Moving long distance with our fish

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altidude

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Apr 4, 2017
Messages
22
Location
Ventura, CA
I've searched the forum and I haven't found anything that fits with what we're doing this coming July.

We're moving, state to state. The trip is about 15 total hours on the road and we have an overnight stop along the way. I won't be able to set up a tank at the new location before we get there.

We have a lightly stocked 20 gallon (5 cherry barbs). I would prefer to rehome them in our current area but my son loves his fish so they're coming with us.

I plan to put the fish in a 5 gallon bucket with a small filter and heater (I have AC power available in the vehicle). Is the filter overkill? We may have a total of 48-72 hours from when the fish are removed from their current home until we're set up in the new place.

The date of this move may be more an issue with cooling though. We're driving through the California upper desert then Owens Valley, Nevada, southern Oregon and Idaho. Would a cooler be a better choice than the bucket?

I'll take as much water with me as I can and all the substrate. Weight will not be an issue, space may be.

I know this question has been asked and I apologize for asking again. I'm just hoping to hear from somebody that has done a longer distance move with fish.
 
I've searched the forum and I haven't found anything that fits with what we're doing this coming July.

We're moving, state to state. The trip is about 15 total hours on the road and we have an overnight stop along the way. I won't be able to set up a tank at the new location before we get there.

We have a lightly stocked 20 gallon (5 cherry barbs). I would prefer to rehome them in our current area but my son loves his fish so they're coming with us.

I plan to put the fish in a 5 gallon bucket with a small filter and heater (I have AC power available in the vehicle). Is the filter overkill? We may have a total of 48-72 hours from when the fish are removed from their current home until we're set up in the new place.

The date of this move may be more an issue with cooling though. We're driving through the California upper desert then Owens Valley, Nevada, southern Oregon and Idaho. Would a cooler be a better choice than the bucket?

I'll take as much water with me as I can and all the substrate. Weight will not be an issue, space may be.

I know this question has been asked and I apologize for asking again. I'm just hoping to hear from somebody that has done a longer distance move with fish.
In my personal opinion being that you'll be in a car I think it's more about the water being too cool than too hot. You have tropical fish so they need to stay in water around 75 degrees. Unless you won't have any ac in your car that won't be an issue. It's always a risk transporting fish but if you keep the water temperature good then they should be fine
 
If it were me I'd drain half the water out of the 20 and keep the fish in with a couple airstones running. I wouldn't worry about the temp as long as it didn't dip below 72 or raise above 82. This is a relatively short term issue.

Another idea would be to buy a large plastic bag like you'd find in a fish shop, fill it with water, add fish and tie it off. The same as a shop would when they transport a fish to you through two day shipping. Just fast the fish for 24-48 hours before adding it to the bag so they don't poo a lot and foul the water.
 
Lesson I learnt (although this is much smaller tank) was to set up tank in new place as soon as possible. I couldn’t get to it for a week or more and lost a lot of fish.
 
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