Transporting Clown Fish?

[wilchil64]

Hi,

Grateful for some advice:

I have the opportunity to purchase a nano tank for only £50. The problem is there are two clown fish in it, the tank is about one and a half hours drive away, not sure if the fish will cope with this, what would be the best way to transport them, if at all possible?

Here is the ad, pasted below - does it sound like an ok tank, apart from the obvious problems? I am going to speak to my lfs first thing in the morning about the salt water, live rock and the fish.

"betta marine tank - only 6 mnths old -approx 18"x18"x18" - heater/filters/pump/nitrate bag/lights etc - (brand new tank top due to sticking fan!) selling due to lack of time and money to spend on trying to establish tank. currently treating for high nitrate levels but down from 75+ to 25. currently housing 2 large nemos and sand/several pieces of living rock (looking a bit dead at present but can be reseeeded once levels fine!). Tank retails at approx £250 alone. PLEASE NOTE - we will NOT sell fish/rock separately. Tank must be collected - you will need bag to transport fish and your own salt water to top up tank. absolute bargain for someone with the time to spend on it."

I have the time to spend on it, no marine experience but two flourishing tropical tanks, we were planning to buy a nano tank and start from scratch, after ascertaining that the 28 litre tank we have empty due to the demise of our betta is probably too small to do anything with, and this is such a bargain.

Thanks very much for any advice.

 

[chr15_8]

Best way to transport them would be to bag them up with 1/3 water 2/3 air. Like you do with tropicals. You want to try and keep as much water as possible with the move and keep the rock as wet as possible to stop as much die off as possible.

Having just read the ad you might be best to change 15% of the water to try and help with the high nitrate. Im quite new to marines myself and im sure someone else will be along soon correct me if im wrong.

 

[seffieuk]

Hi,

Grateful for some advice:

I have the opportunity to purchase a nano tank for only £50.

Sounds good

The problem is there are two clown fish in it, the tank is about one and a half hours drive away, not sure if the fish will cope with this, what would be the best way to transport them, if at all possible?

they will be fine - get a salt bucket or the like and transport them in that

Here is the ad, pasted below - does it sound like an ok tank, apart from the obvious problems? I am going to speak to my lfs first thing in the morning about the salt water, live rock and the fish.

"betta marine tank - only 6 mnths old -approx 18"x18"x18" -

that works about at about 21 gallons without displacment

heater/filters/pump/nitrate bag/lights etc - (brand new tank top due to sticking fan!) selling due to lack of time and money to spend on trying to establish tank.

sounds good as long as it is a marine nano tank

currently treating for high nitrate levels but down from 75+ to 25.

phew, but do-able

currently housing 2 large nemos

cute

and sand/several pieces of living rock (looking a bit dead at present but can be reseeeded once levels fine!).

This suggests you will have to buy all new live rock to me, you will need approx 11 kilos - however, you will have to cycle the rock (if it isn't already cycled and dont believe lfs when they say it is, it might be but just as likely it is not!) So you will need a tub or tank to keep it in and test over a few days to ensure it it cycled so your clowns don't suffer

Tank retails at approx £250 alone. PLEASE NOTE - we will NOT sell fish/rock separately. Tank must be collected - you will need bag to transport fish and your own salt water to top up tank. absolute bargain for someone with the time to spend on it."

yeah, don't believe retail prices!!! Look it up yourself to make sure it has what you need plus marine lights

I have the time to spend on it, no marine experience but two flourishing tropical tanks, we were planning to buy a nano tank and start from scratch, after ascertaining that the 28 litre tank we have empty due to the demise of our betta is probably too small to do anything with, and this is such a bargain.

Cool, look forward to reading your journel

Thanks very much for any advice.

Seffie x

ps to the salty side

 

[wilchil64]

Best way to transport them would be to bag them up with 1/3 water 2/3 air. Like you do with tropicals. You want to try and keep as much water as possible with the move and keep the rock as wet as possible to stop as much die off as possible.

Having just read the ad you might be best to change 15% of the water to try and help with the high nitrate. Im quite new to marines myself and im sure someone else will be along soon correct me if im wrong.

Hi Chr15,

thanks, I have some large buckets used for water changes for the tropical tanks, so could use one of those. I've also got the postcode now and it's actually only 33 miles away, so under an hour's drive up the A1M.

Noted re the water change - will need to get canisters of salt water anyway. Need to find nearest supplier, we have a Maidenhead Aquatics closeby, hope they have some.

How much water would I be able to leave in the tank during transportation, or would I do better using carrier bags for the live rock or buckets too, half full of salt water?

 

[wilchil64]

>>they will be fine - get a salt bucket or the like and transport them in that

that works about at about 21 gallons without displacment

sounds good as long as it is a marine nano tank

This suggests you will have to buy all new live rock to me, you will need approx 11 kilos - however, you will have to cycle the rock (if it isn't already cycled and dont believe lfs when they say it is, it might be but just as likely it is not!) So you will need a tub or tank to keep it in and test over a few days to ensure it it cycled so your clowns don't suffer
yeah, don't believe retail prices!!! Look it up yourself to make sure it has what you need plus marine lights<<

Hi Seffieuk,

thanks, they thought it was about 25 litres! As I know my 12 x 12 x 12 inches aqua 40 holds 28 litres without displacement I knew that was highly unlikely. Can you convert for me, how many litres?

