I have a question about relocating a tank. My friend has decided to give me his 20gallon tank with all the supplies and his fish (mostly Molly's and a couple Cichlids) He's had them for about 6 months or so. The problem I have is he lives in a different city as it stands once I get the tank I have to travel with it to another city which is 1.5hrs away then spend the night. After that I then have to move the tank to my home which is another 4.5hrs away from that. I understand how stressful this will be on the fish but my question is what is the best option in terms of moving them?
Moving A Tank
- Thread starter thomosam
- Start date
MrPandaram
Fish Fanatic
donate the fish. and transport the wet tank.
Welcome to the forum Thomosam.
I am going to try get this time line right first.
You pick up the tank and fish, drive an hour and a half, hold everything overnight and then drive 4 1/2 hours to get to your destination. Then you can figure at least an hour to set the tank in place and fill it with water so I figure 6 to 8 hours before the fish have a new tank to live in.
If you pick up the fish and have a suitable clean bucket, place the fish into it. Empty the tank and move the gravel into another plastic bucket along with the filter and some small amount of water. Now you can move the tank and the two buckets into the vehicle. Make your drive and take the buckets into your room to keep them warm overnight. Be certain that the tank is dry or that you can prevent it freezing. Ice can break glass very easily and will destroy the seals on a tank. If you must, carry the empty tank to the room too. In the morning, take care of breakfast then load everything into the car and make the trip home. The fish and filter should really travel in the passenger compartment so that you can keep them warm easily. Once you arrive, set up and fill the tank, add the filter and start everything up. Next up is a drip acclimation on the new fish. They have just been asked to completely change the water source so they will need some time to become acclimated while more and more of the new water is mixed into the water that they are traveling in. When most of the water in the bucket is from the new setup, you can move the fish into the tank water.
Do not worry too much about the temperature swing in the unheated bucket overnight. The mollies won't care as long as the air is warm enough for people and most cichlids can take a bit lower temperature for a day.
I am going to try get this time line right first.
You pick up the tank and fish, drive an hour and a half, hold everything overnight and then drive 4 1/2 hours to get to your destination. Then you can figure at least an hour to set the tank in place and fill it with water so I figure 6 to 8 hours before the fish have a new tank to live in.
If you pick up the fish and have a suitable clean bucket, place the fish into it. Empty the tank and move the gravel into another plastic bucket along with the filter and some small amount of water. Now you can move the tank and the two buckets into the vehicle. Make your drive and take the buckets into your room to keep them warm overnight. Be certain that the tank is dry or that you can prevent it freezing. Ice can break glass very easily and will destroy the seals on a tank. If you must, carry the empty tank to the room too. In the morning, take care of breakfast then load everything into the car and make the trip home. The fish and filter should really travel in the passenger compartment so that you can keep them warm easily. Once you arrive, set up and fill the tank, add the filter and start everything up. Next up is a drip acclimation on the new fish. They have just been asked to completely change the water source so they will need some time to become acclimated while more and more of the new water is mixed into the water that they are traveling in. When most of the water in the bucket is from the new setup, you can move the fish into the tank water.
Do not worry too much about the temperature swing in the unheated bucket overnight. The mollies won't care as long as the air is warm enough for people and most cichlids can take a bit lower temperature for a day.
NinjaSmurf
Devils Advocate
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I just moved a tank last night, so I know how you feel 
It was a pain, and I didn't have as long of a drive as your in for (though I once pulled a 3hr drive with them). Oldman is pretty much right on the money on transport. The only thing I would add is maybe picking up a cheap airpump and air stone to put in the bucket overnight, they you won't have to worry about them dying from that, and it's one less thing they might get stressed out from. Good luck.
It was a pain, and I didn't have as long of a drive as your in for (though I once pulled a 3hr drive with them). Oldman is pretty much right on the money on transport. The only thing I would add is maybe picking up a cheap airpump and air stone to put in the bucket overnight, they you won't have to worry about them dying from that, and it's one less thing they might get stressed out from. Good luck.Thanks. That's pretty much what i was thinking. I'm guessing I might lose a couple fish in transport but not much I can do I guess. From what i here he has about 15 fish in his 20gallon anyway, which sounds like way too much.
That is a fairly heavy load for a 20, but it can be accommodated if you are willing to do larger water changes than we normally would need to do.
fishnovice
Fish Herder
Why not use an insulated picnic cooler, (the kind that keeps food hot or cold for hours) to transport the fish instead of an unheated bucket?
If you have an insulated cooler that is water tight and you don't mind the fish swimming in for a day, it should work fine. I only use a cooler to carry fish bags for shorter periods of time myself.
erk628
Fish Herder
Airstones work good I use that in my minnow bucket when I go crappie fishing. Hardly even lose any. If you go to walmart in the fishing tackle isle you can buy a little battery powered airstone there.
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