Question about moving with fish cross country

SfirtenK · Dec 31, 2023

Hello,

I am living in Pennsylvania and currently have a 2foot long west African lungfish (air breathing fish) in a 150gallons Pentair fiberglass tank. I have had him since 2017 and I am really attached yo him.

I will have to move to Texas in February and I have really been trying to figure out how to move this fish safely. It is a 1500 miles move.

So far here are my ideas:

Solution 1: find a company that will ship my fish safely. So far I have not found one. I know UPS and USPS ship fishes in boxes but I do not know if it will be safe to ship such a large fish. I also looked around and so far have not found a company able to ship safely such large fish. If you know one that would do it, please let me know.

-solution 2: fly with the fish. I know airline companies allow fish in transparent containers. I was wondering if I could put him in a transparent plastic storage container, fill up the water up to a third of the container and get him on a flight with me, eventually getting an extra seat for it. I can keep the temp with hand warmers if needed and put one or 2 battery powered bubblers to have 1 or 2 sponge filters going. It will be an uncomfortable trip for him but it will only be for a few hours. I do not know if airlines companies would be ok with it though.

-solution 3: drive. 2 to 3 days drive (around 24h of driving). I will drive with my husband so we can take turns. We can put the pentair tank in the trunk of our SUV, put a container (we have a large styrofoam container) inside, line the container with a bag and transport the fish with its water this way. Again, we can use sponge filters and handwarmers for temp and air circulation. We will need to stop in an hotel along the way where we would take the fish out of the car and bring him with us in the room with its styrofoam container. Upon arriving we take everything out of the car and set up the tank. I read the post of a guy who moved a wolfish cross country this way on the forum.

So here I am at this time, I would appreciate any experience or suggestions in the organization of my fish move. Thank you very much.

Trouser Bark · Dec 31, 2023

What I would do...

light styrofoam under the tank to dampen roadway vibrations (the white stuff, preferably as it's less dense)

styrofoam or similar over the tank to keep it dark and minimize jumping and water slop on bumps

make sure the tank is not directly over the muffler or anything that will be very high or very low temp

make sure the fish is healthy before you leave

take two days, max

no food during the trip

12V air pump and a big airstone in the tank

Consider how you will maintain water temp both during the day and during the night.

Have a Plan B in case of catastrophic failure. For me that would mean a new (food grade is white) and clean Rubbermaid trash can of 30+ gallons with a lid. They're flexible where your Pentair tank is not likely to be. A fender bender or a serious bump and a flexible container will be your friend.

I might also put something in the water to make the fish a little more comfy... like a half measure of MelaFix or similar. Note that I know nothing of Lung Fish so MelaFix may not be ideal in your instance but you get the idea.

Gloves, a trash bag and a ton of towels JIC.

tlindsey · Dec 31, 2023

SfirtenK said:
Hello,

I am living in Pennsylvania and currently have a 2foot long west African lungfish (air breathing fish) in a 150gallons Pentair fiberglass tank. I have had him since 2017 and I am really attached yo him.

I will have to move to Texas in February and I have really been trying to figure out how to move this fish safely. It is a 1500 miles move.

So far here are my ideas:

Solution 1: find a company that will ship my fish safely. So far I have not found one. I know UPS and USPS ship fishes in boxes but I do not know if it will be safe to ship such a large fish. I also looked around and so far have not found a company able to ship safely such large fish. If you know one that would do it, please let me know.

-solution 2: fly with the fish. I know airline companies allow fish in transparent containers. I was wondering if I could put him in a transparent plastic storage container, fill up the water up to a third of the container and get him on a flight with me, eventually getting an extra seat for it. I can keep the temp with hand warmers if needed and put one or 2 battery powered bubblers to have 1 or 2 sponge filters going. It will be an uncomfortable trip for him but it will only be for a few hours. I do not know if airlines companies would be ok with it though.

-solution 3: drive. 2 to 3 days drive (around 24h of driving). I will drive with my husband so we can take turns. We can put the pentair tank in the trunk of our SUV, put a container (we have a large styrofoam container) inside, line the container with a bag and transport the fish with its water this way. Again, we can use sponge filters and handwarmers for temp and air circulation. We will need to stop in an hotel along the way where we would take the fish out of the car and bring him with us in the room with its styrofoam container. Upon arriving we take everything out of the car and set up the tank. I read the post of a guy who moved a wolfish cross country this way on the forum.

So here I am at this time, I would appreciate any experience or suggestions in the organization of my fish move. Thank you very much.

