Best way to move a 10g planted tank (~6 hour drive)

[BettaGamma]

Hi all,

As my first year in the college dorms is coming to a close two things have me stressed out: (1) final exams and (2) how the heck am I gonna get this tank home for the summer?? In my excitement about setting up a new tank I failed to ask myself this critical question, haha

I'm considering a few options and perhaps some of you have experienced something similar and can advise:

I think I will pick up a couple 5 gallon buckets with lids, one of which I will fill between half and 3/4 full with tank water for the fish (6 cardinals, 3 habrosus corys). I'll likely throw the existing filter media and an airstone in there as well (may consider breaking out a sponge filter right now and running that in the tank before the move in a few weeks to get that "seeded" with bacteria). I have a usb airpump I think I will use with a battery bank

As for heating, my sense is that there's no way to do that on battery power, but my hope is that 6 hours without won't be especially detrimental. Would it be advisable to begin tapering the tank temp down from 78F in the coming weeks gradually so as to avoid a temperature shock?


A bit torn as to what to do with the tank itself, though. I have around 25 lb of sand substrate in there. I could lower the water level to right above the substrate, keep the plants planted, and try to transport it that way. My thought was to get a thick sheet of wood around the size of the tank and carry it on that to the car, but I'm not sure if that's even feasible given the weight and I'm not sure if I risk busting open the sealants/seems due to the forces a stationary tank wouldn't ordinarily experience. Then again, this is a relatively small tank

I'd like to avoid having to uproot and replant everything (mostly because I'm not confident in my ability to do that without destroying the plants' roots, as I did with the vallisneria I recently bought...), especially with the sword and crypts which are deeply-rooted at this point. That said, would it be better to remove all the substrate and keep the plants in another bucket so that they stay wet? Are there any additional preparations I should make in that case, or can they just "float around" for the trip?


Sorry for the word vomit, any and all insight is appreciated!

 

[HiFin Army]

You will have to bite the bullet. I am a beginner, however what I would do is put the fish in larger 3/3/3 config in one of the large tupperwares (I mean large). This way you can place them on the floor of the car and drive sanely and they wont get too much shock. You will have to drain 4/5 of the water and if you can secure the tank to your car. If not you will need to keep the substrate damp to keep the bacteria going and set it up when you get home, heat up the water, and pray for the best.

The water with the fish will have some bacteria in it as will the deco. I think temp would be the main thing and properly acclimating them as the water temp will change as the car ride progresses.

I hope this can help give you some ideas!