Moving fish 3 1/2 hours away

[Kassi]

Me and my fiance are going to be moving 3 1/2 hours away in June. Does anyone have any advice on how to minimize stress for our fish during the move? What about keeping the aquarium stable? Would I be better off just selling my fish back to a pet store or giving them to a friend or is it possible to make the trip safe for them?

Currently all we have is 3 clown loaches in a 10 gallon, well taken care of tank. We plan on getting a larger aquarium after the move.

 

[Jchillin]

Moved to General Discussion forum

 

[mr funktastic]

hey jc if u can move the post u can reply to!! lol jk. i have bought fish from a store then stoped at someones house for 2 hours then drove an hour home and the fish was fine. u can bag all the fish with lots of air in the bags then drain half of your water into a 5 gallon jug. put your filter media ina ziplock back with tank water and then drain the rest of your water out. then first thing u do once u get to your new house is set up the tank even if in a temporary place then add have tap water (and dechlorinator) then the other half already treated water, hook up your filter and u are good to go. acclimate the fish like u would if introducing new ones. your fish should be able to make the move no problem. i hope all goes well for u

 

[trotty]

Another thing... use an ice box or cooler to keep the fish in! Keeps the temperature better and its nice and dark for the trip witch won't stress the fish out any more than they have to be! Try and take as much water as possible, on the other hand i have done a complete refill and they were ok. just make sure the water is at the right temp and use dechlor. Happy Moving.

 

[Kilgore]

I noticed no one addressed the issue of how Kassi can best maintain the filter's bacteria during the move - if it dies she will have to recycle her tank after the move. I have heard the bacteria can die in as little as 1 hour without oxygenation from circulating water. Hopefully that is a worst-case scenario, however.

Kassi - Definitely keep the filter media in the tank water and if you can aearate it with a battery operated airpump during the move that would be ideal. It would also be a good idea to use BioSpira once you get the tank setup again, if you can find it in your area (and afford it). Good luck!

 

[tropicfishman]

i'd keep the gravel soaked to, it has bacteria on it also

 

[Menagerie]

Welcome to AA, Kassi!!
I have moved with my fish many times--short moves and two long distance moves. You will have no problem with a bit of preparation. Keeping the fish in a lined cooler is a good idea. If you take the gravel out--put it in a small rubbermaid--or leave it in the tank, it will remain moist through the move. Since it is only a 10 gallon tank, you can take all the water with you in lidded buckets, or not. It was impossible for us to keep any water during our moves since the truck was very full and I wasn’t about to take buckets of water through Canadian customs. Keep the filter media wet, but the agitation of the water that occurs while driving will do plenty keep it aerated. If you opt for using fresh water, dechlor it and then start running the filter. Do not clean the filter in the weeks leading up to the move and the tank should be fine. This has worked with my tanks ranging in size from 10-80 gallons. Good luck with the move!