I like solution 3 because you could actually do water change in the hotel. I really wouldn't trust anyone or the airline but that's me.

jjohnwm · Dec 31, 2023

I wouldn't plan on moving your aquarium with water in it, regardless of how well it is padded. Even the reduced amount of water in it will be sloshing back and forth constantly and I would be concerned about physical damage and trauma to both the fish and perhaps even the tank itself, specifically the seal between the fibreglass structure and the glass viewing window.

The smaller the container, the less extreme the sloshing will be, and the less of a physical beating your fish will endure. A lungfish is probably about the most durable fish imaginable in terms of surviving this trip in a small body of water; keep the container covered (not sealed) and insulated. Small water volume, large air volume. If it makes you feel better, 12v powered air pumps are easily and cheaply available in fishing tackle stores, or you can use a cheap 110v AC (household current) pump plugged into a small inverter which in turn is plugged into the cigarette lighter. A little inverter like that is a super handy thing to keep in the car on trips for other uses as well, and I always have one in every vehicle I own.

In any case, if you do use an airstone/pump of any kind, bear in mind that the pump is drawing air from inside the vehicle so you must make sure to keep the interior warm and comfortable. Pumping cold winter air into the travel container will not do the fish any favours. Personally, I would forego any pump at all for moving a lungfish. I would also resist the temptation to keep opening the lid on the travel container constantly to check on the fish; each time you do so you may be losing heat unless the entire car is kept properly warm.

Don't feed the fish at all for several days before the trip begins, and not at all during the trip as well. You want it to purge its alimentary canal completely before setting out, and to keep it empty while travelling. Don't worry about it fasting for this short period of time.

Obviously, when you stop at rest stops, the car needs to be kept warm. In cold weather, I always leave it running so that the heater stays on, just lock it behind you still running and keep a spare key on your person.

When you get to a motel, get the travel container out of the car and into the warm room quickly to prevent chilling. If you insist upon a water change, you'll need a bucket or other container with sufficient capacity for the volume of water you intend to change, along with dechlorinator, thermometer, etc. to make sure the new water matches the old. Personally, for a single lungfish I wouldn't do any of it; I think there's a much greater risk of shocking the fish with sudden changes in pH, etc. than in worrying about it living in the same small volume of water for a couple days. Keep the container loosely covered in the motel room to allow for air exchange.

I'd travel with an aquarium heater just in case, but again, keep the fish in a warm motel room overnight and you won't need to worry about it. I'd be more concerned about a heater getting its adjustment knocked out of whack while travelling, and then cooking your fish overnight while you sleep.

This isn't a big deal; your fish will come through easily. I have no suggestions about your other two options; I've never shipped fish of any size, and would need to trust someone else to package and ship it. And if you actually fly with the fish and purchase it a seat beside you...well, I wanna read about that story afterwards!

Good luck!

SfirtenK · Dec 31, 2023

Thank you very much for your detailed answer Trouser, Lindsey and John. These advice are super helpful!!!

Likely I will do the driving solution. I will not have any water in the tank itself. I will have a closed container inside the tank, likely with a battery powered bubbler for air circulation so there is always some oxygen in the air present in the container. I will provide an update after my move.

HarleyK · Jan 1, 2024

Howdy

Check out this old article I wrote ages ago about my cross country move (KS to NJ)…. even though the photos have long since gone missing, some of the write up might be useful for you

Moving with a Monster

ABSTRACT The US Consensus bureau published that approximately 16% of all Americans move each year. Many of them are Monsterfishkeepers. Most people move within the same county, however, an astounding 15% of all moves go out of state. This article is for those who take their Monsters with...

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

Best
HarleyK

phreeflow · Jan 1, 2024

I’d just go to an LFS and ask for one of their styro/cardboard shipping boxes from their wholesaler. Triple bag the lungfish in 1/3rd water and 2/3rd air (never use pure oxygen for air breathers) and add a few drops of Seachem Prime or some PolyFilter. Then place it in a plastic liner in the styro, stick a couple 72hr heat packs on the lid, and tape up the box and take it to the airlines. I’ve shipped fish this way using Southwest Airlines and Delta Dash. The fish arrive the same day. You can time your flights so you get there around the same time. The airline will hold the box at their warehouse until you pickup.

fishdance · Jan 1, 2024

Direct flight is definitely easier on the fish. If your not confident on self bagging fish to IATA (airline transport) standards then visit a competent KOI establishment to see if they have a packing or shipping service. They will be accustomed to shipping large (biomass) valuable fish safely.

Make sure your destination tank is already set up and well established in preparation.

Emphasise the no oxygen aspect. Pure oxygen will burn labyrinth organ on fish but this damage isn't apparent for a few weeks.