They are advertising it as a marine tank, but I can't find it online anywhere, so unable to check anything about it - it's a betta m-500 apparently.

I'll know a bit more about availibility of live rock and salt water after speakign to my LFS tomorrow. If live rock isn't cured, how long does it have to stay in a bucket or two of salt water to cycle? Do I need to do anything to it?

Thanks again.

ps to the salty side

Thank you

 

[seffieuk]

Hi Seffieuk,

thanks, they thought it was about 25 litres! As I know my 12 x 12 x 12 inches aqua 40 holds 28 litres without displacement I knew that was highly unlikely. Can you convert for me, how many litres?

96 litres

They are advertising it as a marine tank, but I can't find it online anywhere, so unable to check anything about it - it's a betta m-500 apparently.

I have also tried looking it up - it's a bit strange that we can't find it - don't pay any money up front

I'll know a bit more about availibility of live rock and salt water after speakign to my LFS tomorrow. If live rock isn't cured, how long does it have to stay in a bucket or two of salt water to cycle? Do I need to do anything to it?

Best thing is to buy from a reefer breaking down a tank, its cheaper (about £5 a kilo) and will probably be better. Uncured can take many weeks to cure. To mini-cycle rock you can just keep in a container with a powerhead and heat and you will be fine

Thanks again.

you are welcome

Seffie x

 

[wilchil64]

I think it is this tank that I found online:


M-500 Marine setup (85L)

Tank Dimensions: 48cm(L)x45.5cm(W)x51cm(H). Top Frame Dimensions: 48cm(L)x45.5cm(W)x12cm(H).
M-500 Marine setup (85L)

The stylish new Aqua Nova NM-500 Marine
tank & cabinet comes complete with

~ 2 x 24w PL lighting (1/2 white, 1/2 blue)
~ 3 x blue LED lights (moonlight)
~ 7watt UV steriliser
~ Adjustable step design cover for hood
~ Individual waterproof switches
~ 2 x extraction fans to minimise heat
~ Undergravel filtration leading in to biological back filters which includes, thick black coarse sponge leading into filter box (noodles included)
~ Protein skimmer
~ 10watt power head with adjustable flow outlet
-Flow rate of 700 L/H
~ Available in Black and Grey only (Cabinet is prebuilt)
~ Marine Aquariums are sold as a complete unit
~ Tank Dimensions: 48cm(L)x45.5cm(W)x51cm(H). (mm Glass)
~ Top Frame Dimensions: 48cm(L)x45.5cm(W)x cm(H).

It sounds about right, only mention of a m-500 i've found so far.

Hi Seffieuk,
thanks, they thought it was about 25 litres! As I know my 12 x 12 x 12 inches aqua 40 holds 28 litres without displacement I knew that was highly unlikely. Can you convert for me, how many litres?
96 litres
They are advertising it as a marine tank, but I can't find it online anywhere, so unable to check anything about it - it's a betta m-500 apparently.
I have also tried looking it up - it's a bit strange that we can't find it - don't pay any money up front
I'll know a bit more about availibility of live rock and salt water after speakign to my LFS tomorrow. If live rock isn't cured, how long does it have to stay in a bucket or two of salt water to cycle? Do I need to do anything to it?
Best thing is to buy from a reefer breaking down a tank, its cheaper (about £5 a kilo) and will probably be better. Uncured can take many weeks to cure. To mini-cycle rock you can just keep in a container with a powerhead and heat and you will be fine
you are welcome

I'll only pay for it when I've seen it, no worries.

Unfortunately I'm not going to have a lot of time to find some local cycled live rock if I collect this weekend. I've seen some on ebay, but it's 15 kgs I think.

What do you mean by mini cycle compared to curing uncured rock?

 

[seffieuk]

What do you mean by mini cycle compared to curing uncured rock?

have a read of Trods journel in the journel section -she bought uncured rock, her thread gives a very clear idea of what is involved with curing live rock

A mini cycle is what happens when you take cured live rock out of the water for a short while, things die off and cause the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate cycle to happen, but in a small way - which is why you wouldn't add it to a tank with fish in - usually all done and dusted within a week or so. I bought live cured rock from an established reef for my first nano, tramsported it in water for approx an hour. i had a cycle - you can read about this at the start of my journel in the nano section

Seffie x

 

[wilchil64]

What do you mean by mini cycle compared to curing uncured rock?

have a read of Trods journel in the journel section -she bought uncured rock, her thread gives a very clear idea of what is involved with curing live rock

A mini cycle is what happens when you take cured live rock out of the water for a short while, things die off and cause the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate cycle to happen, but in a small way - which is why you wouldn't add it to a tank with fish in - usually all done and dusted within a week or so. I bought live cured rock from an established reef for my first nano, tramsported it in water for approx an hour. i had a cycle - you can read about this at the start of my journel in the nano section

Seffie x

Thanks, Seffie. We have decided not to go ahead as we don't really have room for the tank, realistically, and they are currently having problems with the light and pump, which strikes me as strange anyway in a 6 month old tank.

We're going to wait and use our Jewel 180 tank at some point to set up a nice marine tank, when our tropical fish die off.

Thanks very much for your help and advice.

K