Moving Fish
- Thread starter wigo
- Start date
deaclauderdale
Well-Known Member
It depends on what your moving i.e SPS, LPS, Softies and what size tank. Buy some large trash containers place liverock into one, corals another, old tank water another, and fish another. You can use a power inverter, and a pump for circulation. Some, if not most bag the corals for safe transportaion. This prevents fighting if you have a mixed tank as well as keeps them from tumbling around and breaking during the transport.The rock just needs to be barley submereged. If yu don't own a truck rent one and have man power on hand. Then if you have a sand bed or a DSB you have to prepare to move that (I'll let some else more knowledgeable tackle that portion).
You should have the tank and stand moved and pre setup (using as much old tank water as possible to prevent a spike) to receive your preciuos cargo. You should aalso have some water pre mixed just in case. This is a rough overview and there are threads located on this site about making moves a of varying magnitudes, also some more knowledgeable folks might chme in as well. Just remeber it's better to plan, re-plan, and plan again because mistakes can be very costly.
You should have the tank and stand moved and pre setup (using as much old tank water as possible to prevent a spike) to receive your preciuos cargo. You should aalso have some water pre mixed just in case. This is a rough overview and there are threads located on this site about making moves a of varying magnitudes, also some more knowledgeable folks might chme in as well. Just remeber it's better to plan, re-plan, and plan again because mistakes can be very costly.
Melanie
Well-Known Member
I'm new so take that into consideration when reading- When I bought my tank fully established, we emptied the tank half of the way. Put the fish in a large new plastic garbage can with battery-operated air stones and the tank water I had just removed. We then moved everyone to my house. Granted, it was only a few miles and not over night, but everything lived. I filled the tank back up with new water (matched SG and PH to the old) and discarded the water that was in the bucket with the fish when I put the fish back in the display tank. (In case they had released stress-stuff into the bucket.)
Note that there were no corals in the tank and only a little liverock that stayed submerged in the tank during the trip.
Note that there were no corals in the tank and only a little liverock that stayed submerged in the tank during the trip.
1 Large Vlamingi
1 Large Sailfin
2 pajamas
1 mandrin
1 swallow-tail angel
3 shrimp
hermits
snails
No coral
100+ lbs of LR
It is a 7 hour Drive to where I am going but I am not sure I can do the setup until the next day. The will have power after the trip but they may have to stay in what they traveled in overnight.
I was thinking coolers with 1200s for water movement. I am a little worried about water temp in the trash cans.
1 Large Sailfin
2 pajamas
1 mandrin
1 swallow-tail angel
3 shrimp
hermits
snails
No coral
100+ lbs of LR
It is a 7 hour Drive to where I am going but I am not sure I can do the setup until the next day. The will have power after the trip but they may have to stay in what they traveled in overnight.
I was thinking coolers with 1200s for water movement. I am a little worried about water temp in the trash cans.
mps9506
Well-Known Member
The smaller fish will do fine in either bags filled 1/3 with water and the rest air, double bagged (the way they ship fish) The tangs either really large bags, or coolers with an air stone.
The live rock can be put in coolers with wet paper towels or newspaper (tank water of course
).
Whenever moving fish like that I would highly recomend the fish be the last thing packed up and first thing setup. At bare min I would get the tank filled with water and a few pumps in it throw the live rock and fish in it.
You aren't only fighting oxygen and temp but also ammonia and pH when moving fish like this.
The advantage of bagging fish is that as CO2 builds up in the bag the pH will start to depress offsetting the toxicity of the ammonia building up.
But you do need sufficient sized bags to do this (usually 8x13 size at least).
Open containers will allow the ammonia toxicity to increase unless you have a method to do water changes on them.
A 7 hour drive plus 7 or 8 hours overnight will definitely stress the fish regardless of how you go about it. Do you have a plan on filling up the tank once you get there or are you mixing up new water there?
The live rock can be put in coolers with wet paper towels or newspaper (tank water of course
).Whenever moving fish like that I would highly recomend the fish be the last thing packed up and first thing setup. At bare min I would get the tank filled with water and a few pumps in it throw the live rock and fish in it.
You aren't only fighting oxygen and temp but also ammonia and pH when moving fish like this.
The advantage of bagging fish is that as CO2 builds up in the bag the pH will start to depress offsetting the toxicity of the ammonia building up.
But you do need sufficient sized bags to do this (usually 8x13 size at least).
Open containers will allow the ammonia toxicity to increase unless you have a method to do water changes on them.
A 7 hour drive plus 7 or 8 hours overnight will definitely stress the fish regardless of how you go about it. Do you have a plan on filling up the tank once you get there or are you mixing up new water there?
