How To Travel With A Fish?

[MadameFizzgig]

I'll soon be heading home from college, which is about a 16 hour drive. My LFS said that I could bag my violet goby as long as I made sure that there was enough air in the bag for him during the trip. I'm not sure I want to do that, because I think it will stress him out a lot. 
 
If he's going to have to get air by coming to the surface, wouldn't it be less traumatic for him to remain in his tank, just without the filter on?
 
Please let me know, I leave for home in under 2 weeks.

 

[fluttermoth]

How long will you be at home for?

You certainly couldn't leave your fish with no filter; it would need to be left on.

 

[508]

I have a feeling my opinion won't be very popular but I think the fish will be fine with a large enough bag. When fish get transported I guarantee they stay in smaller bags for a much longer amount of time, and even though it causes stress I don't see any other way to do it. Do air stones require electricity? That could be an idea combined with a bucket, I suppose.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Your LFS is actually correct in stating that as long as there is plenty of air in the bag, ensuring, say, 1 third water and 2 third full of air, that sort of ratio should be fine for travelling.
 
Also keeping the bag with goby in in darkness will help to relieve stress a little.
 
You can keep the goby in the tank for two weeks, provided the filter is left on, surely cannot leave filter off as fluttermoth mentions. Wonder if you can get someone to feed the goby at least one in the two weeks, even better to also change some water at same time.
 
Am not sure if fish can survive two weeks without feeding, probably but not 100% certain.
I have left fish alone for 10 days without feeding, but did ensure were fed for 3 days before leaving, also did a big water change beforehand.

 

[508]

Your LFS is actually correct in stating that as long as there is plenty of air in the bag, ensuring, say, 1 third water and 2 third full of air, that sort of ratio should be fine for travelling.
 
Also keeping the bag with goby in in darkness will help to relieve stress a little.
 
You can keep the goby in the tank for two weeks, provided the filter is left on, surely cannot leave filter off as fluttermoth mentions. Wonder if you can get someone to feed the goby at least one in the two weeks, even better to also change some water at same time.
 
Am not sure if fish can survive two weeks without feeding, probably but not 100% certain.
I have left fish alone for 10 days without feeding, but did ensure were fed for 3 days before leaving, also did a big water change beforehand.

 
I'm not sure OP is leaving temporarily but permanently, by leaving him in the tank I assume he meant in the car as there is more space for water. 
 
I may be wrong but either way I think having a tank full of water inside a car is a recipe for disaster. 

 

[BiggTexx]

I read it the same way, as in travelling with the tank, not leaving it behind.
 
I would recommend investing in a small container that can be sealed.  Do not feed the fish for 48 hours before the move, move him to the smaller container, seal the lid and make sure to stabilize the container during transit. You will also need to keep the filter submerged n tank water to keep the bacteria alive. I am also assuming this is only a few hours worth of travel, not days...  If it is longer travel times, I would add in a battery powered air pump to keep water circulation going for the fish.

 

[Ch4rlie]

I'm not sure OP is leaving temporarily but permanently, by leaving him in the tank I assume he meant in the car as there is more space for water. 
 
I may be wrong but either way I think having a tank full of water inside a car is a recipe for disaster. 

 
Ah, I see that may be correct, OP may means he's actually trasporting the goby IN the tank in his vehicle.
 
That, as you rightly say, would be a recipe for disaster indeed.
 
The tank would probably not cope with the stress of weight of water even with only 25% of usual volume of water, and substrate and bouncing up and down in the car. This method would definitely not be recommended by me.
 
I still maintain the fish bags which you usually get from LFS with air and tied off securely to prevent water coming out would be the best method.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

When traveling with fish, I always try to make separate sleeping arrangements.

