transporting fish

[dogpython]

want to get a small tank for my college apartment, however i will leave for christmas and summer break, is it possilbe to transport the fish, the drive is around 3 hours, the tank and such while saving the bacteria so i dont have to totally start from scratch at home and re-cycle the tank. thanks for the help!

 

[LittlePuff]

Yep. Just place them in bags, 1/4 water and 3/4 air (preferably O2) place the bags in a cooler to maintain the temp. 8)

Kim

 

[Fishyfanatic]

There is also a tablet that you can put in the water. I forget what it's called. But it turns the water a bluish tint and it provides more oxygen in the bags. When I buy fish from my favorite lfs which is about 3 hours away, they always put 1 tab in each bag. I've never lost a fish yet to it. It may not be needed, but I can tell the difference in the air in the bag if one is used or if its not.

When transporting the filter make sure you put the filter pads in a ziplock bag filled with old tank water. That way the media stays wet.

 

[Regen311]

I'm in college as well, and have been dealing with this for a while. What kind of fish are you getting? You should probably stick to a hardier fish. Also, how big will the aquarium be? I had a 10 gallon when i was on campus, and now have a 36 gallon. My fish do fine in the car. I take the curves extra slow and keep an eye on them. I put them in gallon size zip lock bags (only 1-2 fish per bag) and pu tthe bags ina bucket so they don't collapse. I also have a larger bucket where I put the rocks from the aquarium. I make sure there's a little water over the rocks so the bacteria stays alive for the trip. What kind of fish are you thinking of getting? Good luck!

 

[Regen311]

Oh, also, the breaks have not been a problem. I just made sure to feed them well the couple of days before the break and do a 50 percent water change. My breaks are a little shorter though because my school is on quarters. Over winter break I was gone a little under 2 weeks, and I just left the fish at school. If your break is longer, I'm sure you can find someone who has to stay on campus for whatever reason who could drop by to feed your fish. WHen someone else feeds my fish though, I usually tell them to only feed every 2-3 days, because people tend to overfeed which can cause huge problems when you're gone.

 

[dogpython]

thanks for the advice, right now i have platies, but ill be sure to keep yall updated! thanks again!!