[patfat]

So I'm planning to move from Cali to Texas.

I have 1 eb Acara, 3 angel fish, 1 Bolivian, 2 GBR, 1 clown pleco, 2 silver flying foxes, and a couple corys..

Any one got any ideas? I been watch YouTube videos..but I'm torn between throwing them in bags or putting in a big container with bubblers..

And then if you might have any advice or some shipping supplies for the long drive I am willing to pay? So let me know please and thanks

Don't want to get rid of the fish...I like to take the chance and try to move them..so advice or supplies let me know

 

[mistergreen]

Are you drying them? I'd just buy a few coolers and put the fishes in there. Don't over crowd and open them for air every day in the drive.

 

[PlantedRich]

I've moved fish several different times and different ways. Some work well and some can be disasters waiting to happen. You might be able to get by with the quickie ways like buckets or you might find yourself trying to find water and picking the fish up off the floor! Unexpected quick stops should be part of the plan.
The only way I will now move fish is just as if I were shipping them. Some minor changes can be made if you are doing the handling yourself.
I use bags from a fish store for the smallish types and larger trash bags for single large fish. I split the fish who might be a problem to each of the other types. Then I bag them in enough water to be able to swim upright and as much air as possible. then I turn that bag upside down in another bag. This double bag will make the corners round out to avoid a fish head first in the corner. These bags then go into some form of box. Styro coolers are cheap if you don't have one but cardboard will do.
Seal the bags and leave them. Cut off food a couple days before the move to cut the waste! If you have something like Safe, Chloram-X, etc. use it as well.
Just keep the boxes where you are comfortable and they will be fine for more than a couple days.
At night in the areas you will likely cross, I take the box inside if staying overnight.
No bubbler needed if the air is in the bag. The splashing will stir the water. Just use big bags that hold lots of air with just enough water. They need air more than water!

 

[Lonestarbandit]

Also be aware coming to Texas......
Most of us have liquid rock.
8.0 pH and up. Word of warning lol.
Adapt accordingly.

 

[Mikevwall]

I wouldn't overthink the transportation portion of it.
The water hardness may be an issue, unless you plan on running r/o. If that's the case you could buy the first few water changes worth.
Get a battery powered airator.. Bags, buckets, whatever you have that can contain them.
Some fish an be a real pain to catch up (flying foxes) diy trap is an option. Get started days in advanced.
Do daily water changes.
I've moved tanks from Ohio to Florida without a single loss.
It's science

 

[patfat]

Also be aware coming to Texas......
Most of us have liquid rock.
8.0 pH and up. Word of warning lol.
Adapt accordingly.

Lol I'm moving to the Carrollton so any advice for that..also would happen to the about any co2 refill areas

Bump:

Are you drying them? I'd just buy a few coolers and put the fishes in there. Don't over crowd and open them for air every day in the drive.

Drying them?? Ya it should be a day to day and half drive from where I'm at to where I'm going

I'm not planning to use r/o 😔 Don't have the funds for it plus I will be moving in with sister in law and they have an r/o system for their saltwater tank...I did buy battery power air pumps...ya I'm gonna need to start buying some stuff

I wouldn't overthink the transportation portion of it.
The water hardness may be an issue, unless you plan on running r/o. If that's the case you could buy the first few water changes worth.
Get a battery powered airator.. Bags, buckets, whatever you have that can contain them.
Some fish an be a real pain to catch up (flying foxes) diy trap is an option. Get started days in advanced.
Do daily water changes.
I've moved tanks from Ohio to Florida without a single loss.
It's science

 

[Kubla]

Off topic a little, but congrats on getting out of Cali. This place is becoming a cesspool of insanity!

 

[patfat]

Hahah thanks!! Don't get me wrong I love Cali grew up there for the last 25 years...but it's starting going down hill fast with all its regulations and bull!! Have a future sister in law in Texas and she gave us a way out even a place to stay till we're on our feet!! So honestly we said screw it lets take the risk haha!!

Off topic a little, but congrats on getting out of Cali. This place is becoming a cesspool of insanity!

 

[PlantedRich]

Frying pan into the fire sound familiar?

 

[Lonestarbandit]

Wrong lol. Even major businesses are abandoning Cali (and other states) for Texas.


Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

 

[PlantedRich]

All born- in Texans know that! It's part of the insanity!
There's good reason for it to be among the last few states to be fully settled.
It's the only state that only gets one star.

 

[FreshwaterAdvice]

Keep in mind that travelling from Cali to Texas at this time of year means a lot of warm weather and in your car it will get even hotter for your fish likely. I would start by looking up online guides for shipping fish with the styrofoam containers, breather bags, methylene blue etc. Insulation is going to be key for keeping your fish could, if you can I would put your styrofoam box in a large picnic cooler and fill it up with water, this should provide something to regulate the temperature around the fish.

 

[patfat]

Keep in mind that travelling from Cali to Texas at this time of year means a lot of warm weather and in your car it will get even hotter for your fish likely. I would start by looking up online guides for shipping fish with the styrofoam containers, breather bags, methylene blue etc. Insulation is going to be key for keeping your fish could, if you can I would put your styrofoam box in a large picnic cooler and fill it up with water, this should provide something to regulate the temperature around the fish.

