I'm Moving And Need To Move Tank Too

[Dano83]

Hello,
 
I am moving 15 minutes away from where I like now and I need to move my 55 gallon tank. I know how to keep the bacteria alive but my questions are how much of the tank water should i keep and would my fish be ok in a bucket with a portable air pump?
 
Thanks!

 

[cameronpalte]

Your fish would be ok in a bucket with a pump assuming your only moving 15 minutes away. However, it also depends on what fish you have. Do you have any potentially very sensitive fish that could cause a problem for this journey.

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

Leave as few water as can be. Remember that a tank carries not only the mass of the water but also the substrate weight. An abrupt or sudden tilting could cause a leakage in the tank

 

[mbeer21]

As it's not a long trip, you probably don't even need a pump.  I moved my whole tank over 600km last year with the fish just in bags and everyone survived the trip.  
Doesn't matter about keeping a lot of the old water, as you're not moving far it will be similar quality anyway.  What's in with your media and your fish will be fine, really.  Though I guess if you have spare room and spare buckets you can always take more if you're concerned.
I'd take all the substrate out of your tank before you move, too - moving the tank with anything inside will put too much pressure on the bottom

 

[Maehlice]

I'd take all the substrate out of your tank before you move, too - moving the tank with anything inside will put too much pressure on the bottom

 
+1        Unless you're experienced moving tanks, leaving in the substrate and decor will likely lead to a fractured tank.
 
 
My advice is on the opposite end of the spectrum from the previous replies.  Even though it's only 15 minutes, treat it like it's 15 hours.  Murphy's Law states anything which can go wrong will.
 
If you give yourself enough extra time and consideration, you can spend the attention necessary on each step to do it right and exactly the way you want without causing a rush or undue stress.
 
Each move I've made (even across the house), I've set up a large Rubbermaid tote as a surrogate aquarium -- complete with HOB filter, heater, airstone and small piece of decor in the center.
 
I've moved 2 stocked aquariums (30g 500 miles, 125g 40 miles) and can't sing enough the praises of over-preparation.
 
By the time you move the stand and aquarium, level the stand, 'scape the substrate, re-plant and re-decorate, fill the tank, settle and re-heat the water in the tank, and then finally re-introduce the fish, several hours may have gone by.  And God forbid the aquarium breaks, all day might go by.
 
I think a portable air stone is probably unnecessary, but I would have at least an airstone and heater in the bucket while you're tearing down the tank and then again at the new house when setting up the aquarium.