Moving some monsters 1000 miles. Help with Logistics

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
exoticfishguy;3082881; said:
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.
Click to expand...

Yeah maybe I'll just leave my wife here too and get a new one in FSJ...

I want to keep the fish because they are MY fish that I took responsibility for when I purchased. Finding a local tank I can move a 22" TSN into and be comfortable that he'll be properly taken care of would not be easy. I'm not entirely sure why you would say I will likely wind up with dead fish along the way. People ship fish in 2 day shipments all the time, to be tossed around by UPS or FEDEX workers. I will be transporting my fish in the closest facsimile to a moving aquarium that I can construct, so I daresay their best chance of happy survival is what I have planned, not dumping them at the LFS or trusting someone I just met to be able to properly house them.
 
cvermeulen;3083014; said:
Yeah maybe I'll just leave my wife here too and get a new one in FSJ...

Dude, you compare your wife to a fish???

I hope she's not on here too or you'll be sleeping on the couch for a while.

Seriously though, trying to move a fish that big and all the others is a recipe for disaster...you can bag up some of the smaller ones though.
Click to expand...
 
exoticfishguy;3083934; said:
cvermeulen;3083014; said:
Yeah maybe I'll just leave my wife here too and get a new one in FSJ...

Dude, you compare your wife to a fish???

I hope she's not on here too or you'll be sleeping on the couch for a while.

Seriously though, trying to move a fish that big and all the others is a recipe for disaster...you can bag up some of the smaller ones though.
Click to expand...

I was exaggerating to make a point. Thanks for chiming in and all, but quite frankly the question wasn't whether I should move them or not, it was about the best way to do it. I get what you're saying, but I disagree with you on several levels. First, my fish aren't possessions that I look at like "maybe I could get another one like it anyways, no big deal." Second, I don't see any reason moving them is a recipe for disaster. I run into people ALL THE TIME, telling me that my unusual or extreme plans are a recipe for disaster... and I've yet to have one. I even have a bonus reason: I don't know anyone locally I would trust to house a TSN for life. I know several people who would love to, but just can't provide the home he'll need.

So... point of fact - I will be moving several of my monsters, so let's talk some more...

I did some research on MS-222 (Finquel) and it is used in the commercial transport of fish quite a bit... the problem is there is no clear guideline for how much to use, for how long, and so forth. There seems to be quite a bit of species variation wrt how much is lethal vs how much will knock the fish out. There are also two dosing methods - one is to add the MS-222 to the shipping water in a low dose, such that the fish is slightly sedated for the duration of the trip. The other way is to dose the fish and knock it out completely before transport and use clean transport water. Again the exact dosages and methods are pretty vague, and it's generally suggested that one experiments a bit to determine reliable doses. Obviously I don't have this luxury, so I might have to forego any sedation. It's too bad there's not just a super mild sedative like gravol or something that would just take the edge off with minimal risk.
Click to expand...
 
I tried to call my sister on this, but she didn't answer. 2 years ago she moved her 2 oscars, and a common pleco on a 20 drive. I know she sedated them some how, and also she had stopped feeding for 2 days prior. She transported them all in one large cooler, and they are still alive today. Never had any problem. If I get her, I'll post what she used.
 
I'm a biologist who does work on fish in arctic Alaska, I analyze gut content of sculpin in arctic lakes. We use a syringe full of water to flush out the stomach without having to kill the fish. We use regular clove oil to sedate the fish so that it's easier to get the syringe into the stomach and the fish don't move around too much. Too much clove oil can be toxic, we just use a few drops to a liter of water but we only handle the fish for short periods of time. I don't know much regarding the long term use of clove oil on fish as a sedative, but it's worth looking into. As I mentioned before though, too much of a sedative is toxic and deadly, so be careful. I know you truly care about your fish, so I'd do a LOT of research before trying anything and if you can't find any definitive evidence, I'd just stick to coolers, heaters, airstones and checking on them as much as possible. Best of luck and let us know how it goes!!
 
I meant to say almost 20 hr drive. :)
Anyway, she said she used the fenquil stuff, but she doesn't exactly remember the process because her husband did the work and cared for the fish.
 
Thanks for the info guys! I think with what I know now the best way to go would be the Finquel at a low-ish dose, just enough to get him to lose equilibrium, and then move him into the transport bin with clean water in it. Maybe repeat the process at the destination if he's ready to do battle at that end. With the lack of information on how much for how long is toxic it doesn't seem worth the risk of keeping him in a sleepy bath. I'll pad his bin and whatnot so even if he thrashes he shouldn't hurt himself.

I want to avoid clove oil, as supposedly it can induce brain damage if used repeatedly, or over long periods because it affects the fish's respiration.
 
when i worked at a lfs we used 20 gallon bags to move our monsters. while this may be too small for the TSN it may work out for the other fishes.

i would put the tsn in a rubbermaid by its self and have the others individually bagged with oxygen. fast them for at least 2 days.

when we would move sharks from tank to tank we used a sling type contraption to move the fish with out damaging it tank to tank. maybe doing this with the tsn would limit the stress. and there would be less chance for it to damage itself than by just grabbing it with your hands even if it was sedated.

set the sling in the rubbermaid and poof, you have it set up to transfer him to his new home when u get there

good luck
 
3 years ago we were moving. I rehomed all the fish with the exception of the beta. Drove the beta 10 hours, 8 of which were over 100 degrees. Was in a Miata with no A/C. Betta was in a quart jar, jar was in an igloo cooler. Only way I could regulate the temp was to add small amounts of ice. I cooked, fish was just fine.

Then the people who bought our house backed out. We never moved...

couple of thoughts...

If your temporary tank leaks, your other stuff in the back of the uhaul will likely be ruined.

You are in for a very long day. Have help driving. 14 hours in a car is 16-20 in a uhaul. Add to that taking everything down at the old place, setting everything up at the new place, this will likely go over 24 hours.

Good luck, you have my respect. I still kick myself in the butt for letting my fish go...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom