Moving Fish...

[Serbrider]

For the whole summer my fish have been at my grandparents' house, as I've been out of the country. Well, I'm heading back to school and my apartment in two days, and not completely sure what to do. I mean, I have an idea, but I'd love some advice.

I have:

1 Betta
1 Fantail
1 Gourami (can't think of type off the top of my head)
2 Skirt Tetras
1 Plecostomas

They are currently all in the same 35 gallon tank, all very happy and healthy fish, friendly and all, though while traveling I will most likely have the betta in a seperate bucket/travel container as he's very much a loner in the big tank.

My plan was to put them all (minus the betta) into a 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot, and then completely drain the tank, remove the rocks and decorations, but keeping the filter media wet so that I could still use it when I move into my apartment.

So... overall... I have a decent plan for moving up. The problem? I'm moving up the 21st, but I'm not moving into my apartment and setting up the fish tank until the 1st of September. So... that'll be over a week and a half of them in limbo.

Is it ok to just leave them in their travel containers, just feed them during the days where they'd be sitting around in my friend's apartment, and then move them into the big tank as soon as I move into my apartment? Or... what? Any advice?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I'd get a temporary container to set them up in, like an 80 litre storage bin. Set it up the same way you would have a tank but no need to organize it. Add your filter heater, water substrate at the bottom and tie your plants in bunches with a weight. Should do just fine for a week since your filter and all will be cycled. Then return them to the buckets and such when you move again. Could even do that using your tank.

 

[Serbrider]

Ok... I can do that. I don't have enough room in the car to keep them in the bigger plastic tub traveling up there, but when I get there, I can definitely do that.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Oh no, definitely no plastic tub for transport, that would be a massive pain! Just for once you arrive.

 

[Serbrider]

Thanks!

The trip up is 5 hours long, so the filter media will be sitting wet for about 7-8 hours including take down and set up time, and any unavoidable stops I have to make on the way up (no shopping trips, just stuff like getting gas, getting lunch/dinner, etc). So... will it be ok for that long?