Moving with Multiple Fish

[Manic Fury]

This is all going to be in the future, I won't be moving for over a year, but I want to be prepared (very paranoid).

I live in a dorm at college as of now. I signed a lease on a house that starts next year on June 1st, 2014.

I'll be going home for the summer next year (I would stay in the town that I go to college at and move in before June 1st, but I have a really good job and there are no jobs here).

(Sorry if this is a little confusing at this point, but bare with me )

Where I will be going over the summer is 5 hours away from where I live right now.

I have a 10 gallon tank right now that is currently fishless cycling. I'm going to get a smallish fancy goldfish (I know, too small. Don't have room for my 30 gallon tank) and add it to the 10 gallon until I get out for the summer.

I'm going to be bringing my 30 gallon tank with me for the summer and adding the goldfish to my 30 gallon so it has more room (and possibly get another goldfish, just to make my life more stressful )

With the 10 gallon tank I want to get some smaller community fish after I've had some experience in fishkeeping as I am a sort of newbie when it comes to this.

So, here's my dilemma:

How do I transport several fish at once when I go back to school? (About 10-15)

Bag each individually?
Add the community fish to a 5 gallon bucket and add airstone while having goldfish separately bagged?

Not get so many **** fish and save myself some trouble?

As I said, this is going to be in the future. I just want to be prepared if I do decide to get community fish over the summer.

Sorry again if this was all confusing.

 

[Masha]

When I moved, I just put my fish in a bucket with a lid. I put my floating plants in as well as I thought that would make them more comfortable.

I'm no expert, but I would think having a bucket with a fair amount of water will be easier to keep temperature and water quality stable than bagging them.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

I use an ice box, for picnics. Plastic and large, thermally sound, handy carrying handle, normally locks shut.
Other equipment, a power invertor car dc to ac. Filter (in tank type) and heater (secured to bottom!)
You can drive all night with that set up. Furthest I've been is 7 hours. Shorter journeys up to an hour require no heater or filter.

Wedge it in the passenger footwell with the front seat. Allow for fluid slop on corners and braking. Wet river smelling car is not pleasant!

This part is real hard, I would hold off on new stock until the move is complete. You must resist

 

[Masha]

Hey, that's a great idea. Picnic cooler.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Like you said, life long learning!

Works great for even bigger fish. It's the best solution I've found for long hauls.
If the invertor is up to it and the filter is "good" (cycled) it's just like a fish tent!
Completely worry free while the sockets are live, some cars switch off dc outlet with ignition but it's easy enough to override.

In any case it's good enough for rest stops and refuelling.

 

[Fishinfreak]

Have my own Q for this, I'm moving in about 1.5 years (still got plenty of time) and am wondering what to do with fish in a 55g. I know how to transport them, but will they last long enough in the cooler for me to take down most of the tank, transport it (only like 4 miles to new house) and set it back up? Greatly apreciated!

 

[J.Mcpeak]

The cooler can be set up as a secondary tank, bare bottom, heater on bottom. Tank water and system filter.

Sit it on a chair or table and you can run the system filter (external)
You've got time to nip to the pub! (Safe as the tank=translation)

When all is loaded, strip down for transport or employ invertor method. If the fish are in the cooler just put lid on and off you go!

Some of these ice boxes are large! Not 55 gal but a fair size. Depending on stock size, you may need two boxes or two journeys.

I travelled from Carlisle to London which is pretty much England UK, point to point, no problems. Journey time approx 7 hours by van, 310 miles. I used heater and internal filter.

If the journey is short <1 hour the thermal barrier provided by the box is more than sufficient (be wise with air con/heaters in car!) From 1-3 hours employ an air stone (+temp acclimate in new setting), 3+ Hours try to get a heater and filter internal mount, if filter is not an option you can get battery powered air stones or invertor for O2 and heater.

 

[Manic Fury]

I use an ice box, for picnics. Plastic and large, thermally sound, handy carrying handle, normally locks shut.
Other equipment, a power invertor car dc to ac. Filter (in tank type) and heater (secured to bottom!)
You can drive all night with that set up. Furthest I've been is 7 hours. Shorter journeys up to an hour require no heater or filter.

Wedge it in the passenger footwell with the front seat. Allow for fluid slop on corners and braking. Wet river smelling car is not pleasant!

This part is real hard, I would hold off on new stock until the move is complete. You must resist

This is a good idea. Never thought of that.

I'm going to have an empty 10 gallon tank that will drive me crazy if I don't have a fish in it!

I can't resist! I need my fishies!

 

[J.Mcpeak]

I can't resist! I need my fishies!

I'm like you, we are like them!

That plan is tried and tested, it's fool proof. In the past I used it loads.

 

[Fishinfreak]

The cooler can be set up as a secondary tank, bare bottom, heater on bottom. Tank water and system filter.

Sit it on a chair or table and you can run the system filter (external)
You've got time to nip to the pub! (Safe as the tank=translation)

When all is loaded, strip down for transport or employ invertor method. If the fish are in the cooler just put lid on and off you go!

Some of these ice boxes are large! Not 55 gal but a fair size. Depending on stock size, you may need two boxes or two journeys.

I travelled from Carlisle to London which is pretty much England UK, point to point, no problems. Journey time approx 7 hours by van, 310 miles. I used heater and internal filter.

If the journey is short <1 hour the thermal barrier provided by the box is more than sufficient (be wise with air con/heaters in car!) From 1-3 hours employ an air stone (+temp acclimate in new setting), 3+ Hours try to get a heater and filter internal mount, if filter is not an option you can get battery powered air stones or invertor for O2 and heater.

Should be easy enough for me, since it's about a 10 min. drive

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Thank you for the thank yous! it means a lot to me!

It means more in plural!

Good luck with the move(s)