Transporting Cichlids?

[Spishkey]

ok i have just 'purchased' a second hand tank, it comes complete with african cichlids. now i know absolutly zero about these fish. are they big? how is best to transport them? they will have about an hours drive to get through?

i wont be keeping them so they will be going to a new home as soon as i find one for them. how long should they be left before they are moved again to thir 'new' home (not the move from seller to my house) should i give them a few days rest? do they have special needs while they are temporarily in my care?

 

[kj23502]

Um, they can be anywhere from a few inches big to 12"+ depending on the type they are. What are they? They'll be fine for an hours move. Save as much water from the old tank as you can and take it w/you to put it back in when you get to your place. You could possibly line someone up to take them as soon as you get back w/them. Of course you'll have to find out what you will be selling. Then you wouldn't have to worry about keeping them esp since you don't anything about them. They should be fine as they are moved quite a few times before the lfs fish actually end up in a lfs.

If you can get ahold of a battery operated bubbler when you transport them, it would be a plus. It would help oxygenate the water a tidbit. I wouldn't worry about temp so much as long as they don't get above 80 degrees F. Once in awhile, when doing wc on my small qt tank, i'd forget to plug the heater back in and the tank would drop to about 67 farenheit. Their systems slow down a bit so they'll probably appear a little sluggish.

um...if you need to hang on to them for a lil bit keep the filter in some of the water from the tank. Bacteria will really die off if the filter dries out

 

[Spishkey]

havent a clue what type they are just won the tank, can you see what they may be from this pic? looks like a big one at the front!! http/cgi.benl.ebay.be/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?V...em=220254211468

 

[Ferris]

That's an Oscar, not an African.

 

[Spishkey]

oh. the listings says african c's!
whats an oscar then??

 

[helterskelter]

Nice size tank, but yes defo an Oscar, these got to 12" in size and are quite nasty fish, but of you have a couple of them they are gret fish to keep, just little can go with them other than large fish and hardy catfish.

 

[Ferris]

http/www.fishforums.net/content/Cichlids...n/47035/Oscars/

 

[kj23502]

edit...
lol ferris beat me to the link

 

[Spishkey]

just been reading that lol ah well they'll be going elsewhere anyway!!