Advice On Moving A Tank Please

[Akasha72]

I am responsable for all the interior of this flat through my tenancy. Because it's rented from a local authority (not sure what you call it in the States but in the U.K it's a housing association) it's my responsability to decorate and furnish and also to fit my own carpets. If I move out, everything then has to go back to a shell. I even have to remove any hooks from the walls that pictures are hung on. That's the rules.
 
Anything that goes wrong with plumbing, electrics or structure of the building is the landlords responsability... unless they can find a way to wriggle out of doing anything like they are with the condensation and mould problem that I have!! 
 
I've paid nearly £300 for new carpet, underlay (this special stuff that's going down to hopefully muffle the drunk idiot out) and fitting. All I know is a guy will turn up on Thursday with my new carpet, underlay, new gripper strips and will fit it and walk away. The rest is down to lil ole me ... and now I'm fed up.
 
I've just been to the diy store to get some wood dye (I want to tidy up the door casing before the new carpet is fitted) ... it said 'Walnut' on the label... when I opened it it's blooming PURPLE!!! 
 
Someone in the endless sky is having a laugh at my expense

 

[Tooombsy]

Sounds like a real headache you're having with this. Hopefully it goes smoother than you think.

I'd imagine that the fish will be happy in a filtered, heated large plastic tub for quite a while. Just make sure to clean it well before using it for the fish incase anything leeches from the tub into the water.

Fill the tub up with some baking soda and hot water and leave it overnight. In the morning empty it and rinse it out, then refill with boiled water and leave to sit for the day. After this the smell of plastic should be gone and it will safe to use.

As for catching the fish, have you thought about draining the water a bit first so there is less water for them to escape in? Catch the larger fish first that are easier to get then lower the water level to catch the little sneaky ones.

I've also heard that a red coloured net is less visible to the fish but never actually tried this.

 

[frapadoodle]

Theological discussions aside,(the laughter would be here not there). Purple! Ouch!, but that is what happens when quality control is left to workers making pennies more than the labor.

Ah, I see now about the rental contract. Mine is a bit better, while I am only responsible for any damage done, if I make improvements or repairs my Landlord takes my labor and materials off my rent.

 

[Akasha72]

thanks Tooombsy that's a really good tip. I was wondering how I was going to get rid of that smell! I shall go and do that now as time is ticking.
 
 
All my fragile ornaments are now packed away safely in a box .. a lot are so sentimental that I'd be deverstated if they got knocked off the shelves ... it's better that they are packed away safely. 
I'm now sat in a room with  2 empty book shelves and empty shelves on the wall too. Everything is ready to go now so now number one focus is on the fish. I have 5 days to catch - 2 angels (easy) 2 curviceps cichlids (might be fairly easy) 2 neons (it took me an hour to catch 4 two days ago) 8 harlequins and 10 palmeri tetra's .... yeah it's those last 2 groups that are worrying me!
 
I've just checked the water on the little 30 litre that currently contains 3 kerri tetra's and 4 neon tetra's and 2 snails. All is fine with ammonia and nitrite. I think the water can handle a few more it's just the size that's worrying me. I'm out for the day tomorrow so I think on Monday I'll drain some water from the 30 litre and move it to the kitchen work top, refill and then see if I can catch the other two neons and the odd harlequin. That means that the only fish in the plastic box will be the angels and the palmeri tetra's and curviceps. I'm so worried about curviceps ... I'm so terrified of losing them and they are so shy I'm worried they won't cope with this. 
I'm considering risking the neons lives in with the angels so there's room in the 30 litre for curviceps where I can keep an eye on them... decisions decisions

 

[Akasha72]

okay ... so the large storage box is now half full of hot water with some bicarb in ... but it is bowing at the sides dramaticly. I don't think it's going to be safe to use this to store fish over night. I think what I'm going to have to do is bag the angels while I drain the tank ready for them to go back once it's re-filled in the kitchen. The rest of the fish are going to have to go into a smaller box .... 
 
 
I've now caught all my harlequins and they've gone into the 30 litre ... it can't hold any more fish. I just wish I had somewhere to put the 100 litre tank!!! 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Perhaps you may have a friend or relative willing to take your 100l tank up and running in her/his place for a short while until everything is completed?

 

[Akasha72]

I wish Ch4rlie ... I really really wish that was an option.
 
