Moving some monsters 1000 miles. Help with Logistics

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cvermeulen

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jun 4, 2007
1,876
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Los Osos, CA
Alright, so, I may be moving 1000 miles due north. I will be getting rid of most of my fish, but there are a few that I can't part with, such as my 22" TSN, my 14" Apure cat, a few big plecos, a 10" oscar and all my clown loaches. The only real way to transport them is going to be via car/truck, and at 15-20 hours, it's a loooooong trip, so I'm looking for some ideas.

I'm thinking I could transport each fish in his own cooler, with a 100w heater and an airstone, but at least 4 of my fish are over 12", so sharing coolers might not work out. I don't want to invest a bunch of cash in one use coolers either. I thought of rubbermaids, but I don't know how well they will hold the heat over such a long trip.

One thing I did think of is using a jumbo cooler, filled right up and putting them all in there, and sedating them so they won't thrash and hurt each other. Is it feasible to sedate them for that long? Would I be risking killing them? Even if I didn't knock them right out, but just took the edge off the panic instinct. Heck I'm tempted to sedate them before I even try to catch them. Last time I moved the TSN he was 11" long and I had water all over myself and all over the house. I can't imagine how strong he is now.

Any help with suggestions and experience will be greatly appreciated.
 
I dont know anything about sedation so I cant comment on that but how would you power the heaters?I would let the fish fast a few days before the move so they will have less waste to poison their shipping water with and get some of those battery operated aerators that some bait shops have for minnow buckets.If you could somehow control the temp during the trip to where it is just below the fish's comfort range then that could probably keep them calm as well .
 
The only trick will be I'll likely be moving the fish in a Uhaul cube van along with a bunch of other things, towing my car on a trailer. I don't know how much space there is in the cab of a uhaul van, but I think the fish will likely be in the back. I was planning on running a 500W inverter and plugging in an airpump and heater. I guess I may use a rubbermaid with some insulation wrapped around it instead of coolers. The main thing that worries me is the strength and violence my TSN is capable of when frightened. I may need to line the inside of the rubbermaid with a blanket first then a liner so he can't hurt himself on the sides or top of the container.

I also think I will likely need to set up a temp tank at the destination before moving... the accomodations for these fish are difficult to move and time consuming to set up. I'd rather scoop the fish out of a happy setup, and move them, along with the tanks, at the same time, dump them in a temporary pond until I can get their new homes up and running, and then move them again. It's all complicated by the fact that it'll be a two part move as well... I'll move into a hotel at the destination for a few months while I look for a place to live, and hopefully get a place rented in time to move the fish with some overlap before the rest of the family moves as well. Agh!
 
Oh and I would still like anyone with any idea about sedation to chime in. Even if I can sedate him temporarily while I try to catch him and move him into his moving bin I'd be much less stressed out about the whole situation. I'd really rather not have him injured before he even leaves home (along with the other fish in the tank I'll be taking.)
 
looks like I'm not the only one with a big move ahead of them. on monday I will be taking my Fish to Kelowna BC its a 10Hr drive so I will be leaving as early as possible. I am most concerned about moving my Alligator Gar and Paroon Sharks the others will be easy. post it up what you do I'm doing the same as it happens.
 
greengiant;3077952; said:
looks like I'm not the only one with a big move ahead of them. on monday I will be taking my Fish to Kelowna BC its a 10Hr drive so I will be leaving as early as possible. I am most concerned about moving my Alligator Gar and Paroon Sharks the others will be easy. post it up what you do I'm doing the same as it happens.
Click to expand...

That's a nice move, Kelowna is a nice sized growing place with nice weather and scenery. I'll be going from Vancouver to Fort St John. :eek:

:nilly:
 
If you really have to keep the fish, I'd suggest contacting your lfs for a shipper to do it right.

Going to all that trouble trying to move them yourself may very likely end with a box of dead fish and a ton of anxiety along the way.

You and your fish would be much better off if you'd find someone local to adopt them.

Practically speaking, your fish are pretty common species that you could easily replace when the time is right.
 
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