Advice On A 6 Hour Move (need All The Advice I Can Get)

So...I will be moving in 4 months, 6 hours away, by car. I have multiple tanks, biggest being two 55's and two 29's. I only have 7 cichlids fish in a 29 gallon (Moving to 55 gallon soon, they're small) currently, and I JUST got my cycle started. (That's a story for another post)

I will be getting rid of a few of the empty tanks. I have a Fluval 305 Canister filter and a Tetra 40 gallon HOB filter cycled on the 29 gallon cichlid tank. I will be moving in June, Arizona to Las Vegas, and I have no a/c....I plan on getting it fixed. Where do I start...what do I do!? I need all the advice and methods I can get. Thank you guys. We also will be renting a U-haul. But I plan on doing the fish VERY last.

 

You have 7 fish total? Only one tank is operational right?

 

You have 7 fish total? Only one tank is operational right?

Correct, I could drive at night if needed. It will be 110 degrees during the day. Maybe 90 at night? Either way I'll probably need a/c huh?

 

5 gallon buckets with lids will be you best bet. Along with oxygen tablets that fishermen use in their bait buckets. They typically last 12 hours and can be found in most sporting good sections of most stores. Not having ac might be a good thing as it will help keep the temp up.

 

Keep the filters in water for the whole journey, small plastic bags (ziplock is a good idea) filled with water and a filter each inside a large container. Put 1-3 of your fish in a bag too and put them also in that large container. Be sure that the large container is as small as it can be to fit all the bags so that there is less movement on the journey.

Does that make sense?

 

Dave is right. So here is what you do. pack up all your other tanks nice and safe and pad em. plus all the equipment. Take ALL your media and put it in a lowes bucket with a lid and fill it with your tank water. Now get another 5 gallon lowes bucket and put your fish and more tank water in it. You can get one of those cigarette lighter to 120 plug adapters and put an air pump on it to a stone in the bucket just for piece of mind. The media you need to preserve to instant cycle when you get to your new place. Keeping it in tank water will do this for you.

This is a similar plan to what I have when I retire from the Navy in 719 days and have to move to Rhode Island or back down south.

 

I would first get the A/C fixed. I realize it is hot in Arizona, but you will probably want A/C in Las Vegas also! I would start running a large sponge filter on the 29 gl that has the fish in it - start ASAP so the sponge is "cycled" by the time of the move. Fast your fish for a couple of days prior to the move to reduce the amount of bio-load during the move. Put your fish in a 5 gallon bucket as previously mentioned, along with the sponge filter. You can either use an A.C. powered air pump with inverter or a battery operated air pump - Walmart sells them in the Sporting Goods section for use on minnow buckets. Running the "cycled" sponge filter in the bucket is no different than running it in the fish tank. Once you set the tank up in Las Vegas, continue to run the sponge filter in the tank along with your normal filters until your normal filters are "cycled". Be sure to have all your aquarium supplies (test kit, water conditioner, etc) easily accessible so you can get the tank up when you get to Las Vegas.

 

I don't know if I would put all your fish in one bucket. They will be in there probably 10-12 hours total. If not over crowded I see no need for a filter or air stone. Heck fishermen keep 20 minnows in a gallon bait bucket and just throw in an oxygen tablet every 10-12 hours and they survive for a week.

 

I would first get the A/C fixed. I realize it is hot in Arizona, but you will probably want A/C in Las Vegas also! I would start running a large sponge filter on the 29 gl that has the fish in it - start ASAP so the sponge is "cycled" by the time of the move. Fast your fish for a couple of days prior to the move to reduce the amount of bio-load during the move. Put your fish in a 5 gallon bucket as previously mentioned, along with the sponge filter. You can either use an A.C. powered air pump with inverter or a battery operated air pump - Walmart sells them in the Sporting Goods section for use on minnow buckets. Running the "cycled" sponge filter in the bucket is no different than running it in the fish tank. Once you set the tank up in Las Vegas, continue to run the sponge filter in the tank along with your normal filters until your normal filters are "cycled". Be sure to have all your aquarium supplies (test kit, water conditioner, etc) easily accessible so you can get the tank up when you get to Las Vegas.

Hmm..I like this. My friend mentioned the minnow pump. So your saying to get one of those sponge filters that hook up to an air tube that a lot of stores have? Then hook the minnow pump up to it in the bucket, right? It's funny, I was thinking of getting those anyway. That sounds like a good idea. The only problem though is the bucket/container. How do I keep it temperature stable? And with minimal sloshing? Should I use a Styrofoam cooler instead?

Also, any more tips on keeping my cycle alive on the current media? Because I tried for 5 months...FIVE months to get my cycle and finally broke down and borrowed 20 bio max rings from my friends canister filter that had been In it for years. That's the only way I got it started and I desperately want to keep them going. I guess if worst comes to worst I could track some down in Vegas through a new friend or lfs. Maybe I could pile the biomax and other media into a container with a pump the same as the fish? Like what the comment says below?

Also...if I can't get my a/c fixed...whats a good option? Maybe in the U-Haul cab? But if I can't do that, what then?

I'm sure I'll think of a million more questions...

I don't know if I would put all your fish in one bucket. They will be in there probably 10-12 hours total. If not over crowded I see no need for a filter or air stone. Heck fishermen keep 20 minnows in a gallon bait bucket and just throw in an oxygen tablet every 10-12 hours and they survive for a week.

It will only be 6-7 hours max if I keep my speed up and pack, leave, unpack, setup asap.. Also I like the idea of using a pump to oxygenate the water for the fish AND cycle.

Dave is right. So here is what you do. pack up all your other tanks nice and safe and pad em. plus all the equipment. Take ALL your media and put it in a lowes bucket with a lid and fill it with your tank water. Now get another 5 gallon lowes bucket and put your fish and more tank water in it. You can get one of those cigarette lighter to 120 plug adapters and put an air pump on it to a stone in the bucket just for piece of mind. The media you need to preserve to instant cycle when you get to your new place. Keeping it in tank water will do this for you.

This is a similar plan to what I have when I retire from the Navy in 719 days and have to move to Rhode Island or back down south.

So you think if I just spill all the media into a container with aquarium water and an air pump the BB will survive?
What about sloshing or temperature?

My car also has 220k miles on it...never drove it 6 hours...but my girlfriends a/c is broke too. Maybe we'll get hers fixed and transport them in that since her car is more long distance ready in terms of not breaking down.

I like MWR's plan the best...but I need to tweak it a bit.

 

Yep just throw the media in a bucket of tank water. Its not an infant. Lol

 

Yep just throw the media in a bucket of tank water. Its not an infant. Lol

To me it is...haha. You have no idea....

Also...anyone know the best way to transport the empty tanks? Maybe some towels, bubble wrap? What's the cheapest, reliable way?

 

Anything soft. Towels. A yoga mat. Thick trow rug. Anything just to give it a little cushion.

 

Bag the fish and transport in a large cooler. Six hours shouldn't be too bad but you can order breather bags like online fish sellers use for shipping. You don't want the bags sliding around so fill extra bags if you need to fill up space in the cooler. Insulated five gallon water cooler might be an idea to explore...

I'd fast the fish the day before the move.