Moving Mollies

[Porcelina]

Hey all, I am preparing to move out of state next month and need some advice. I really want to bring a few of my Sailfin Mollies and aquarium plants with me, but the drive to my new home is about 6 hours. Can anyone recommend a safe and affordable way to do this? The plan is to have a tank set up at my new home that has already gone through the cycling process, so the fish can go straight from my current house to the new one without the extra stress of cycling.

 

[Rez]

Hey all, I am preparing to move out of state next month and need some advice. I really want to bring a few of my Sailfin Mollies and aquarium plants with me, but the drive to my new home is about 6 hours. Can anyone recommend a safe and affordable way to do this? The plan is to have a tank set up at my new home that has already gone through the cycling process, so the fish can go straight from my current house to the new one without the extra stress of cycling.

I used to have to move all of my fish constantly up until a couple of years ago when I was in college, however my trip was only 3 hours not 6. I however made these trips with all of my fish alive and well and almost all of them are still with me today. All I did was drain most about 8/10 of my aquarium water out of the aquarium. Of this water I placed some into a gallon sized plastic jug with a screw-on lid (bought at Wal-mart, not expensive). Right before leaving I took the fish out of the aquarium and placed them into the jug with the old aquarium water and screwed on the lid for the trip. I know it is asking alot but if you can save about 1/2 of your old aquarium water the better it will be for your fish to be reintroduced at their new home. By saving the old water the transition will not be as great of a shock to the fish when they are introduced to their new home. For my plants I just uprooted them and let them float on the top of the water on the old aquarium as I was moving it. I know that you plan on having a new aquarium for them when you get there, but I personally would advise if at all possible, for you to take the old aquarium with you and continue to use it. The aquarium that they are currently in already has an established bacterial load. I would at least advise you to keep the filter that you are currently using and use it at the same time as your new filter in their new home not only will the bacteria still be in the old filter but it will also help establish the new aquarium without going through a long cycling process. I used a canister filter, and I simply turned it off and kept the water that was already in the canister during the move. By doing this I did not have any ammonia spikes the 10 or so times I had to move my aquariums during college. If you have a power filter take whaterver media/biowheel you are using and let it sit in some of your old aquarium water and this should keep the bacteria alive during the trip.

*IMPORTANT* make sure you do not allow large temperature changes to the jug the fish are in, the container you use to transport the plants, or the water in which you keep your filter/media. large temperature fluctuations can kill the fish, plants, and the beneficial bacteria in the filter/media.

I made my trips without using any kind of areation, but in the case of a 6 hour trip I would advise you to purchase a battery-powered areator I know that Plenn-Plax makes one and I know that they sell them at Petsmart for around 10 dollars or so. (I would not advise just blowing air yourself into the jug due to bacteria from your saliva getting into the water with the fish and also in such a small container the increased CO2 in your respiration can change the pH in the jug).

All of these suggestions are what worked for me, but again I have never attempted a six hour move before, and I cannot guarantee that your fish will survive your trip, but I can gurantee that these procedures worked beautifully the 10+ times that I have had to make my 3 hour moves.

I hope that your move goes well for you and your mollies!

-Rez B)

 

[Tolak]

http/www.fishforums.net/content/Tropical...e-Moving-House/

I buy & sell fish at auctions all the time, these fish are bagged for 12+ hours, with a fraction of a percent of losses. Fast the fish for 24 hours before the move, 1/3 water, 2/3 air. Keep the bags in a cooler or styro to maintain temperature, you can make a cheap heatpack using a spare bag with some hot water. The only time you need a bucket or rubbermaid container to transport fish is if they are too large for a bag.