SfirtenK · Apr 10, 2024

Good Afternoon,

II wanted to give you a feedback about moving with my fish. In one word, it was a SUCCESS!!! :redface:

Thank you very much for all your advice, they have been very helpful. This is how we proceeded with the move. I attached a couple pictures I also took.

We fasted the fish around a week before moving him. We bought some supplies online, a 120 quart cooler as well as 4 battery powered bubblers (1 rechargeable and 3 regular) and a bunch of spare batteries. We also got some bubble wrap (not sure if this was the best idea but whatever) as well as a thick transparent plastic sheet used to wrap mattresses. We made 2 holes in the top of the cooler so I could pass the hose of a bubbler and leave one hose for the air to circulate. We then put some plastic tubing snug through the holes so the water would not splash through them and we connected one of them to the air pump. Since lungfish breathe ambiant air, it was essential to have sufficient air circulation throughout the trip. I also got a couple 5 gallons buckets with their lids.

We then lined the bottom of the cooler with bubble wrap. We were scared that, with the shocks during driving, the lungfish could break his spine so we wanted to make the container a bit padded. It ended up being a soso idea because during the trip the bubble wrap floated to the surface. On top of the bubble wrap we put the plastic sheet and then filled up the cooler with water. This way, in case of sudden braking, the fish would not hit the edge of the cooler too violently.

Before the trip, I also had my car checked and I put new tires (they were due anyway). I also had the back seats of my car removed and I had then shipped with the rest of the move. My car is a CRV so it has a decent flat space in the back once the seats are gone.

On D day, we woke up really early, started draining the tank, caught the fish with a plastic sheet and put him in the cooler. We filled the cooler with water from the tank. We have some mosquito fish with him who were also put in the cooler. Finally, we closed the cooler and shrink wrap it really tight (so water would not come out as it was splashing inside the cooler. The tank decoration (bogwood and pipes) and foam from the filters was put in a 5 gallons with water and a air bubbler bubbling to keep the bacteria going. We were also moving a small shrimp tank (neocaridina) at the same time, and we put all the shrimpies with their plants and some water in another 5 gallons buckets with a bubbler.

We then put the big fiberglass tank in the back of the car with a towel in the bottom. We put the cooler with the fish inside the tank, added some padding around so nothing would move and tied everything with heavy duty straps to the bottom of the car. This was, nothing would move as we were driving. It also meant that, unfortunately, we would not be able to check on the fish until the end of the trip because it would have been impossible to remove the straps, the shrink open the cooler and resecure it back the same way. We put the other 5 gallons buckets in the back of the car, took our little dog on her carrier bag and the whole merry family was on its way! :hearts:

Our drive was roughly 24hours. We decided to drive 12 hours per day for 2 days with a stop in the middle to recover. My husband and I took turns to drive (3 to 4 hours each). We left at noon the day we packed the fish and drove through Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and stopped around 2am in Tennessee. We tried to drive nice and smooth. We did a couple rest stops along the way and I checked every time that the bubblers were running. We stopped in Nashville for like 6 hours to sleep a bit. I took the shrimps and the filtration foam to the room but I left the fish in his cooler in the car. Luckily it was not super cold.

We left the hotel at 7:00 am and drove through Tennessee, Arkansas and finally Texas. We arrived at the new house around 10:00PM. We were super anxious about the fish. We hurried up to untie the tank, took it out of the car, then we took the cooler out to the living room and it was a horrible suspense. In my head I was thinking there was a 50/50 percent chance he had made it alive. We unwrap the syran wrap around the cooler, we open it and ... we both thought he was dead. The fish was motionless in the cooler and would not move when we touched him. We started to cry because we were so disappointed. My husbant then started pulling him out of the water and, at that time, we saw a little fintacle moving. At first I thought it was a nervous movement or maybe my imagination but it moved again, and this time, where was no doubt that Mr LungLung was a bit shaken but definitely alive! The moment I saw the tip of that fintacle moving was definitely the best moment of the trip! We hurried up to fill up the tank with water at the right temp, conditioned it and set up the tank right away. One of thee mosquito fish died but all the other ones survived and the shrimpies also made it and got a new 10 gallon tank. Next couple days were a bit chaotic for the tank since the move had disturbed the cycle. I got a bit of ammonia at the beginning and some blurry water but I used prime, tested pretty much everyday to make sure there was not a peak of ammonia or nitrites and after a couple days everything went back to normal. :clap

Mr Lunglung and the Mosquito guys are now Texan fish! It was a very stressful experience and I am in no rush to moving again but I am very happy to see that with a lot of organization and a bit of luck, it was doable. :headbang2

I attached a couple pictures of my moving setup for the most curious of you and I with a lot of success to other fishkeepers moving with their little friends. :goldfish: