the tank, then keep a tiny amount for the filter, then 30 minutes later at house 2 situate the tank, flick the kettle on so many times !!! to heat up the water in the bucket and mix with cold and dechlorinator. so it will take a while to fully fill up the tank, and therefore it would be 99% new water?
Is there any other way ?

thanks