I am moving this weekend and am scared to death...

[silver]

As some of you may know....I have a very stocked 8 month old 55 gallon. The Nitrites were getting high the other night due to lack of time for the poor little fellas. I did a partial water change and vaccuumed about half what I usually do and I changed the filter media and all is back to normal now, but I have one big problem ahead:

MOVING THEM!!!! EEEEEK!!!!!

First let me tell you what I have planned and then please give me stories and suggestions that will help me!!!!!

I am moving in the same town so it's not more than 20 minutes. I have 15 empty gallon jugs from water that I've been saving for my move. I thought that I would fill them all up with water from the tank and fill up my tank with those first when I set it back up at my new house. Also, I bought 3 totes (plastic containers with lids) that are about 12" tall by 12" long by 10" wide. I plan on puting my 2 big Silvers and Gold Gourami in one tote, my 2 little Silvers and 2 black Angels and 3 Panda Corys in another, and lasty my 1 Pearl and 1 Blue Gouramis and 1 Blood Parrot and one Gold Angel in the other. Also I will fill these totes with my tank water, so in all I should have about 20 gallons of the water I have now. I don't know if I should clean my gravel at all........maybe just sift through it a bit??? But gravel takes up quite a bit of space so I was thinking that I will just have to add about 30 gallons of tap water to the tank after I get them in there. What do you think about this?? Is that too much of a water change for my fish at one time?? Cost is very much an issue, so I can't really buy that water at the LFS that I read a couple of you guys talking about.

Also, I am going to be moving them all at once. I'm going to hurry and put the fish in and fill up the 15 empty jugs, tear-down the tank and head over to my new place immediately. Will they be okay in the totes for an hour??? I believe they will, but I need some guidence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Thanks,
Silver

 

[val]

If you are worried about them getting too hot in the totes, you can put them in a shady spot or a place with no sun and put some newspaper or something around them. If they fit, put them in a icebox that you use to hold drinks in.

Valerie

 

[Wasserpest]

They will be fine for an hour... why not? I would not bother with the jugs, rather I would use those regular 5 gal buckets (make sure there is no soap etc in them). The five gallons give your fishes a little more room to stretch, won't overheat, and with some airstone bubbling they could be in there even for a day or two or three...
But anyway, they will be fine in the totes as well (if you don't drop them )
Regarding the gravel, if thats all you have in there (no other fancy substrates) I would probably take it out, put it in another bucket and rinse it just a little bit. That way the tank is much easier to carry (although I don't know how much gravel you have in there). Then put back the gently cleaned gravel and whatever deco you have (I assume no plants?!), fill in the 20 gal of water and let it sit for a little bit, then add the fish back in. It will be only half full at that time, and you can slowly bring the water back to it's original level like you would do during water changes (maybe over the course of 2 or 3 days). That should keep your fishies stress-less.

Regarding your Nitrites, sounds like you should work on your filtering... Not sure what you have right now, but a nice big canister filter with lots of foam, ringies and stars and bioballs and whatnot should keep those NO2 levels down to zero.

Good luck

 

[CFC]

If you have a good lfs then ask them if you can have one or two of the big polystyrene boxes that they recieve their fish in and enough large bags to bag your fish and filter media one fish/sponge in each bag.Then buy some oxygenating tablets and when you bag the fish and sponges pop one or two in each bag before sealing it.Place the bagged fish and media in the boxes and seal the boxes up with tape so that the warmth cannot escape.

If you can save at least half your water it will help and keeping the gravel moist will stop most of the bacteria from dying off,by treating the filter sponges like fish you will save most of the bacteria in them as well.

I have moved my fish in this way 3 times now and have never lost a fish,it certainly beats messing with buckets and the like and you dont have to worry if things take a little longer than expected,the fish can survive in the bags for 24 hours or more if the worst comes to the worst. (How do you think they arrive from abroad?).

Hope the move all goes well for you.

 

[silver]

Thanks.......so it looks like for the most part I have the right idea??!!

I am NOT looking forward to this that is FOR SURE!!!!!

Silver