urgent questions

[norcal]

:help: hey i have some questions about moving fish 6 hours in a car that i am trying to get answers to ASAP! the full thread is on fish discussion entitled fish to move or not to move. sorry to put it here too but im trying to make this trip tommorow and i am desperately trying to figure out the best way to move these fish. this is the most popular section so i was hoping it would get more feedback here. If you have ANY ideas i would be eternally grateful. like i said the full post is in the fish discussion section.

i am begging you any info......

 

[teen]

i would put them in seperate bags( bags like the lfs gives u fish in) and then put them in a styrafoam cooler (like the ones at the grocery store) so they dont get too hot or too cold. i think that should work, just monitor the temperature, and try to keep the bags dark so they dont get stresed out.

 

[mudplayerx]

Your first step is preparation. If you don't prepare for this move, I guarantee disaster. If possible, you should visit the place where you are moving to and select where the tank is going to be set up. Take measurements to make sure that you won't have any problems.
One of the most important keys to success in moves is to save as much of the original tank water as possible. Any storage containers which have never been used to hold chemicals or other harmful substances can be used. Gather as much water as you can first so that it is easier to catch the fish.
To get bags to transport your fish you can visit a lfs and ask if they have any extras. If they don't, ask if you can buy some. The more bags the better. You will want to put as much water into these bags as possible, as you will be dumping this into the new setup as well. Try to put only one fish per bag, and definately do not mix inverts and fish. If your lfs has an oxygen tank, see if they will inject oxygen into the bags for you.
More than likely you can get free styrofoam containers from your lfs. All of the stock they get comes in these containers which they just toss into the dumpster. Place the bagged critters in these styrofoam containers.
Live rock can be transported out of water. Simply get some heavy duty paper towels and dunk them into the tank water. Wrap the dripping paper towels around the live rock and place them into a styrofoam container. Do not use newspaper as the ink with come off and not only make a mess, but could pose pollution problems in the tank.
Once you arrive at your location you should set up the stand and tank. It is probably best to begin acclimating your critters before setting up your equipment. No drip acclimation is needed since you are using the same water from your old tank. Once everything is in the tank you are bound to notice that it isn't nearly full of water as it should be. Mix up some saltwater with RO or distilled water and add it to the tank. You can now set up your equipment.
Do not turn the lights on for at least 8 hours. Give your critters time to settle in.

 

[nluchau]

Originally Posted by mudplayerx
Your first step is preparation. If you don't prepare for this move, I guarantee disaster. If possible, you should visit the place where you are moving to and select where the tank is going to be set up. Take measurements to make sure that you won't have any problems.
One of the most important keys to success in moves is to save as much of the original tank water as possible. Any storage containers which have never been used to hold chemicals or other harmful substances can be used. Gather as much water as you can first so that it is easier to catch the fish.
To get bags to transport your fish you can visit a lfs and ask if they have any extras. If they don't, ask if you can buy some. The more bags the better. You will want to put as much water into these bags as possible, as you will be dumping this into the new setup as well. Try to put only one fish per bag, and definately do not mix inverts and fish. If your lfs has an oxygen tank, see if they will inject oxygen into the bags for you.
More than likely you can get free styrofoam containers from your lfs. All of the stock they get comes in these containers which they just toss into the dumpster. Place the bagged critters in these styrofoam containers.
Live rock can be transported out of water. Simply get some heavy duty paper towels and dunk them into the tank water. Wrap the dripping paper towels around the live rock and place them into a styrofoam container. Do not use newspaper as the ink with come off and not only make a mess, but could pose pollution problems in the tank.
Once you arrive at your location you should set up the stand and tank. It is probably best to begin acclimating your critters before setting up your equipment. No drip acclimation is needed since you are using the same water from your old tank. Once everything is in the tank you are bound to notice that it isn't nearly full of water as it should be. Mix up some saltwater with RO or distilled water and add it to the tank. You can now set up your equipment.
Do not turn the lights on for at least 8 hours. Give your critters time to settle in.
Obviously you've done this before- great reply. :happy:

 

[mudplayerx]

Thankfully I've never had to go through with this, but I did read about it in Aquarium Fish Magazine a few years ago.

 

[norcal]

thank you all very much for your ideas and help. i really really appreciated it. heres my final plan after all the ideas and research. i am going to put the fish in a 25 gal cooler and add a battery operated airstone. i think from what i am hearing taht is the best method. their arent a lot of fish, so i dont think it will be a probelm the fish have also not eaten for like a day and a half so they wont dirty the water too much. i think this will be the best way to keep them alive. thanks sooooo much for the responses. i owe you guys one

 

[trainfever]

Even if you dont have enough containers, use 5 gallon buckets. Just line them with plastic trash bags first, fill with water and then tie the bag shut. Some LFS even sell the buckets.