I thought I would take all water with me, and use old water and new water mixed to restart the tank.
Thanks for the info, it is helping.
The bags make sense.
I think the live rock will be in trash cans with water to the level of the rock.
I was going to put all the fish in the cooler together with a pump without any liverock. Do you think this idea is wrong?
How would you go about handling the sandbed?
Thanks for the info, it is helping.
The bags make sense.
I think the live rock will be in trash cans with water to the level of the rock.
I was going to put all the fish in the cooler together with a pump without any liverock. Do you think this idea is wrong?
How would you go about handling the sandbed?
mps9506
Well-Known Member
How much water are you talking about? It might be over kill to move all the water and take more time than it is worth. Usually 1/2 to 3/4 is more than enough.
AFA as the sand bed I'm not sure the best way to handle it. If it is a DSB I'd be worried about the entire thing going anoxic if you are talking about 7 hours then over night before getting things set back up. My last few moves involved barebottom tanks or shallow sand bed which we didn't worry about, just left the substrate alone.
AFA as the sand bed I'm not sure the best way to handle it. If it is a DSB I'd be worried about the entire thing going anoxic if you are talking about 7 hours then over night before getting things set back up. My last few moves involved barebottom tanks or shallow sand bed which we didn't worry about, just left the substrate alone.
mps9506
Well-Known Member
Putting it in a bucket or trashcan will decrease the surface area of the substrate exposed to air. Killing off some of that bacteria. I'd leave it in there although it will add a lot of weight to the aquarium.
With 110 gallons of water, I'd recomend at least 30 gallons or some more, 110 gallons is a lot of water unless you have a good sized pickup, even then make sure it is really well secured because the water sloshing around is great at moving things around that you thought was secure
With 110 gallons of water, I'd recomend at least 30 gallons or some more, 110 gallons is a lot of water unless you have a good sized pickup, even then make sure it is really well secured because the water sloshing around is great at moving things around that you thought was secure
burning2nd
Well-Known Member
wow i feel for ya man, this is gonna be a ruff move.... mps is right on the money...
i would try to get something setup at the location right now... so as soon as you get in there... ya can get your live people's in the freshness....
lotta acclamation you might want to observe the weather for your trip... try to maintain a temp in the car or truck...
get your self the Dc inverter plug that up 2 your cig lighter, or battery and get your self some airpumps.... or small heater what ever
i would try to get something setup at the location right now... so as soon as you get in there... ya can get your live people's in the freshness....
lotta acclamation you might want to observe the weather for your trip... try to maintain a temp in the car or truck...
get your self the Dc inverter plug that up 2 your cig lighter, or battery and get your self some airpumps.... or small heater what ever
burning2nd
Well-Known Member
water sloshing around is great at moving things around that you thought was secure
i think thats the little yellow sign says something like
cargo may shift
Yea or get a RO/DI unit installed in the well system of the new house. Which is most likely what I will do, along with carry 100+ gallons with me in 5 gallon containers. I have a cargo trailer so the space is not an issue but the shifting is. I will have to work something out there as well.
no doubt on that.
I have a 180 that will be part of the move and hopefully be able to set it up rather than the 90. We will see on that though.
The movers are taking the 180 in a crate.
So here is what I am thinking.
Drain tank 1/2 and fill my containers.
Pull all live rock and put in container with water
catch all fish and put in containers
catch all other living creatures and put in container
Drain tank down to sandbed level - still have not decided if I should take it out and put in a long shallow container with a little water.
Break down rest of tank and clean everything with vinager solution.
Pack all items clean
tear down rest of tank and throw out excess water
Get 50 gallons of RO/DI
Oxygenate the containers if in bags at LFS
Drive like the wind
get to new place and setup tank with new water and used water
Setup liverock and creatures
acclamate fish in new water
run tank
release fish
How does that sounds?
I have a 180 that will be part of the move and hopefully be able to set it up rather than the 90. We will see on that though.
The movers are taking the 180 in a crate.
So here is what I am thinking.
Drain tank 1/2 and fill my containers.
Pull all live rock and put in container with water
catch all fish and put in containers
catch all other living creatures and put in container
Drain tank down to sandbed level - still have not decided if I should take it out and put in a long shallow container with a little water.
Break down rest of tank and clean everything with vinager solution.
Pack all items clean
tear down rest of tank and throw out excess water
Get 50 gallons of RO/DI
Oxygenate the containers if in bags at LFS
Drive like the wind
get to new place and setup tank with new water and used water
Setup liverock and creatures
acclamate fish in new water
run tank
release fish
How does that sounds?