Moving House

[lizjamie]

Hi, Sorry if this has been posted before but I can't find it searching....

Soon I have to move house - about an 8 hour drive if the traffic is good - and I am not entirely sure how to take my fish with me. (I have 1 1.5 inch oranda nad a 10gallon tank). I have 2 filters although 1 of them is a bit small and rubbish, I am not sure if I shoudl try and take dwon the tank and set it up, then move the fish or what. Also how actually to have him in the car.

All advice or directions on where to find advice is very very much appreciated.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Basically you should try and save as much of the old tank water as posible, and only turn the filters off and take them out at the last moment, and keep the filters wet in a bucket of water of something. The beneficial filter bacteria would be pretty much dead after 8hrs, but its posible you might be able to save some, and either way, the gunk in the filter will be good for helping establish a new colony of filter bacteria.
Try and get the largest fish transport bag you can from your lfs to put the goldfish in, places that sell koi usually have very large fish transport bags or polystyrene boxs for transporting koi in, which would be good for the goldfish. When you put the goldfish in its bag in the car, you should put it in a part of the car where there is the most minimal vibrations/movement, and make sure the fish is firmly secured in its place. Putting the fish transport bag or box in a carboard or sturdy plastic box wrapped in a towl is a good way to help prevent big fluctations in temp taking place.

You should set up the tank as soon as posible when you arrive at your destination, and acclimatise the goldfish back into the tank over a 40min+ period of time, i wouldn't advise feeding the goldfish on the first night as it'll will be pretty stressed and feeding it could make it ill if it doesn't have the energy to spend ages digesting food. Feeding it the next day should be fine though, although because your tank will be mostly likely cycling after the long journey, you should make sure you have accurate test kits for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and ph and do lots of regular water changes with dechlorinator to help reduce the stress from the unstable water quality on the goldfish .

 

[GoldLenny]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=129060 is an older thread on the topic.

 

[lizjamie]

Thank you both so much for your help! Sorry for a long time to reply but havent been able to get on the net.

Just a few things to check - for an 8 hr car trip do you think I will need any oxygen tablets/ to changet the water over half way through?

Also - the tap water in the south of england tastes a lot different to that in scotland ( ) so is the change in water goign to stress out the fish as well as the move? My fish and tank are quite small at the moment (1.5 inches and a 58 litre tank) soI could conceivably take some water with me somehow........

 

[J4MES]

no they should be ok goldfish are quite hardy

J4MES

 

[GoldLenny]

Thank you both so much for your help! Sorry for a long time to reply but havent been able to get on the net.

Just a few things to check - for an 8 hr car trip do you think I will need any oxygen tablets/ to changet the water over half way through?

Also - the tap water in the south of england tastes a lot different to that in scotland ( ) so is the change in water goign to stress out the fish as well as the move? My fish and tank are quite small at the moment (1.5 inches and a 58 litre tank) soI could conceivably take some water with me somehow........

If the water parameters are that much different, you should slowly acclimate them to their new water. Bring enough of your current water with you so you can set up their tank with their current water. If you have an igloo type ice chest, put large lawn and leaf type garbage bags (doubled) inside the ice chest (or other strong container), then fill the bags with water and put a nylon tie on the top of the bag. This will keep the water from being able to slosh out, compared to if you just filled up the ice chest with water.

They will already be stressed enough from the move that you don't need to go changing their water dramatically also. After you have the tank set up with some of your current water, as you do your regular PWC's (partial water changes), do smaller ones... maybe 10% each time with the new water so the fish can get use to the new water. For the 8 hour trip, you should at least have a battery powered air stone in the bucket with your fish.