Moving A Plec ?

[adele1985]

We are getting a bigger tank from a friend at the weekend it's well a stablished and already has fish in it, the plan I'd to move the tank we have now with the fish to the reception of my partners car garage

My plan was to move the old tank to the garage and then get the new one and set it up add some fresh water (it will already be half filled with the original water) add new live plants, gravel (it only has sand at the mo)

I'd like to move my plec from the old tank to the new as it's a lot bigger for him but not sure how to go about it I don't want to harm him my plan was to remove him from the old tank put him in a storage container and then put him into the new tank when we get it

He would be in the container for a few hours the container is quite big but will he be okay without the pump and heater for that long

If not is there any way to do it or is it going to be better just leaving him in the tank he's in now

 

[lrhodes]

Were you planning on transporting the fish in your old tank (other than the plec) or were you going to tank them out during transport? If you were leaving them in. You could leave the pleco until you got the bigger one set up?

 

[adele1985]

I was planning on leaving them in

My plan was

take out the plec and put him in the storage container (no heater or pump)

As soon as I've done that take the old tank (with fish in) to my partners car garage (around 20min drive away) refil that tank with fresh water

Collect the new tank (around 10 mins drive away from the garage) and drive home (around 20 mins drive) set the tank up with fresh water ( the new tank will also have a few fish in and already be 1/4 full with original water)

I was then planning to introduce the plec to the new tank

Wanting advice on if this plan is going to work okay I don't want to harm my plec he would be in between tanks for around 2 hours without pump or heater would he be okay

 

[lrhodes]

 
If you are leaving the fish in the old tank and resetting it up first. I would leave the pleco in the old tank. Get it set up. Go get the new talk. Set it up. And then move the pleco from the old tank to the new tank... Just what I would do.

 

[Midas]

I think you can do it, that's not a long wait as long as its not too cold in the garage while he waits for his new home.  One trick I found when trying to net a pleco is to put a big net directly in front of him and then poke his tail with your finger, he will swim right into the net.  Trying to scoop him up could easily injure him and often times it becomes difficult. 

 

[Maehlice]

I recently went through this same thing with my Sailfin (P. Perdalis) -- who's just shy of 16 inches.
 
 
Plecos are insanely resilient, so a couple hours in sub-optimal conditions is unlikely to do any serious harm.  The risk is in the physical act of moving them between tanks, to which I address this reply:
 
 
Netting a pleco is nearly as dangerous (for the fish) as it is difficult (for you).  You're just as likely to find him on the floor or impossibly tangled in the net as anything else.  This is exponentially true the larger they are.
 
I've moved mine several times and have found success with each of these methods.  With all methods, empty the aquarium of everything else (other fish, plants, decor, etc.), if plausible.
 

1. Cut the collar/top out of an old t-shirt.  Loosely tie the arms together to close that end.  Use the tshirt like a net.  It should be large enough to give the pleco nowhere else to go but inside of it.  Quickly and carefully lift the shirt and its new occupant up and out of the old tank and into the new tank.  Quickly and carefully untie the arms to open up the shirt in front of him.  Gently pull the shirt towards his tail -- allowing him to swim freely out the front.  Keep a pair of scissors handy in case you need to cut the shirt down the length of it.
    
2. Buy a small aquarium or plastic storage container small enough to fit inside both aquariums but large enough to contain the pleco.  Make sure it's not so large that you can't lift and manage it full of water (3-10 gallons).  Especially if using a tiny container, be sure there is a lid.  Your pleco WILL jump out otherwise.  Lower the container into the aquarium and entice the pleco to enter it.  Then, put the lid on it and reverse the process into the new tank.
    
3. Buy and cut a length of 6" PVC about 50% longer than the pleco.  Cap one end of it.  Use the same process as in #2.  While identical to #2 in concept, I keep this as a separate entry simply for this reason ... If you're not in a time crunch, don't cap the PVC but instead lower it into the aquarium well in advance.  Place food into the PVC and acclimate your pleco to entering it.  When the time comes, he may already be hiding in it.  Just lightly cap it off in front of him then behind him and away he goes -- house and all.  This is the only method I've found effective at moving a Pleco from a fully-decorated tank without destroying half the tank in the process.