Moving House....

[keepsfalling]

So.. Me and my partner have seen a house for rent that we really like.. If we get the house it's about a 15 minute drive from where we currently live.. And we'll have a whole room dedicated to our fishies

My question is... How the hell do I get the tank to the new house? Obvisouly we'll be getting a removal van (but driving it ourselves).

The tank is upstairs at the moment so there is no way in hell we could get it down the stairs with *ANYTHING* in it.. It was hard enough getting it up the stairs empty...

If we emptied say 50% of the water into buckets and took out the rest and got rid of it. Does anyone think it would be a good idea to get it down the stairs, in the back of the truck and then put that 50% of water back in? (We'd then have to do the same the other end!)

Will the fish be ok bagged for a while like they are when you buy them or would this stress them out do you think?

I would greatly appreciate *any* suggestions!!

 

[woogrl]

I think that regardless of how big the tank is you need to empty it. Fish tanks are made to sit level so having a heavy half filled tank moving aroung in the back of a moving van in not a good idea. Buy rubbrmaid type tubs and fill them with the water from the fish tank, making them only full enough for you to safely carry down the stairs, buy as many as you need as they are not really that expensive. Poke small holes in the center of the lid for oxygen exchange and they should be ok, or buy battery operated air pumps. I would either move the fish tank first or last but just make sure you can devote your full attention to it. If it is a huge tank hire a moving team or have alot of strong friends help. YOu should also just be able to get some fist bags from your lfs and bag them all seperatly in their own oxygen filled bags for more safety. When I had to move my fist tank I bagged all 8 fish in their own bags and they were bagged for about 4-6 hours. I put them in a dark tub so they would be as calm as possible and not to active, I didnt lose a single fish. Just be careful and dont get in a hurry when it comes to moving the tank, you dont want to break or drop anything.

 

[Tolak]

Sounds like me moving my dad's tank a few years back. Shut off the filters & heater, & put the media in a fish bag with water. Drain the tank most of the way, adding tank water to fill a bucket 2/3 of the way. If you have many fish, use several buckets. Catch the fish in the tank with a few inches of water left and add them to the buckets. Put towels over the buckets.

Drain the tank, remove all decorations & substrate. Do not move the tank unless it is completely empty. remove the tank & add it to the van, along with the stand. Your water at the new place is probably the same as your tap water if it is 15 minutes away.

At the new place, level the stand & add the tank. Add the substrate, decos, & new water of the proper temperature. Put in the fish, and set up the heater & filter.

I've bought & sold fish bagged for 12+ hours, an O2 tank isn't needed. Just don't feed the fish for 24 hours before the move. They will be fine.

I move & upgrade tanks on a regular basis, and seem to be doing a fish room upgrade around every year. I take overstocked breeding tanks full of angels, and keep them in a bucket for hours with a sponge filter. 100 juvies in a 5 gallon bucket is wall to wall fish. The tanks get 100% new water, with no losses.

 

[keepsfalling]

Thanks very for your help guys Will the plants from the tank be ok if I take the substrate out and re-plant them when I'm at the new place?

 

[BigIan]

yea the plants will be cool.


When i moved my tank in to the GFs house we had a large drum (food safe) and we added declorinated water and a small filter and heater to it when we brough the fish we added them to that in the knowledge they could sit there indefinately.

move the tank when its 100% empty we recently had a leak in a tank and i think it was cos we moved it with the substrate

 

[moeldner]

When I moved 6 months ago - it was a simliar distance. We did the tank last so we knew our other furniture would fit int the room where we wanted it before we shifted in a 57G tank.

The plants we wrapped in newspaper, and then soaked the newspaper in water to keep them damp - this wet newspaper/plant combo then just went in a plastic bag.

Count on it taking a couple of hours to strip down, catch fish, load up truck, and then setup and refill at the other end.

I didn't take any water with me from the old place to the new (same water supply anyway), but make sure you keep your filter media wet.

My move of the tank took about 3-4 hours,a nd was achieved with no tank damage and no fish losses.

 

[dthoffsett]

Sorry to hijack your thread a little. But, this question gets asked a lot, and it would be wonderful if someone would post a moving guide topic. I plan on buying a house next year, and I know I'd like sticky I could go to when it's time. Moving is stressful enough, and I think it would help.

That being said, good luck with your move.

 

[CFC]

There already is a moving house guide in the FAQ section.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=129060 heres a link.

 

[dthoffsett]

Well, silly me. That'll teach me to read before opening my mouth. Thanks, CFC.

 

[keepsfalling]

Thanks for all your advice guys.. Unfortunately we didn't get the house They offered it to another couple who saw the house just before us...

But I'll be sure to check out the moving house guide and remember all your tips if we do manage to get one!