Moving House With Tropical Fish

[Annagh]

Hi there, We might be moving in about 3 months and I have 2 tanks, one small with a beta, sail fin molly and dalmation molly, and a large 6ft tank with 3 silver dollers, 2 balloon blue rams, 2 coral gouramies and 2 gold gouramies. And lots of snails and plants. We're travelling from Adelaide to Brisbane, about a 2 day journey by car/truck. Which fish are more likely to survive, and which fish should I give away to loving homes? I've read about heat packs and oxygen tablets, how many oxygen tablets would be needed for this move, and will the fish survive 2 days without food, especially since it is recommended not to feed them for 24/48 hrs beforehand.

Please help.

Thanks x

 

[shroob]

Fish can survive for quite a while without food, you'd be surprised. For a 2 day trip I wouldn't worry about feeding. I would say that the betta is probably most likely to survive.

I havn't any experience with moving house but I do know of this link:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...p;#entry1805187

 

[Annagh]

Thanks for that Shroob, will definatly do some research. Am thinking of giving away some / all of my fish as it will be less stressful for them but am not sure about that yet. Am attached to my fish, a difficult decision!

Thanks again,

Annagh

 

[eschaton]

Well, it's summer in Oz, so the heat could be an issue with traveling, the other issue is oxygenation. Feeding, not so much.

If you could find a way to plug a bubbler inside the car, kept them in a temperature-controlled environment, and added some ammo-lock to the water, they all should make it. Even if you don't do all that they might end up okay. Fish are usually shipped overnight, but next-day delivery, even in inclement weather, often have pretty good survival rates.

That said, nothing you have is all that rare or expensive. If you don't have emotional attachments to the fish, I'd personally give them all away except the betta and start again in your new home.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

what you have to remember is that for the fish to get to the fish shop they undoubtedly went on journeys of 2 days or more. so it happens all the time, it's probably happened to most of the fish that we own, so it's not that much of a stress on them if you take a bit of care about how you do it. look into the temperature and oxygenation, package the fish with generous amounts of water and air in the bags and don't overcrowd them then make sure that however they are stored in the car/van they are secured so they aren't thrown all over the place.

 

[Matty P]

If you aren't going to sell / give the fish away, your main priority as said before well be keeping a controlled temperature and keeping the bags oxygenated. Try and pack if possible only one fish in each bag, this won't use up the oxygen levels as quickly and it will produce less waste. Make sure the temperature in the car is not too warm or too cold, you could alter it by opening and closing windows during the journey. As for the oxygen as said before oxygen tablets should be your best bet, although I have never used them before so I don't know what they are like.



BTH Miss Wiggle: In your signature "fishless cycling", "how to work out stocking lists", "pH and hardness", "fish suitable for a 10 gallon tank" - the link goes straight to the TFF homepage. Just to let you know.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

BTH Miss Wiggle: In your signature "fishless cycling", "how to work out stocking lists", "pH and hardness", "fish suitable for a 10 gallon tank" - the link goes straight to the TFF homepage. Just to let you know.

not been on the site for a while, something must have changed to break the links, thanks for the heads up