 

[Baccus]

Travelling with fish is relatively easy, just keep in mind about the water getting too hot or cold depending on the weather condtions and how long the fish will be travelling.
Fish are fine in bags for a lot longer than people imagine, and now days its even possible to get breathable bags. But with all bags comes the risk of puncture, or even just leaking from not being properly sealed.
If your really worried about keeping the goby bagged for a length of time, you could go to a discount or dollar shop and get two cheap buckets with good sealing lids. In the top of either one or both buckets make a hole the size of an airhose. Go to a fishing/ tackle shop and get either 1 or 2 battery powered air pumps. Put the airhose for the pump through the hole in the lid, attach the airstone and attach the other end of the tube to the pump and now you have sealed bucket that you can put your filter media in (if your wanting to travel with it and keep it alive) and if you get two airpumps you can set up the other bucket the same way for the goby to travel in.
I would never consider travelling with a tank still holding water, the water sloshing around as you drive will put all sorts of stresses on the glass and the various seels, not to mention saturate the interior of the car and anyone sitting near the tank.

 

[MadameFizzgig]

How long will you be at home for?

You certainly couldn't leave your fish with no filter; it would need to be left on.

The summer, so about 3 months.

I have a feeling my opinion won't be very popular but I think the fish will be fine with a large enough bag. When fish get transported I guarantee they stay in smaller bags for a much longer amount of time, and even though it causes stress I don't see any other way to do it. Do air stones require electricity? That could be an idea combined with a bucket, I suppose.

Would I need to use brand new water, or use his tank water? He's been through a lot already, I just don't want to stress him too much.

I read it the same way, as in travelling with the tank, not leaving it behind.
 
I would recommend investing in a small container that can be sealed.  Do not feed the fish for 48 hours before the move, move him to the smaller container, seal the lid and make sure to stabilize the container during transit. You will also need to keep the filter submerged n tank water to keep the bacteria alive. I am also assuming this is only a few hours worth of travel, not days...  If it is longer travel times, I would add in a battery powered air pump to keep water circulation going for the fish.

So you think he'd be alright in a sealed container (like a bag) for 16 hours, provided there's enough air for him? I could attempt to leave a little bit of water in his tank so that the filters can stay in tank water. If I duct tape the tank shut, hopefully spillage would be minimal. Why shouldn't I feed him for 48 hours prior?

 

[fluttermoth]

If you don't feed the fish, his gut will be empty, and he won't poop in the bag, so the water will stay fresher. Fish can easily go for a week or two without food, so two or three days won't do him any harm.

Definitely bag him, and keep him warm and dark and he should be fine. Try and get him back into his tank in a fairly dark room as well. Use his tank water; I'd do a few extra water changes a few day before you travel, to make sure it's nice and clean

 

[MadameFizzgig]

If you don't feed the fish, his gut will be empty, and he won't poop in the bag, so the water will stay fresher. Fish can easily go for a week or two without food, so two or three days won't do him any harm.

Definitely bag him, and keep him warm and dark and he should be fine. Try and get him back into his tank in a fairly dark room as well. Use his tank water; I'd do a few extra water changes a few day before you travel, to make sure it's nice and clean

Thank you! This is really helpful, I'll keep him as comfy as possible.

 

[sawickib]

Everything seems in order here!
 
What i do when traveling with fish, I get a large bag for the fish, 1/3 water and 2/3 air, dont feed for 48 hours before traveling, and i put the bag into a container that has padded sides of some sorts so when the car bumps around the fish isnt harmed, and lastly i put a lid on the top of some sort. 
 
I agree especially with a fish like this, it can go 1-2 weeks without food easily if needed.

 

[BiggTexx]

Sorry, 'm a bit late back into the conversation, but you seem to be on the right track here, and the other posts are offering great advice as well.
 
I know it is answered already, but the point to not feeding beforehand as fluttermoth explained is to limit waste generated during transport, therefore limiting ammonia buildup.
 
Depending on the size/type of filter you have, you can use a similar method of sealing the filter in a container (or just the media) to keep it submerged and bacteria alive.  You will want to put as much water as possible, leaving only an inch or so for air (allowing the water to slosh around and agitate slightly.
 
At any rate, good luck on your move and keep us updated.

 

[jag51186]

I'm just curious about something, if the bag is being kept dark and quiet and such, would you be able to put a little bit of filter media in the bag with the fish to process any ammonia generated during travel?? Assuming the media isn't in a form that's small enough to be eaten by the fish.