Moving fish

[Undawada]

I might be moving sometime in the spring and am trying to figure out how to move my fish, plants and tank.

I have a 29 gallon with platies (and fry), emerald cats and otos. It's planted with sand substrate and malasian trumpet snails (desired, not pests).

I'm not going very far, they can be in their new home within a couple hours.

My plan so far is:

1. catch the fish and put them in ziploc bags

2. put the bags in a cooler to keep the temp stable

3. drain the water out of the tank, keeping a few gallons in a bucket

4. leave the sand wet and plants resting on top of the sand, with snails still in sand.

5. move setup

6. add new water and old tank water, fish and hope I don't have to cycle

my main problem is with moving the tank with sand and enough water to keep it wet... I don't want to bust the tank when moving it.

Am I way off base?

 

[Discomafia]

wouldn't recommend ziploc bags, the containers would be a better idea. Or just get a clean trashcan and then you won't need to use so many containers. Plus you can keep a large amount of water (50% ?) and just have to move the trash can with all teh fish and water.

Also, why would you want to keep the tank wet and with the sand in it? Why not remove the sand and then you can replace it later. This'll give you a chance to clean the tank's walls as well. How long will the tank be "dismantled"? If more than a few hours, then I'd worry about a mini-cycle, if not then it should be fine.

 

[Undawada]

The trash can is a good idea.

The tank will be dismantled probably 2 or 3 hours, tops. The place is within walking distance of where I am now, and the tank will be the last thing to go, first thing set up.

I will probably have to go to the new place the day before and fill some buckets and start aging water for the water change...

I want to keep the sand wet to try to preserve as many bacteria as I can, and I want to avoid uprooting my plants since they are just now nicely established.

 

[Discomafia]

The trash can is a good idea.

The tank will be dismantled probably 2 or 3 hours, tops. The place is within walking distance of where I am now, and the tank will be the last thing to go, first thing set up.

I will probably have to go to the new place the day before and fill some buckets and start aging water for the water change...

I want to keep the sand wet to try to preserve as many bacteria as I can, and I want to avoid uprooting my plants since they are just now nicely established.

Don't think keeping the sand wet for a few hours will really make that much of a difference. Takes more than that for the benefitial bacteria to die, so I think you can safely take out the sand. If you don't want to that's OK too, I'd just do it so that I can clean the insides, good idea not taking the sand out because you have plants. My tanks have been without an oxygen supply for 1/2 a day and yet I didn't record any mini-cycles, so I think yours should be fine for a couple of hours.

 

[mwm]

I would get an old cooler you dont use fill it up with all ur fish, plants, sand, and as much water as u can and just move that. It will be alot easier and you wont need to worry about cycling again or anyhting just make sure you have an air pump or soemthing to pump air

 

[Undawada]

good advice.

I dont have any coolers or garbage bins, so Ill probably head down to Home Depot and see what is there that will do the trick.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Undawada

If you will only have them out of the tank for a few hours, I think what you put them into will be less important than having a good amount of air in the container or bag and in keeping the temperature stable.

The problem in moving aquariums with sand or water in them is that they are likely to crack from the stress if they are tilted or off balance. I regularly move 10 and sometimes 20 gallon tanks around (in my house) with no problem. If you have a helper it would be good and I think if you could move it on a plank or something rigid like that, it would be fine.

Since you will be moving in the same neighborhood, moving used tank water is less important because it will probably be the same pH, etc. There are very few beneficial bacteria free floating in the water, so you will not lose much if you just refill it with say, 1/2 to 2/3 fresh water. It is more important to move your filter quickly and without loss of the bacteria in it. Just don't clean it beforehand and don't let the media be exposed to air. Get it oxygenated water running through it as soon as possible.

Good luck with your move.