Transporting Fish?

Question

At the end of the month I will be moving about 4 1/2 hours away (driving) from where I am. I have a 25 G tank and have a Freshwater tank. How do I transport my fish, in hopes that they dont die?

Also how much water do I have to keep out of the tank to restart it again?

Answer 1

I've done several moves with multiple tanks (FW and SW). You don't need most of your water, unless the water chemistry of where you're moving to will be drastically different than what your fish are in now.

I keep the fish in plastic bags (like the bags used in stores, or good ziplock bags (double bagged to prevent leaks). Size of the bags should be based on the sizes of your fish - several small fish can go into a gallon bag, large fish may need to be bagged individually, or have bags larger than a gallon. At least 1/3 to 1/2 of the area in the bag should be air. The fish will stay oxygenated by the vibrations from the car moving, so no need to worry about aereation.

I use old picnic coolers (bought at a second-hand store and cleaned) or styrofoam containers used to ship fish to pack these in so the water temperature changes less, plus with a lid, you can stack them for more room.

You'll want to keep a few gallons in a 5 gallon bucket to put the filter media in so it stays wets and your bacteria survive. Drain the tank till there's just and inch or two of water in the bottom, so the bacteria in your substrate stays wet as well - this will prevent you from having to completely cycle your tank again.

When you get to the new place, get the tank set up and put the water from the 5 gallon bucket in the tank first, then add the fish with their water (start with the smallest fish, in case the water isn't very deep). Once all the fish are added, mix up some tapwater with dechlorinator to about the same temperature and add this to the tank slowly (this is like acclimating the new fish from the store, only it's in the tank) till it's filled. Depending on how different the water chemistry is, you can put an airstone in the tank for water movement and take a couple of hours (as you unpack other stuff) to refill the tank.

Haven't lost any fish using this method.

Answer 2

did this many times with a 20 gallon fresh water tank: empty out about 1/2 to 1/4 of the water leaving 1/2 to 3/4 of the water in the tank put the tank on the floor of the car and drive carefully...if you have anything aggressive in the tank (like a betta) then separate it from the rest inside of one of those travel tanks (1/2 gallon plastic tank that people use to transport small fish, hamsters, hermit crabs, and reptiles--can get at pet store or at walmart pet aisle for about $5-$10) remember to put conditioner in the water after the move
good luck

Answer 3

It is going to be hard. How big is your tank, its very important we have that information. Drain the water in your tank with a siphon, to the point there is about 1/5 of the original water in the tank. Leave your fish in there. Move the tank and fish into your car's trunk, and make sure it is put in a place where it wont move around. Place an aquarium lid over the tank and use a few pieces of scotch tape to hold down the lid. Filter, air pump and other accessories pack it into a box. Anything in the fish tank, castles, ships, anything that could fall, remove. Have two people help you carry your tank onto your car. One at each end of the tank, hands on the wooden footprint of the tank. If you have a large cooler or bucket with water proof lid, dump your original siphoned water into it and load it onto your car. And your all set! If you want, you can put your fish in a separate bucket. I recommend just leaving them in the tank. Feed your fish once every 2.5 hours. If you have tropical fish, you will need to add hot water possibly at a rest area. It is also optional to go to the pet store and buy an emergency battery powered air pump for your tank. Once you get to your destination, tank the tank out and move it to where you want it. Check on your fish, they should be fine. Pour in the water you had saved, put in the filter and airpump. Start everything up. Lastly, put in your extra decorations. Put in some stress coat for the fish, and leave the light off for a few hours. They will most likely be under a lot of stress.

Answer 4

Take a couple of gallons in a bag, oxygen at the top, travel in a cooler. Your biggest enemy is conditioning and aging the water at the new location, avoiding temperature shock etc.

Answer 5

i've moved fish before. drain the tank [you don't want to move that with water in it] and put the fish in bags. get someone to hold them or put them somewhere VERY safe where you can see them or get to them quickly on your drive.

be careful and good luck.