Moving Tank Q, need quick advice

[supertank]

hi guys i am starting a new chiclid tank, rio 240, i currently have coral sand and rocks etc in there. i also have a rekord 120 which is a community tank and am selling this tank. i have found a buyer, now i have to work out how to get the tank to her house with fish in good health. i no i will have to keep the filter sponges in the tank water so i dont lose the BB. do rocks and grvel hold much BB??? my main question is could i house the fish in my chiclid tank (currently has no chiclids, has 10 platys in there to cycle it) or would the higher PH kill the fish. if i could do this it would make the move alot easier. the fish are, common pleco, 2 gourami, 3 cocy cats, a molly, 5 tigers, 5 black widow tetra....

please help

i no this aint a chiclid question as such but wit the high PH level i thout u guys would be the best to ask

thanks

supertank

 

[Orange]

I dont now much about the PH levels since I am new to African Cichlids but we gave our 55 gal tank to a family member years ago. We just transported the fish in a ice chest with water from the tank and kept a battery operated areator hooked up to it until we got the tank set up. We used the same water in the chest mixed with her water to start the tank back up so it wouldnt be such a shock to the fish. Then she did gradual water changes until they adjusted. They did just fine. It was a 10" Oscar, 7" JD and a 14" Pleco. N

Not sure that was the best way but it worked for us at the time.

 

[LadyBarbara001]

The substrate holds a lot of bio. No problem there.

I keep most of the same types of fish, Gouramis, Tetras, cories, plecos, in the same type of water that I house Africans in, and have no issues. The main problem would be if you are using another kind of water...such as R/O water, for them now, then the change may stress and kill them. Otherwise, it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[cichlidgirl]

You could leave the fish in the current tank right up till the day you bring it to the new house, when you drain the water out make sure you leave the substraight wet, you can pull it out into containers, just make sure there is a small amount of water in it, just till covered, this will prevent your bb from dying. The fish can go directly from the tank to a medium to large sized cooler or even a storage tub with a lid, i moved my whole house and moved fish in a rubbermaid tub. I even took my HOB (hang on back filter) and hung it on the side of the tub. It was winter time so i took a glass baking pan and placed my submergable heater in the glass pan in the bottom of the tub. I kept my fish totally healthy and happy in the tub for 7 days that way. When its time to move the tub just drain the water half way or so , put the lid on it and transport to new house, plug the filter in there, to get oxygen and set up the tank at new house at your leisure. Worked great for me. On one of my filters i had to trim the lip of the rubbermaid tub so i could fit the filter on the side. The other filter was shaped different and i didnt need to do that. This way even your filter media stays viable and good and you have some original tank water to put into the new tank as well. I highly recommend this method. Just be sure to rinse out the tubs good with NO SOAP . Dont use any tubs that might have had chemicals spilled in it either like laundry tubs etc.. They are cheap so if your not sure just pick up a new tub at walmart. I think mine held 40 or 50 gallons and some had 30 gallons !!Lids were nice for transport too. I put in some fake plants just floating in it for cover and fish liked it just fine.