PLEASE HELP I NEED OF ADVICE

[CNemesis]

Hello everyone,

I have recently divorced from my wife and need to transport my 37 gallon aquarium. I am building a new tank stand this weekend. I am just not sure how to transport my fish and water to a new location that is 30 minuets away and not break seals in my tank and not kill any of my fish. please help a break down of how to do this would help so much thank you everyone. I do have a clean 30 gallon trash can never used to fill with water but am not sure what to do on the transfer please help me. Thank you. Chris

 

[Colin_T]

see post #2 at the following link.

Moving with fish?

Hi. I honestly didn’t know where to post this so I’m sorry if this isn’t the right place. Currently I have (approximate sizes) a 5 inch long, 8 inch long and 11 inch long comet goldfish, a 4 inch long black Moore, 6 African cichlids, and a male betta. In January, I’m going to be moving from...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Byron]

First, the tank must be completely empty before you lift it or transport it. Weight in the tank from the substrate alone would likely break the seal. When I moved last year, I got a few of those food containers with lids that hold 12-15 liters. You can get them in most grocery stores or home improvement stores. The opaque plastic ones are better as the fish cannot see outside and this keeps them calmer than clear containers do. Use water siphoned from the top of the tank to fill the container(s), but not full, leave a couple inches minimum. Put the lid on it or water will splash out everywhere during transport. You can also put some of the tank decor and plants in with the fish to further calm them. Net the fish into the container(s) just before you move the whole set-up.

Drain the tank and remove everything; the substrate can be put in another of the containers, but not in with fish.

When you get to the new place, set the tank up where you want it and if level, add the substrate, decor, plants. Fill with fresh water. Provided the water is basically the same in GH, pH and temperature it is best to use just fresh. Add the conditioner. Make sure the filter and heater are running properly, and net over the fish.

 

[CNemesis]

Hello everyone,

I have recently divorced from my wife and need to transport my 37 gallon aquarium. I am building a new tank stand this weekend. I am just not sure how to transport my fish and water to a new location that is 30 minuets away and not break seals in my tank and not kill any of my fish. please help a break down of how to do this would help so much thank you everyone. I do have a clean 30 gallon trash can never used to fill with water but am not sure what to do on the transfer please help me. Thank you. Chris

View attachment 108213

I am so confused of this forum I tried to ask a question then it was over took by someone else? I am new to this but I dont see any messages on my post just this other persons

 

[Crispii]

I am so confused of this forum I tried to ask a question then it was over took by someone else? I am new to this but I dont see any messages on my post just this other persons

It wasn't taken over by someone. The thread that you read earlier wasn't from you and that it was from someone who posted their dilemma a few months back. Don't take it personally.

 

[Essjay]

Colin_T gave advice last year to someone else who asked the same question. In post #2 of this thread gave a link to the other thread so he didn't have to type it all out again as it was a rather long detailed description of how to move a tank.

That's all. It's two separate threads, no-one has taken over anyone's thread.

 

[CNemesis]

It wasn't taken over by someone. The thread that you read earlier wasn't from you and that it was from someone who posted their dilemma a few months back. Don't take it personally.

I am sorry I just never do this and I am so confused on where to find the answers regarding my question this is hard to read this forum. I am just going to wing it hope my fish do not die.

 

[Byron]

I am sorry I just never do this and I am so confused on where to find the answers regarding my question this is hard to read this forum. I am just going to wing it hope my fish do not die.

I answered your initial post in my post #3 above.

 

[Colin_T]

Feed the fish a little more often for a couple of weeks before you move.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean every couple of days for 2 weeks, before you move. This will clean the water and substrate and make it cleaner when you actually move the tank.
Make sure the new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Clean the filter a week before you move.

Do not feed the fish the night before you move, or on the day you move. Don't feed them until the day after you have moved.

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Get a couple of large plastic rubbish bins or buckets with lids (45 or 70 litre bin). Fill them 1/2 to 2/3s with tank water and put the fish in them. I would probably put the 2 big goldfish in their own buckets, the smaller goldfish into another bucket, the Betta in a bag of tank water or bucket of water with the plants, and the cichlids into another bucket/ bins. Seat belt the bins into the back seat of the car or somewhere they can't tip over. Use the seat belts to hold them in place if you can.

Get a power inverter for your car, you can pick them up from an auto store. They plug into the cigarette lighter and you can run normal electrical appliances off the car battery. They convert 12volt power to whatever your country uses, and have a normal power socket.

Connect a normal aquarium air pump to the power inverter and run an airline and plastic multi-coloured airstone into the buckets of water with the fish. Try to get the multi-coloured airstones with the lead weight in the bottom section. They stay down instead of floating around.

If you can't get a power inverter, then look for some battery operated air pumps. You can buy them from fishing shops, pet shops or Ebay. They are often sold as bait pumps. You get single outlet and double outlet types. Some use 1 battery and others use several batteries. Some plug into a cigarette lighter.

If you are really stuck for air, use a normal airpump while at the house, and then run a length of airline from the bucket to the front seat and blow bubbles into it yourself. You don't need to blow air into it all the time but do it every couple of minutes and that will aerate the water during the trip.


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On the day of the move, put the fish into their buckets of water and add an airstone to each bucket. Keep the fish buckets in the house until everything else is in the car. Then put the fish in last.

Empty the aquarium and put the gravel into buckets.
Put ornaments in a bucket.
Pack up all the fish gear and put it in boxes and put them in the car.
Put any plants in a bucket of water.
If you have a power filter, clean the filter materials and put them in a bucket with some tank water. You only need a 1/3 to 1/2 bucket of water for the filter media. Keep it in the shade so it doesn't cook.
Rinse the tanks and filter case out under tap water, dry and put in the car, truck or trailer. Keep them shaded so the sun doesn't crack the base of the tank.
Put the tanks on a blanket or foam mattress and put some pillows around it to stop it moving. Do not have anything in the tank while it is being moved.
If you have coverglass, put them on the empty tank and sticky tape them in place.

If the weather is hot, have the car's air conditioner on so the water doesn't heat up and cook the fish during the trip.

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When you get to the new place, put the tank in its spot and set it up using the water you took, then top up with dechlorinated water. If you take several buckets of tank water you should be able to partially fill the tanks with their old water, add the fish and filter, then top up the tank with clean dechlorinated water.

Get the filter running asap and monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels for the next month. If you get any readings, do a 75% water change to dilute it.

Keep the feeding down to a couple of times a week until the filters have recovered.​

 

[Jan Cavalieri]

One more thing - when moving the tank - have one hand/arm on the bottom of the tank for it's safety. This is really a two person job - take two vehicles since there won't likely be room in your car for a person and the tank and other stuff unless you have an SUV. The worst thing you can do is "wing it" might as well smash the tank and kill the fish now if that's what you're going to do. I've never fully moved a tank but switch things out to the point where I needed to remove the gravel and rinse the remnents out in the bathtub (I'm disabled so I had a friend do it for me and it was hard on her. it was about a 3 hour job IN the house, so plan on adding another couple of hours too your move. I'd get the battery powedered air bubbler just to keep it simple. It's hard work but not particularly technical - just common sense.