Moving with fish

[Tatya]

I'll be moving about 40 mins down the road in a couple of weeks time and want to check that I've thought of everything fish-wise.

I've got 2 bristlenose cats, 6 tiger barbs & 2 odessa barbs, happily living in my 60 gal (4ft) tank

I'm planning to set up a new tank (3ft) in the new house and leave it running from the Friday through to Monday late afternoon when I'll add the fish.

The plan is to run an extra internal filter in my mature tank from now until the tank is set up in my new house (a fortnight on Friday). Which will hopefully give me a nice set of bacteria in the new filter. I'm planning on taking water from the old place across to set up the new tank in case the water chemistry is different in the new place and adding stress coat. I'll then add small amounts of ammonia to the new tank each day until "adding fish" day - as in the fishless cycle.

At the moment I'm doing daily 10% water changes to get the water as pure as possible before the change. I could take some old tank water across with the fish and do a water change of the new tank with the old water before adding the fish if that is likely to help, but I'd be worried about prolonging the cycle that way. Although with the filter having been run over two weeks in the old tank it may be mostly cycled by then.

I've arranged with my local fish shop to get a polystyrene box for the fish and the poly bags to put them in. (They've also said to pop in on the way past so that they can pump some air into the bags for me

I read somewhere that I shouldn't feed the fish for two days before the move and on move day. I'll then leave them to settle in for a week (if the water quality is ok) before doing a water change.

The questions are basically - a) what have I forgotten (there will be something I've got so much to think about at the moment ;-) and B) will the 60 gal tank be ok in the removal van with the furniture or would we be better taking it ourselves? I keep on getting mixed answers on the last one - running from the removal men have more experience of handling tanks to you'll be more careful with it!

 

[adeyc]

Good luck with the move. Have you cancelled the milk. :laugh:
Keep your original filter running at the same time as your running the new one. It helps and prevents problems with the levels you get from running in a new filter.
As for the tank I'd say take it yourselves. yes removel men have more experience but how many tanks have the guys themseslves actually moved and delivered intact? Best thing is if you do something wrong it's your own fault if they break it are they going to replace it or give you the cash for it, and how long will that take?
Good luck with the move. I'll let someone else mention a couple of other things you may have forgotten and voice their opinions.

 

[Macquatic]

You seem to have the move well sussed. I don't think there will be much difference in water chemistry in Perth so things should go OK. If you've got the room definately take the tank yourself. Good luck and let us know how you get on. Mac.

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Errrmmm. Think you've got everything sused.

The stress coat thing I'll leave to Pete. Not feeding them is good, it stops then doing the toilet in the bag and building up ammonia, although it's only a 90min treak.

The tank thing. It would be best to ask the removal guys. Tell them about the tank and see if they have anyway they can make the tank safe. Your tank really needs packed really good. the corners can grumble away, it can chip, crack. etc. etc. If you have good room tank it yourself

Weve coverd this topic quite often lately, so were all experts now

 

[Great Lakes]

Taya, You can also do a search with move or moving as a key word. We have covered this topic a time or two
Should be some additional interesting information.

 

[Tatya]

Thanks guys, I'll do a search and see what I come up with.  

Yep, I'm running both filters in the tank together at the moment.

As for water chemistry, I suspect the pH will be lower in Perth. Its about 8 here. I'm wondering about heading across there at the weekend and nicking a water sample from a pub somewhere Unless anyone knows what the pH in perth is?  

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Sorry no, I might be able to find out though.
Another not for you, when fish are bagged, the pH in the pag usually drops

 

[Tatya]

pH dropping - is that them breathing out CO2 or something? sounds bizarre otherwise :laugh:

 

[William]

Yes carbon dioxide makes water slightly acidic hence dropping the pH. That is why even 'normal' rain is slightly acidic. Not to mention that stuff with sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide :but: :but:

 

[Great Lakes]

Odd, adding another filter should have increased your flow, thus oxygenation, raising your PH level. Or am I wrong guys and gals?

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Dave, Yes but it's a diffrent, theory. The dorp is only in a bag, with no filtration. Thus a build up of co2

 

[Tatya]

No please, my pH is high enough

I haven't noticed any difference in my pH since putting the second filter in. I think my water is so well buffered you'd need to hold it to gun point to persuade it to change.