Moving long distance

[jbarby]

Hey everyone.

I have 4 Zebra Danio's and I am going to moving from Oregon to California and the drive time is going to be 11 hours. I would give the fish away but given that the fish are 99 cents each I doubt anyone would bother dropping by and picking them up.

Have any of you guys moved tropical fish such a long distance driving? Would they survive in a thermos for the time it would take to move and get my 20gal aquarium back up up to temperature?

 

[Purrbox]

Considering that fish often go through the mail for days when traveling overseas, spending half a day traveling should be no problem if packaged correctly.

 

[Zagz]

If you can get a rubbermaid container that is unused, that would be best for them. Take your substrate and the water from the tank and put it in the rubbermaid. Put the fish in the rubbermaid and use an airstone until you leave or get a battery operated airstone for the trip. Don't feed the fish the day or two before the move. This reduces waste which will lessen ammonia build up. Keep the filter media wet so it doesn't lose the beneficial bacteria. When you get to your destination, set up the tank, add new water, get the filters running. Test the temp of the water in the rubbermaid container and try and get the new tank water as close to that as possible. Add the fish and keep an eye on parameters for the next week to make sure you don't get a mini-cycle. I've done it before and had no fish losses.

 

[jbarby]

Thanks you guys

 

[theotheragentm]

With that kind of move, it might be better to sell what you can unfortunately. It's not that you can't get the fish to make it. It's a huge pain, especially when you have to move other things too and the fish and equipment need special care. If you're not too attached to anything in particular, it would be easier.

 

[Brynn]

I go to college about 5 hours away from home, so I've become a minor expert in transporting aquariums and fishies long distance. I've yet to lose a single fish during the trip - the one betta I did lose died because I was an idiot about the cup's water temp that I transported him in.

All I do is fast the fish the day before, then put them all in seperate tupperware containers with half tank water, half pretreated fresh water. I throw a couple pieces of Java Moss in as well when I have it. Then I drain the tank, put everything in plastic baggies (I usually leave the gravel in the tank), and get it into the car. Then I do it all again in reverse.

 

[Phoenixphire55]

I say definitely dont try to sell them. I've transported fish longer distances and time and they were fine. Just do what Zagz suggested and they should be A-ok. It's really not much of a hassle, especially for just 4 little fish.