Here's a challenge for you.

[nomaddan]

Ok guys, here's my challenge.

In about 6 months I will be moving from Seattle, WA to Orlando, FL. How do I move a 75g tank and its inhabitants without killing them?

I have been wrestling with this for about a week and have come up with an idea but it will take alot of work.

Here it is:

I have a pickup truck so I figure I can load the water on to the truck and haul it in a 55g garbage can that is sealed with duct tape or something. Use a large cooler with the fish in bags inside. That will go in the extended cab in the truck with me. I can put a digital thermostat in the cooler with the readout on my dash to monitor the temp. If it gets too hot I can open the top and let it cool down. If it gets too cold, I can put in those little hand warmers between the bags inside the cooler. Hopefully the insulation will keep enough heat in.

Here is the real problem...air. I can get an adaptor that will turn my cigarette lighter in to a 110 plug. Then get an air pump with splitters to pump air into the bags. That would mean not having a very good seal on the bags and possible leakage. The trip will last 4-5 days depending on how much I can drive each day so should I feed them on the trip or what. If so how many times.

Any suggestions are welcome...feel free to pick my plan apart. The more minds the merrier. My only other option is to get rid of the fish and restock when I get there. If moving the fish means killing them I would rather they go to a good home, but that would be very disappointing as I'm sure you can understand.

Thanks for the help!

Dan

 

[smithrc]

If you've got the mains inverter... I'd set up the heater and the filter (if its an internal) in the cooler bax along with the air.

That way you will have the bacteria with you aswell - so you should stand a better chance of not having to cycle the tank when its set back up...

That's got to be a very long trip isn't it??

 

[xXMrBonesXx]

if you can swing it load up a couple huge bottled waters and maybe swing them some new water mid trip, thats about the only thing i can ching in with

 

[nomaddan]

I figured I can change out their water once mid trip fro the trashcan. If I take their water with me would I still have a cycle problem. Same water, same filter media and substrate. I was hoping by doing that I could avoid a cycle on the other end.

 

[nomaddan]

If you've got the mains inverter... I'd set up the heater and the filter (if its an internal) in the cooler bax along with the air.



That's got to be a very long trip isn't it??

I was concerned with having the heatergoing because of the plastic bags the would be traveling in. Oops, just saw the internal part. I do have an internal, but it is very large.



I was going to bag each fish in its own bag to reduce any aggression or stress.

Do you suggest just letting them go in the cooler together? I suppose I could get one that is big enough. Hadn't thought of that.


Totla distance is about 3000 miles or 4800 kilometers.

 

[smithrc]

the water contains very little of the bacteria you will need... its mainly in the filter media and the gravel and decorations etc.

To keep that alive you will need to keep oxyagenated water passing it.

How many fiah and what size are you moving?

It might be better to put them in one of the dustbins with a heater and filter in there with them.

 

[nomaddan]

To keep that alive you will need to keep oxyagenated water passing it.

How many fiah and what size are you moving?

I have 4 Piranha that are about 3" each, 3 Common Plecs around 4" each in my 75g. I also have 4 Green Spotted Puffers (which I might just giv away) and three red clawed crabs which will probably be the easiest.

I would plug in an air pump to oxygenate the bags...what if I put some gravel in the bags as well.


The only thing that concerns me about keeping the fish together in the cooler with a filter is losing water. I don't know how I could seal it with the filter on it

 

[nomaddan]

I want you guys to know I am not trying to be hard headed, you have some great ideas. I just want to hash this out now rather than on the road.

Thanks Again!

 

[smithrc]

I'd set up a bin as a tank.

Gravel in the bottom, filter in and running with heater and air.

It'll be dark so a lot less stressful for them too

 

[nomaddan]

is there some kind of submersable filter I could get? So I could put it in the bin attached to the bottom or something. I would still need the air pump, but atleast the filtration would still get done.

 

[sylvia]

You can get several sponge filters... They don't do much for filtration but if you set them up in your tank now, they'll have enough bacteria for the journey. The bacteria BTW, would not survive for 4-5 days without any ammonia to keep them alive. I think the bin idea with the fish and bacteria together would work best. Considering you have piranhas - maybe you should feed them during the trip... Also, if you can keep the different species seperate - get 3 bins and put the plecos in one, the piranhas in another and the crabs in another, it would be less stressful for the fish and crabs. If you keep the puffers, I'd suggest you get yourself a fourth bin... I know that's a lot of bins, sponges and heaters but that's the only way I can think of to keep all the fish in good health.

 

[nomaddan]

Sounds like the bin idea has the most votes. Maybe I can figure out a way to block off the cooler so the water can move through, but the fish can't. That would cut down on equipment. I have to consider how much power I'm going to be pulling while on the road. I don't think I can have more than one or two things plugged in at the same time.

 

[themainman]

Don't know much about shipping fish over a 4 to 5 day span but if you would like to make some extra money then buy some extra P's and sell them here in florida since it's illegal to keep them down here.

Just a thought.

 

[astroboy]

I suggest selling the fish and buying new ones in FLorida.
Why go through all that hassle?
The fish you have are pretty common anyways.

 

[themainman]

I suggest selling the fish and buying new ones in FLorida.
Why go through all that hassle?
The fish you have are pretty common anyways.

Not the Piranhas.