Using Bath As Temporary Tank

[sneezy]

Hi all.

Am just coming on for some advice as doing a big tank change tomorrow and don't want to cause any more stress to the fish than absolutely necessary.

I have a four foot tank which is getting a new cabinet and thorough clean tomorrow. I don't have a container big enough to house them while I do it so they will have to go in the bath.

Now I've given it a huge rinse down without chemicals and filled it with tap water and dosed with tapsafe to try and remove any nasties still on the sides. Is there anything else I can do to make it safe?

The plan tomorrow is to half fill with treated tap water then transfer as much tank water as possible into the bath before transferring the fish and the filters which I will plug in to try and protect the bacteria.

Hopefully will only be for a couple of hrs but the tank pretty much needs stripping down due to massive algae problem and am changing from sand to gravel (I know I know but can't keep my sand looking clean for more than a minute) so may be longer

Anyway is there anything glaringly obvious I need to do please.

TIA

 

[Uriel]

Is there nothing else you can use. The bath will have absorbed loads of unknown chemicals over the years that will leech out into the water and possibly damage your fish.

 

[hensonc4098]

I used the kitchen bin when I did mine LOL It had always been used with a bin bag so wasn't chemically If you are going to use the bath though, as it is quite open and exposed then the fish might benefit from putting some rocks, wood or even letting plants float in it with them to give them something to hide under

 

[sneezy]

Is there nothing else you can use. The bath will have absorbed loads of unknown chemicals over the years that will leech out into the water and possibly damage your fish.

No nothing. Have had various tanks over the last few yrs but they have all gone now. Have even looked at all the children's toy boxes but none are suitable

 

[juggernuts]

I never would have thought about the chems leaking out, but would probably just take caution. I understand its not something you would ant to do, but what about a small amount of pond liner to just line the bath out?

Just to be double safe, I can imagine that you dont want to mess about more seen as though you have already done what you have.

If your willing to put them in, I would simply take an ordinary algae magnet, and scrub the bath like mad and rinse a couple of times then do as you did with the tap safe etc

What ever you choose best of luck!

Paul

 

[sneezy]

I used the kitchen bin when I did mine LOL It had always been used with a bin bag so wasn't chemically If you are going to use the bath though, as it is quite open and exposed then the fish might benefit from putting some rocks, wood or even letting plants float in it with them to give them something to hide under

was going to chuck them all on anyway. I'm always putting bleach in my bin so no good.

What is the minimum size I could hold 30 odd fish in. Am thinking I may be able to wash out the xmas decs tub. Its about 50 x 30cm

 

[Uriel]

Personally i think i would bag them up and put them in poly boxes. But then I am a little paranoid. I wouldn't feed them 24 hours before moving them also as some fish will regurgatate food when stressed which could cause you water quality issues.

If you do bag make sure you have 25% water 75% air. As air contains more oxygen.

 

[sneezy]

Personally i think i would bag them up and put them in poly boxes. But then I am a little paranoid. I wouldn't feed them 24 hours before moving them also as some fish will regurgatate food when stressed which could cause you water quality issues.

If you do bag make sure you have 25% water 75% air. As air contains more oxygen.

Too late for that I'm afraid. I've just fed them and my new cabinet is coming at 8.30 tomorrow morn and my Mum is coming to help at 9am. In an ideal world and all that.

 

[fluttermoth]

I disagree that the bath would leech out chemicals; I've had to keep fish in baths a few times over the years due to various emergency situations and have never lost one. As long as the bath is really, really well scrubbed and rinsed; in clean hot water ONLY there shouldn't be a problem.

Being in a bath does make fish nervous, so as hensonc4098 says, floating your plants in there is a great idea; keeps your plants nice and warm and damp too!

Just make sure the plug fits properly and doesn't slowly let the water out

 

[Craig89]

yeah ive used the bath before, i just boiled some water and used that to clean the bath and then rinse with more boiling water. As said though watch the plug

 

[hensonc4098]

Just make sure the plug fits properly and doesn't slowly let the water out

From experience?? hahahaha

 

[fluttermoth]

Just make sure the plug fits properly and doesn't slowly let the water out

From experience?? hahahaha

Yes, from experience

A channel catfish, plus a few fancy goldfish and two plecs dumped on my friends doorstep in a washing up bowl...we had nowhere to put the channel cat, so it went in the kitchen sink; good job we were in and out with buckets and for cups of tea while we madly set up spare tanks and moved filters to accommodate everything or we might not have noticed

 

[Darr3ll]

I have a plastic storage type container I got from a local DIY/knick knack store...only a few quid, holds a lot of water and very handy for all types of fish related stuff..and comes with a lid which I can only assume makes the fish feel better.

 

[Inchworm]

Whatever you do, make sure you have something to use as a cover. This will keep the fish from jumping out and a dark environment will also help keep them calmer.

 

[waterdrop]

I have a plastic storage type container I got from a local DIY/knick knack store...only a few quid, holds a lot of water and very handy for all types of fish related stuff..and comes with a lid which I can only assume makes the fish feel better.

Yes, I agree with this. I have found that having a couple of these big ones around is quite handy both as emergency fish holders and for soaking new wood. WD