ShaynaB

I'm (finally) going to a 4 year college in the fall and I was thinking about taking my betta. My mother's going to feed the fish in my community tank so I have the option to leave my betta here. I'll be coming home on weekends so I can do water changes and such (school's about 45 minutes away).

My big problem is all the moving I'd have to do... I'd be taking my betta up in August and back here in December for Winter break. Then I'd take him back up at the end of January then back here in March for spring break (we have to vacate the dorms during all breaks) and then back up in March again and home in May.

This seems like an awfully large amount of stress for my boy. The other problem is moving all his stuff with him! I think that if I didn't have to leave for spring break it wouldn't be so bad because the rest of the moving would give him time to relax and destress (winter break is around a month in length) but spring break is only a week...

I don't know what to do! I think I'd miss the little bugger bunches if I left him at home but I don't want to hurt him by taking him back and forth and back and forth...

I figured I'd ask here because when I talk to my friends/family/boyfriend I get the "it's only a fish" line. HA! only...

Do ya'll think it'd be too much stress to take him?

KonaBoy

I did that with my fish last year and it worked out okay. I just bagged the fish (1 Betta, 5 Zebra Danio's, 1 W.C.M.M and 2 Guppy's), wrapped them in a towl then put them in a Rubbermaid. Everyone made the 4 hour "vacation" okay It wasn't a big deal, the worst part was trying to fit the aquarium's themselves in the backseat.

T3Knical5urg3

Wow I kinda have the same thing on my mind. I also am going to collage, but Im going 2 1/2 hours away and that would be even tougher.... I didn't even think of all the breaks stupid me! Now I don't know what I will do.

chickadee

The hard part for me would be that you would lose part of your cycle each time or even all of it but it would reestablish itself quickly after the move. You need to be careful and see that they are insulated as much as possible and try not to let their temperature change too much during the trip but short trips like you are talking about should not be too hard on them. My bettas are mostly sent to me through the mail and they spend 2 to 3 days in boxes with no light or added air to their bags. They are in 2/3 air and 1/3 water and are fasted the day before they are shipped to keep them from filling the water full of poo and ammonia. I have not lost a fish yet. The only one who was even showing signs of stress was Damon and he was afraid of the dark but that continued even when he was in his tank (he would have a fit when the lights were turned off). The way Cory (Kona Boy) suggests to do it would work fine for short hops.

Believe me, it would stress him MUCH more to be away from you as he has an attachment to you and would grieve your absence.

Rose

KonaBoy

Oh, I also kept my filter media in a plastic bucket half-full of water to try to help keep my bacteria alive, it worked for me

T3Knical5urg3

Since I will mainly be at school, what if I just leave my tank running through all the breaks without ever modifying it like taking my filter media out and just have a 1 gallon tank at home that I just do frequent water changes in and not even bother with the cycling? Then when I get back just put him back in his tank.

rileyrk190

I currently go to school three hours away and i have to transport two bettas and two hermit crabs. What i do is get a container (much like a walmart death cup, although filled with clean water from the tank), and take bettas and put them in the cups. The cups fit conveniently into the cup holders of the car, which holds them securely. The only downside to that is you have to keep an eye on the temperature of the vehicle. This method however works great in the summer. I put them in a cooler in the winter because its usually in the negative where i go to school. I have not had a casualty yet using the cup holder trick..I have only tried this with bettas. As for my crabs i put them in a sealable Glad container with air holes, then fill it with coconut husk, and put it in a fabric zip cooler.

ShaynaB

Thank you all so much! I was getting nervous thinking about it and you've really helped ease my worries!

I think this sums it up pretty much. Thanks Rose!

The same thing ran through my mind... Tanks need a source of ammonia to keep going though, I believe. The hard part about that would be keeping the cycle going in the established tank with nothing in it. If you could figure out how to keep the cycle going on the established tank, you could always hook up a smaller filter for the one gallon, then when you move the fish take it with you covered in water from the tank and then put it into the one gallon so you have good bacteria already!

I think this is what I'll end up doing. I live in sunny southern california, though so no minus temps for me! I still won't turn the a/c on so much though!

COBettaCouple

I think you'll be able to travel with your Betta. We moved ours 1800 miles in the car: http://www.fishlore.com/aquariummaga...g-fish.htm:;th