I have bought a house in the same city that i currently live in. I have a 35 gallon aquarium with a 5inch long Red Devil fish. THe movers refuse to move the aquarium, which is ok because i really feel more comfortable doing this myself and the tank will fit in my back seat, but how do i protect my fish? I am afraid that i will cause him too much stress with the water changes, transfering him and transporting him. Please help, i have had him for a few years now. Please let me know if i left out any important information. Thanks so much for your help!
2007-01-12 06:29:42 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
If your new house is in the same water district, there shouldn't be any problems at all.
I've found a 5 gallon bucket to be the easiest thing to transport fish in. It does not need to be full of water, about half filled is better actually. This way you don't have to worry about sloshing water all over your car. Put the fish in the half-filled bucket, put some plants on top so he has cover, and put a lid on it. You *need* a lid because fish do jump, esp. if they're uncomfortable.
Take the filter media, and put it in some water in a plastic bag. You need to keep this damp to keep the nitrifying bacteria alive so that you don't have to re-cycle your aquarium.
When moving the tank, empty it completely. Even a half inch of water in the bottom can wreak havok when you're trying to move an aquarium. It will start sloshing and you will lose control and drop the tank.
Fill up the fish tank with fresh water. Dirty water is dirty water is dirty water. The water column holds hardly any nitrifying bacteria and certainly not enough to do anything! Your fish will appreciate the clean water, esp. if it's in the same water district.
When you get the tank set up, take some airline tubing and start a slow siphon from the tank into the bucket. 1 drop every second or 2 should be fine. When the bucket is nearly full, net your fish out and place him back in his home.
I hope everything goes well for you!
2007-01-12 07:43:38 · answer #1 · answered by Ellen 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get a five gallon bucket with a lid. Fill it with water from the tank. This is good not only to minimize stress during the move, but to also have some cycled water for the new tank. Fill it all the way up to about an inch from the top. This will minimize sloshing. Punch some holes in the lid; more in the center so water doesn't slosh out over the sides and make a mess. Put the fish in and snap on the lid tight. Then put the bucket in a large box and stuff all the empty spaces with blankets, foam, anything to keep it secure. Put the box in the car, preferably on the floor, or at least on a seat in such a way that it will not fly off if you have to stop short. For instance, put it on the front seat, strap the seat belt over it and push the seat all the way forward so that the box is touching the glove compartment/dash. Drive carefully, avoid bumps. You should be fine. I transported fish 700 miles this way and they were fine. Happy move and fish keeping! :)
2007-01-12 06:43:03 · answer #2 · answered by Venice Girl 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't worry, they're tough fish, and I'm sure he'll be fine :)
Start by getting a large, clean plastic cooler. Like the type you take on a picnic. Fill it about halfway with water from the tank. Put him in there and close it. Then empty out most of the remaining water in the tank so you can carry it. Put the tank on the back seat and the cooler with the fish somewhere where he won't move too much in the car, and bring him to your new house.
Then, you can fill up the tank most of the way with fresh new water, re-attach filter and heater, making sure its the same temp as the water in the cooler, then add your fish and the water in the cooler (from the old tank). And he should be jump fine :)
Also, I should add that a red devil will eventually need a bare minimum of 50 gallons. They are big fish!
2007-01-12 06:36:16 · answer #3 · answered by Zoe 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Get a container that will hold water that you can handle (a bucket will work). Make sure it is clean and doesn't have cleaner residue. Put a couple of gallons of water from your tank in it. Catch the fish in a net and put it in the bucket. You might want to put a towel over it to keep the fish from jumping out and the water from splashing. Empty and move the tank. Fill it with new water and add some dechlorinization drops. Set up you heater. Allow the tank to neutralize per the instructions on the drops, and to reach the normal tempurature. Empty the fish and water in a large plastic bag. Put the bag and the fish in the tank of water and allow it about 15 minutes to reach the tank tempurature. Open the bag and let the fish out into its new clean home.
2007-01-12 06:41:17 · answer #4 · answered by Jimmytheblade 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
This sounds like a good opportunity to upgrade the size of tank he is in. Red devils can easily reach 10 inches. Perhaps a 60-90 gallon tank can be set up?
I used to have a breeding pair and they are aggressive. The male would attack my hand if I stuck it in. They are fast and strong.
See if a local pet store has a styrafoam shipping container. These are quite stable and will keep him warm for some time. We moved an aquarium full of fish in one for 300 miles; they spent more than 10 hours in it and were OK.
2007-01-12 08:53:15 · answer #5 · answered by fucose_man 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can go to your Local fish store and ask them if they have a styrofoam box. Now put a large plastic bag inside the box and fill it with 3-4" of water. Put in the fish and losely tie the bag shut. Now simply put him in your car and move him to the new house.
If possible try to save as much water from the current tank and put that bag into the tank at the new house.
As long as you keep the filter damp you should have no problems getting the tank back up without having to go through the cycling process again.
2007-01-12 06:43:09 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
When I moved I had the same worries. I emptied the tank as much as I could without harming the fish. And I moved him, tank and all. Filled the tank with distilled water and all was fine! As long as you leave the filter in tact, it will keep the good bacteria flowing, so the water change shouldn't be a big deal.
2007-01-12 06:41:59 · answer #7 · answered by gizmo 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
just put the fish in one of those bags that you get from the pet store when you buy a fish and hold it in your lap and when hes back in the tank with new water, let him float in the bag while its in the water for about 15 minutes. best of luck
2007-01-12 07:17:26 · answer #8 · answered by Marina 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
put him in a bucket of his water. ifyou can save like half of his current water and bring that, well great. then when you get there clean it out, put half new water, half old water, new aquarium salt, and water conditioner. test the water ifyou have nitrite/nitrate test strips. when temp and quality is good, plop him back in. you are gonna have a hell of a time trying to move the tank with water in it, so get some buckets, and good luck
2007-01-12 06:38:28 · answer #9 · answered by smokingstonersweetheart 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's all at the below link.
http://www.firsttankguide.net/moving.php
2007-01-12 07:38:36 · answer #10 · answered by Sabersquirrel 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