Will be moving about 3hrs away not too far but considering the movers and all they could be sitting in buckets for a few additional hours...anyway anyone have some stories regarding what you learned from the experience and what you could have done better?
Lessons learned with relocating your fish during a move
- Thread starter jaws7777
- Start date
Use coolers with heaters and airators. Drive them yourself and power them with an inverter.
Hello; Is there any way you can set up a tank at the new destination in advance. I did this when I moved into my current house a few years ago. I set up a tank in the new house with some media from the established tanks. It took me some few days to pack and move my other stuff. By the time I had done some of that, the new tank had a stable temp and the filters were checked out. I moved the fish and plants with some media during one of the trips. It was fairly quick to break down the rest of the tanks and do a quick setup at the new place.
If you have to do the move in one trip, be sure to keep some of the media in water.
If you have to do the move in one trip, be sure to keep some of the media in water.
Big tubs, heater, air pump. Keep some prime (or similar) on hand in case the fish are in the tubs for a while, and move the filter media in the tubs with the fish. Thats how I moved mine, I also had tanks set up in the new house for my fish to go in while we were setting up the main tanks. The only thing I'd suggest is to make sure that the person driving your fish from A to B knows the importance of their job, or, if you can drive them yourself, DO IT! 
Other than that, good luck with your move.
Other than that, good luck with your move.
Good tips guys thanks. No i probably wont be able to set up a tank in advance. But i should be able to atleast drive them myself
I have completed many moves with fish, I have an inverter so I could plug in heater, air pump and filter. I bought a fluval 204 on kijiji ran it on my aquarium for 3 weeks before the move, then placed it in the Rubbermaid I was using to move them. Do not feed for 2 days before the trip. And do a big water change when you stop feeding. During the move, I always kept two 5g water bottles ready and would do 25% water changes every 1/3 of the drive (one was across Canada, Toronto to Vancouver, I used hotel water for that one)
i've done several moves with a variety of fish (Large ones up to 3'). Biggest thing i have learned is to have an exit strategy. When i moved my 3 2'+cats and a 30"+ Arowanna the basement of my new house, where i was supposed to set up my tank, flooded. They sat in a 100 gallon rubber maid for a month during the clean up process. I just moved again this February, and in the cold north, don't leave your fish unattended. I moved and immediately had to go on a business trip. In the confusion my wife forgot to do the morning and afternoon water changes...and forgot to keep them warm. Lost 15 fish that week. So always always always plan ahead for your moves. Unless you are driving more than 6 hours, water will hold enough O2 for them to make the trip (even with all the sloshing). But one poster said to stop feeding 2-3 days before hand. I would stop feeding 5 or more days, depending on size of the fish. You really want them to be as empty as possible and as HEALTHY as possible. Health is key. If they have to sit for an extended period in a tank during a move, use a sponge filter that was in their original tank. It will help, albeit not a solution, to help keep water clean and oxygenated.
Also, those big rubbermaids are a great, cheap way to move fish. Screw a piece of plexy or plywood to the top as a secure lid...i even used weather stripping to help keep the water in due to sloshing.