Moving tanks and LOTS of fish.

[Jess1ca]

Will be moving here in the next couple weeks. I am trying to wrap my head around how to move all my tanks. I'm only going about 10 miles away but I have a lot of fish to move. My original plan was to load up on a bunch of 5 gallon buckets an d getting some battery operated air pumps but I am nervous to put any number of my Africans together in buckets for any amount of time in fear that they will fight. My next option is individually bagging them. My biggest concern is the amount of time they will be in bags as the tanks get set up. I'm guessing this process will take hours. I'm afraid of temps in the bags dropping and lack of oxygen. HELP! I really need to figure out a plan!!!

 

[Race37]

I never had any Africans, but I did have to move my 55 reef on a 3 hour drive, what I did is got me a big rubber made tub and had the water ready for the stock as soon as I got there, packed up all my fish and corals I could, I used buckets with the air pump for the fish, and moved them as fast as I could, kept the car as close to 78 as possible, started acclimating them as soon as I got to the new place. They all survived the trip, but they had to sit in the tub for 3 or 4 days. That's when I lost one fish and 2 corals :-/

 

[BigDaddy]

I did a 6 hour drive , 10 hour total tank-to-tank move with Africans in a 5g bucket. Put in some hidey decorations and plugged an air stone into the car lighter with an adaptor and drove like my mom was in the car. No fatalities at all.

You could bag them separately for 10 miles but moving is never as simple as it seems so I would be worried about oxygen more than a potential scuffle or two because moving sucks and you may not be able to tear down and set-up as fast as you anticipate.

 

[Zimmanski]

I'm about to be moving as well so I'm glad to see this thread. I'm only moving 15 miles and using 5 gallon buckets, do you really need a bubbler for a 20-25 min drive??

 

[Jess1ca]

I'm about to be moving as well so I'm glad to see this thread. I'm only moving 15 miles and using 5 gallon buckets, do you really need a bubbler for a 20-25 min drive??

I'm more afraid of the time they will sit in the bucket while I move the tanks and the. Set them up!

 

[Race37]

I dont think so, I bring them home form the pet store in bags and that's 45 minutes form my house, and they are shipped in bags for days to the pet store, I used them because I didn't want to chance it with how much I had invested in stock, but if I was to do it over again and had to buy the air pump, I would do without and just put them in bags or buckets

 

[Jess1ca]

So much great advice! Thank you all!!! I think I will try the totes... Bagging sounds soooo complicated and time consuming!

 

[Jess1ca]

Not to mention every time I bring a Cichlid home in a bag they're fins punctures the bag and springs a leak!

 

[BigDaddy]

I had a 6 hour drive so planned on needing the bubbler but for a smaller drive it's probably not necessary but it can't hurt either.

 

[Jess1ca]

Alright, one more question if anyone knows the answer, my new house has a water softener.... Is that bad for my Africans????? Should I turn it off????

 

[Race37]

Test it to make sure all your parameters are ok

 

[Jess1ca]

Test it to make sure all your parameters are ok

I'm getting a sample today, I run cc to bring ph up already, I know they prefer hard water... I don't even really know what a water softener does lol I've never used one!

 

[absolutangel04]

Getting moved into a bucket is a bit stressful for fish, so they won't even have time to think about bickering with each other before you are at the new location. Not to mention, they generally fight over territory, but in a bucket, their territories are gone so they shouldn't be inspired to suddenly break out in any real fights I wouldn't think. I recently moved with angels in a styro cooler. They were in that thing for about 36 hours and didn't fight. Coolers give more temp insulation than buckets do. Up to you. I certainly would not take the time to bag everybody individually though.