I'm now down to
 
1 30 litre tank that will stand on a kitchen work top - in that I'm gonna have to put curviceps and harlequins and hope for the best
 
1 30 litre storage box that will have to go on the floor in the kitchen - in that the rest of my tetra's and hope they don't fight and kill each other
 
The angels will have to just be moved out while I move the tank and then be put back. I'm sure they'll be okay in a fish bag for an hour max

 

[Tooombsy]

Just a thought, and could be a silly one, but if you rinse out your bath to remove any soap residue, could you temporarily house fish in it?
Could run the filter and heater in there, an also add your tank water to it when you drain it.

This is probably a stupid suggestion, but something that just popped into my head lol

 

[Ch4rlie]

Where will Akasha have a bath or shower then?

 

[Akasha72]

hahaha it's a good idea but after all the work going into this the only thing keeping me sane is a hot soak! 

 

[Akasha72]

Well I have the first casualty - found one of my black neons dead this morning. I checked the ammonia and nitrite on the little tank straight away and both are zero. I was worried adding 10 harlequins had pushed it too far but no, both readings were a nice clear zero.
 
After lengthy discussions though yesterday with my Dad we've made a decision. My Juwel Rekord 800 (110 litres) is coming in from the shed and will have to stand on the kitchen worktop - it will be a very tight fit but the worktop should be strong enough to hold it - I've stood on it several times to clean the cupboards with no problems so hopefully ...
Once the tank is in I'll solve the uncycled filter problem by adding the two internals currently in the 30 litre and see if I can rob anything else from my externals to add to the Juwels internal filter. The last time this filter was used was when the angels were in it so that was December last year (only 5 months). Hopefully once the sponges get wet there might be still some bacteria to wake up and by adding anything I can rob from an external plus the other two internals I might have enough bacteria to support my stock for a few days. I'm hoping to get the tank in on Tuesday at the latest and then add the stock straight away. That way I have a few hours to be able to check the water stats for signs of anything going wrong. I'm hoping with 3 internal filters running on it that everything will be alright.
 
As for the neon ... well I keep finding dead fish on and off but when I've found them I've not been certain what type they are (I have so many small fish) Now that I'm catching my stock I can count them easier and there is a distinct lack of neons. I had 10 ... up until yesterday I'm down to 6. After the death in the night I'm down to 5. I'm not going to buy anymore neons ... not with the angels, plus I'd rather add to to my shoal of midnight harlequins

 

[Ch4rlie]

Ah, sorry Akasha
 
But sounds like a decent plan to get tank up and runing in kitchen, worktop with a unit underneath should be fine in term of strength to hold that size of tank.
 
Neons, are not the hardiest of fish I have found, so that could be anything so probably the angels has a had a couple of 'snacks'

 

[Akasha72]

I don't think the angels have been 'snacking' ... I found a body last month but it was colourless so I couldn't tell what it was - other than 'a small fish' I thought it was another harlequin as they are old now but it must have been a neon. There were others on and off over the last 3 or 4 months. Again I thought they were either harlequins or the kerri tetra's but they must have all been neons.
I can't remember when I got the neons so I've no idea how old they are. I think this move around will be a teller for a lot of my older fish. The only loss that would utterly deverstate me would be my curvicep cichlids or my angels. The rest of the stock are easily replaceable but the angels are special and curviceps is a special order fish in this area

 

[Akasha72]

just thought of another question. I could do with adding some hiding places in the 100 litre - especially for curviceps mostly as they are seriously shy fish and don't cope well if things are getting rough.
My main tank is really over grown at the moment and needs a serious prune. I was leaving the prune for now as I was going to break off a few sword leaves and bunch them together with a plant weight and add them to the 100 litre but will they just die back? I've never tried it before - I've always just broken off leaves which were dying back leaving the new growth and then thrown the leaves away. The last thing I need is leaves dying back and rotting and causing a possible ammonia problem
 
Thoughts on that anyone?

 

[thrujenseyes]

Omg Akasha... I see now why you've been stressing!!
We were chatting in the other thread but I had no idea "the move" had sooooo many variables!!
I'm so sorry! Seems like you've had lots of good suggestions and a place to figure things out to the best of your abilities here.
I sure hope all goes as well as possible!!!
If I lived by you I'd bring over a funny movie and some alcohol to help