How to Move Fish and Tank

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Dr_Shakalu

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Mar 28, 2007
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San Francisco
My friend is moving to a new house and we don't know how to move his 100 gallon tank stocked with some red devils, parrot fish and a pleco. This is the problem: when we take the fish out and move the tank, how can we set it up and running because we don't have anywhere to house his fish and wait until the tank is cycled again:confused: . The only thing I can think of is to use a couple of rubber garbage cans and fill them with most of the water. Then get all the gravel and the filter. Place gravel in tank after moving and put back the filter and pour back the water held in the rubber garbage cans:irked: . Is there any other way to do this easier. Any help is appreciated, The Doctor
 
As said above, if possible, put the filter running, but running like 1G of water, just to keep water and oxygen flowing through it. OR you could every 5 mins pour tank wter throughout it to keep the bacteria alive. Thats what I did.
 
"cycling" a tank is just giving your filter media time to colonize beneficial bacteria. Just keep the filter media wet in a 5 gal bucket full of tank water. Plenty of bacteria will survive and there will be no need to "re-cycle" the tank.
 
The best way to move a tank is simple. Get yourself enough large (30/40 Gallon) Garbage cans I would suggest 4 of them. Fill each can about half way, and make sure you have the tight fitting lids. While draining place fish in one of the filled containers.
shovel out your gravel, decorations, ect and place in another bucket. Get your moving crew to move the tank, filter, contents to the new location. now work backwards as to what you were doing to take it down. Place the gravel, decorations, ect back in the tank. Pump the water from the buckets into the tank to fill up enough for the fish, net and place fish in tank, finish filling, top off water (basically your finishing product is a water change).
Key things to remember is that your media is to remain moist or wet. If you are running canisters then you just disconect and go, if a sump then you basically do the same but I would maybe plastic wrap the openings just to keep the moisture in.
I have done this many of times it works well with the minimal loss of fish. The one thing I have noticed that even the most laid back fish become very active and try to jump in the vehical while transporting them this is why it is really important to make sure you have a tight fitting lid on your transport container. Any more questions please feel free to PM me.
 
What I did when I had to move a 55g and didn't want to recycle.

Filled a 5g bucket with tank water, put the smallest fish inside it. Attached the HOB on the side to keep the bacteria alive. Then I filled 2 more 5g buckets with tank water and put 3 fish in each (they were cramped, but only for maybe 5 minutes), and each bucket had a matured sponge filter in it. Quickly emptied the tank, placed decor on a towel on the floor, moved tank to new location, put decor back in, refilled 2/3 of the way. Then I took the HOB from the 1st bucket and put it on the tank. Put the 1st bucket fish in, then added the 2nd and 3rd buckets, water and all with fish. Then all the fish were in their new home! It took about 20 minutes, and before I took the fish out, I drained the tank most of the way so they wouldn't have to be in a bucket for very long, so they were in there for maybe 15 minutes total. I didn't spend much time on Decor, and just rearranged it once the fish were in the tank.


If you possbily can, just get 3 battery operated air pumps, and quickly try to mature a couple sponge filters. Then rig them up to the fish holder, and you have filtration for a bit.
 
ya but your fish can survive a few hours in a bucket. When they ship the fish to the store they can be in the bag from 24-48 hours. And that is without very much gas exchange, and def no filtration!
 
Just a note:

The new shipping bags are breathable a have a good gas exchange especially compared to the old style.

Everyone else is on the right tract.

Hope you move is short and everything goes well, post some pix for fun...everybody like work or at least watching someone else do it :ROFL:.

Dr Joe

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Dr Joe;1093977; said:
Just a note:

The new shipping bags are breathable a have a good gas exchange especially compared to the old style.

Everyone else is on the right tract.

Hope you move is short and everything goes well, post some pix for fun...everybody like work or at least watching someone else do it :ROFL:.

Dr Joe

.
Click to expand...

But even a breathable bag can not pull air in a low pressure cargo cabin.
 
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