Moving, best way to transport fish?

[SnailorJ]

This weekend I am moving. It's a 4 hour car drive away, so luckily not too far. Still, I'm not sure the best way to transport the fish. They will be the last thing I take down before leaving, and the first thing I set up when I arrive. However, I'm planning on changing substrates, so I will have to do that and rescape the tank before they can go back in. I have 12 neon tetras, 1 powder blue gourami, 6 striped kuhlis, and 4 nerites. I'll bag all of the plants and filter media and drain the tank, but should I just get those bags from the fish store and divide them up in there and stick the bags in a bucket? Will they be able to last for 5-8 hours in there with no oxygen pumped in? Should I put them all in one of those 5 gal buckets from lowes? Any advice is appreciated


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[Pamiam]

I have moved many times and never lost a fish. I move from Maine to Ohio, and back again , a 2 day trip. The 5 gallon bucket is fine. When driving, the movement from the car over turns the water for oxygenation. When the fish are not traveling, I would hook up an air stone to keep the oxygen flowing until you can put them in a tank.

This time of year temperature should not be an issue unless you are somewhere extremely hot, then ice packs would be necessary to keep temps down.

 

[SnailorJ]

I live in Texas, so it is extremely hot. However, they will either be in the car, which is air conditioned, or the house, which is also air conditioned, so I don't see that being a problem. My only concern with the bucket is that the water would splash around too much in the car and stress them out, or spill. I don't know how high I could fill them without the risk of splashing over the edge. And could I stick all of the fish in the bucket, or should I split them between two?


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[Pamiam]

For the bucket (link below) and you can buy a lid which is a good idea in case fish jump or like you said spill. Mine have also traveled in mason jars with bubble wrap around them, holes in the lid ( My pea puffer and bamboo shrimp) Some plastic container like tupperware would work also.

Homer Bucket 5-gal. Orange Bucket-05GLHD2 at The Home Depot

Feel at ease because fish travel from supplier to store all the time.

You do not need much water as they are traveling, an inch or 2 above the tallest fish. I would throw in a plant for security.

 

[Pamiam]

you could place the gourami separately so as not to damage it's feeler thingys, as I posted above.

My 2 delicate species I placed separately. I also have raphael catfish and bristle nose plecos that I housed separately because of bumping, I did not want to cause harm to other fish due to their hard bodies.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Cooler+ bags from fish store is how I'd go about it. No spilling and the cooler helps reduce temperature changes. Fish are shipped all over in little bags for up to 24 hours. A couple hours in a bag probably won't hurt them. I'd bag them all separately according to species.

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[SnailorJ]

Thanks, all. I'm much more comfortable with the idea of packaging them individually in closed containers, so I'll probably just sacrifice some Tupperware by poking holes in the lid and then pop all of those in a cooler. That way I don't have to worry about bags spilling or running out of air. And I'll stick a plant in with each of them too, that's a good idea. I might split the neons into groups of 6, and I'll definitely keeps the kuhlis together and the gourami separate. I guess I can just pop a snail in each container too. I'm happy with this solution! Thanks again!


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