moving - how to move planted tank and fish

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shrek_vn2002

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jul 18, 2008
Messages
104
I'm going to buy 2 tall buckets, one for plants and other for my fishes... Then dump water but leave the substrate in the tank and carry them to my new apt...
Oh well... have to start over!!! :(:(
 
You can do that. Make sure you keep the bucket with the fish and plants temperate when you are in transit. Keep the gravel and filter media wet, then when you set the tank back up, you shouldn't have any mini-cycles.
 
How long of a drive is it to your new place? What I did with my 10g was run an air stone and a heater off a DC-to-AC converter while in the car. To transport the tank I drained as much water as I could and left the gravel covered. I got a sturdy board (3/4" mdf) and had a friend slide the tank, carefully, onto the board while I held it. If it is anything larger than a 10g I might reconsider, and just remove all the substrate.
 
Thanks...
I have 29 and 14 GL tank with lots of plants...
it is just 2 blocks away to the new apt but the current apt is on 3rd floor!! lots of stairs!!
i think i should remove the substrate out of 29GL tank as it could be heavy and i dont know i can be able to handle it... Moving guys said they just help me to carry furniture but not the fish tank!! yack !!
 
I moved a 37 high cichlid tank 150 miles in a uhaul truck in February in Iowa. I left the substrate in with enough water so that only the top of the gravel was exposed, put that in the back of the truck, and put the fish in a 5g bucket and set it on the floor of the passenger seat. I didn't use a heater or airstone, just made sure the floor heat was on enough to maintain temp and they all survived just fine, and I didn't have to cycle.

The other thing you could do is scoop out all the substrate into a bucket w/water over the top right before you move it, and get it back into the tank right away after the move. This would probably be the best considering the stairs.

If you can, get a few more 5g buckets and move the water too to minimize stress on the fish. Do it all quickly to minimize bacteria loss from low O2/no flow.
 
remove everything from the tank is the best idea. follow what the others said.
 
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