Moving to a different town, help!!

[FishMom109]

I am moving to a different town in a few days and I have a 2 inch pleco in a 30 gallon tank. I know that I'll have to upgrade or find a new home for him. This isn't what I am worried about.

I need to know the best way to move with him. I've seen people saying things about putting the fish in a bowl with a cracked lid for air and other things. But I'm very curious about the BEST way to move him and his new home safely. Whatever he is in, he will be in the front seat in my vehicle with me for the trip. It's about a 45 minute drive from where I am. If anyone has ANY kind of information, it would be very helpful. He is the only fish I have too.. Thanks so much.

 

[CoyoteWildfire]

It's charming how much you love your pleco... I have one too and I love him a lot.

The best (or only) way I know how to move an aquarium and a fish in it is to get a bucket and fill it with tank water. Cover the bucket and try not to let the temperature fluctuate much, if possible. Plecos like the dark anyway. And if you can have someone suspend the bucket by its handles as much as possible so the bumps of the car ride don't directly hit the water. Plecos are rather hardy so he should manage the trip just fine.

Also be sure to drain a good portion of the water out of the aquarium but leave enough water to cover the top of your substrate so your bacterial colony isn't wiped. Leave the filter media in there too.

 

[Scalare]

Good advice from coyotewildfire, it's very important you keep the substrate covered with water and make sure the filter stays submerged in the tank water to. save as much of the original water as you can. I'm sure your Pleco will be fine on such a short trip. Good Luck!!

Pete

 

[FishMom109]

Awesome! Thank you so much. I'm a little worried about the water going all over the place and shaking him up too much. I guess I should make sure that I have a passenger to hold onto him while I move for extra care. As far as a bucket, I'm worried he's gunna freak out and try to jump out of something lol I have some pretty big tupperware bowls with lids.. would this be okay too? So basically I need to make sure all of my tank habitants (decorations, filter, substrate) stays wet for the entire trip? I hope he can make the transition okay!

 

[CoyoteWildfire]

Yes, you'll want to make sure they stay as wet for as much of the entire trip as possible. But you don't want to have the water level much more than half, when transporting the tank or you'll also have a lot of water all over the vehicle.

Plecos might freak out a little initially, but he won't jump out. If the bucket is pretty tall (2+ gal), he won't jump out as long as you don't fill it full. Tupperware bowls with lids may work as well, but there won't be a way to suspend him in the air. Technically, yes, it'd be okay to use tupperware bowls. My concerns there are the fact that bowls are wider than they are tall, which isn't as good for transportation, and if you used a lid, you wouldn't want to seal it. That's a good way to cut off available oxygen to the water.

 

[Amicus]

Every one has given great advice! I have just one thing to add, when I have transported fish in a bucket and for water changes I use a heating element. It is very basic with simple temp control. It is flat and sits on the bottom of the bucket. Leave on to desired temp and you could use that to ensure the water stays in the proper range. For the car I went to radio shack and got a power converter that plugs into cig socket. You will be able to plug the heater into the adapter and you should be good for the trip. If you do get an adapter 150 w should do.

 

[Homedog98]

It helps to keep the bucket he's in off the seat. I had to take a betta home once on the bus (rescue) and I wound up having to hold him in my lap to keep the water from spilling out.

 

[spoonman]

Personally, I would empty the tank completely. You can keep the gravel wet in a bucket if you can. The important thing to keep in mind is the filter media. Transporting a tank with gravel and 10 gallons of water in it is not a good idea. You are talking about moving around a tank that weights 100 lbs or so. I usually use the oppurtunity to clean the tank and then put the gravel and decor back in with fresh temp matched, dechlored water. Hook up the filter, heater....etc. and put the fish back in. If anything you may have a mini cycle (although I never have). My point is that moving a tank with gravel and water in it will stress the silicone joints and may cause troubles down the road.

 

[Homedog98]

Personally, I would empty the tank completely. You can keep the gravel wet in a bucket if you can. The important thing to keep in mind is the filter media. Transporting a tank with gravel and 10 gallons of water in it is not a good idea. You are talking about moving around a tank that weights 100 lbs or so. I usually use the oppurtunity to clean the tank and then put the gravel and decor back in with fresh temp matched, dechlored water. Hook up the filter, heater....etc. and put the fish back in. If anything you may have a mini cycle (although I never have). My point is that moving a tank with gravel and water in it will stress the silicone joints and may cause troubles down the road.

+1

 

[Amicus]

Personally, I would empty the tank completely. You can keep the gravel wet in a bucket if you can. The important thing to keep in mind is the filter media. Transporting a tank with gravel and 10 gallons of water in it is not a good idea. You are talking about moving around a tank that weights 100 lbs or so. I usually use the oppurtunity to clean the tank and then put the gravel and decor back in with fresh temp matched, dechlored water. Hook up the filter, heater....etc. and put the fish back in. If anything you may have a mini cycle (although I never have). My point is that moving a tank with gravel and water in it will stress the silicone joints and may cause troubles down the road.

I have heard of transporting different ways and everyone has an opinion. I must say that I agree with spoonman and if I have to transport in the future I will heed this advice.

 

[Amicus]

I do think though that with one tiny pleco the bucket and heating element is best for the fish in these circumstances.

 

[Amicus]

It helps to keep the bucket he's in off the seat. I had to take a betta home once on the bus (rescue) and I wound up having to hold him in my lap to keep the water from spilling out.

Very sweet.

 

[CoyoteWildfire]

I do think though that with one tiny pleco the bucket and heating element is best for the fish in these circumstances.

+1

 

[Amicus]

If you do use bucket and heating element keep the element off the bottom. Find a way to keep on side with wire or pinch under lid. Forgot to mention.

 

[TraceyB4602]

To add if you need a bucket with a lid, I use buckets from home depot when u needed to travel with my fishy's. The buckets are like 2 bucks and come with lids that are 1 buck. They snap shut well so you could put gravel and filter media in one and your pleco in the other.

Edit* I also don't think that a 45 minute ride will cause you to need a heating device. Once you get to your new place just plug in the heater and put it in the bucket with him to warm it up if needed.