Thank you for the advice well I found out I will be moving after October so it should be a lot cooler! But I was thinking breather bags with stress coat and in a cooler or a styrofoam box..also I found out that I will be using ro water

 

[patfat]

quick question for all with the air in the bag..does everyone do the whole grab the bag fast trick like petco/petsmart or compressed air like some of the good LFS?? because more then likely ill be the bag fast trick. Also great news my sister in law has the whole ro/di system for her salt water tank. But says that I will be using that system for my fish and not any straight from the tap business! Which is pretty awesome! Any who looks like I'll be leaving after October at the start of November. So it will be a little/lot cooler which I find that its going to make it easier on the travel. Being able to throw blankets and clothes all around the box to keep it warm.

 

[Olskule]

Having worked in pet stores a lot, years ago, I learned the "fast grab" technique, but one store I worked at used bottled oxygen from an air line, which is what some wholesalers use for livestock that will be traveling for a few days. However, when I moved from Mississippi to Florida, I just used large buckets and coolers to move the fish in, with ariation provided once I got there, while I set up the tanks. Just remember to open the container now and then to let fresh air in, and to not feed them for a couple of days before the move (to cut down on wastes in the water during transport) and do reasonable water changes if you have to leave them in the transporting buckets/coolers for a few days while you get tanks set up.

Oh, and also, don't water them before the trip, because freshwater fish urinate in the water more than saltwater fish, anyway.

 

[FreshwaterAdvice]

quick question for all with the air in the bag..does everyone do the whole grab the bag fast trick like petco/petsmart or compressed air like some of the good LFS?? because more then likely ill be the bag fast trick. Also great news my sister in law has the whole ro/di system for her salt water tank. But says that I will be using that system for my fish and not any straight from the tap business! Which is pretty awesome! Any who looks like I'll be leaving after October at the start of November. So it will be a little/lot cooler which I find that its going to make it easier on the travel. Being able to throw blankets and clothes all around the box to keep it warm.

I normally do the fast grab but that's a long drive. I would see if you could stop by your local LFS, if one of them has an oxygen / compressed air tank, and see if you can borrow it. Almost certainly they'll be happy to let you use it.

That's great that your using a ro/di system to keep your water clean. Keep in mind that you'll also want to fast your fish for at least several days before you grab them and then fast them for the trip to minimize ammonia production. That coupled with you leaving during October / November will make your life a lot easier. You can look into spending a few $ on heating backs for inside the styrofoam container if it gets to warm but most heating packs use oxygen in the air which might be an issue if they are there for too long as they might use up oxygen meant for your fish.

Another important thing to be careful of is RO/DI water is pure water - that is water with no TDS and a pH of 7 (theoretically). If the water parameters that your fish are currently in are noticeably different from that - especially in regards to pH - that might stress them out / lead to their deaths in having their outside environment change so suddenly. If you can, you might want to use RO/DI water for water changes on your aquarium for a few weeks / months before you go so by the time you move the fish into RO/DI water, they are already used to it.

 

[snakeybird]

FWIW, back in the stone age at the dawn of the century, I successfully moved my tropical community from Colorado to Indiana. It was summer time, so it wasn't too cold. I used a high sided plastic tote and a cooler, and battery operated pumps fitted with a sponge filters I had seeded in the aquarium for several weeks. I didn't loose a single fish.

The nice thing about totes or 5 gallon buckets is you can drill a few holes in the tops, for airlines and general gas exchange, but keep the fish and water contained.

 

[patfat]

I normally do the fast grab but that's a long drive. I would see if you could stop by your local LFS, if one of them has an oxygen / compressed air tank, and see if you can borrow it. Almost certainly they'll be happy to let you use it.

That's great that your using a ro/di system to keep your water clean. Keep in mind that you'll also want to fast your fish for at least several days before you grab them and then fast them for the trip to minimize ammonia production. That coupled with you leaving during October / November will make your life a lot easier. You can look into spending a few $ on heating backs for inside the styrofoam container if it gets to warm but most heating packs use oxygen in the air which might be an issue if they are there for too long as they might use up oxygen meant for your fish.

Another important thing to be careful of is RO/DI water is pure water - that is water with no TDS and a pH of 7 (theoretically). If the water parameters that your fish are currently in are noticeably different from that - especially in regards to pH - that might stress them out / lead to their deaths in having their outside environment change so suddenly. If you can, you might want to use RO/DI water for water changes on your aquarium for a few weeks / months before you go so by the time you move the fish into RO/DI water, they are already used to it.

Ehh I'm on the fence with going to my LFS to get my fish bagged and aired up..some of the workers handle the fish rough and plus knowing them I'm sure they would charge me even if I brought in my own supplies...they over charge on even the cheap products

Well the problem with your last statement about the RO/DI is I don't have one here in Cali..it's when I move to Texas my sister in law said I will be using hers..so I can't do the whole change of water before hand..ill just have to take it as I go..plus I'll have water from my canister and the water from the bags that I'm going to put in the tank too just to mix with the new water

 

[Olskule]

Ehh I'm on the fence with going to my LFS to get my fish bagged and aired up..some of the workers handle the fish rough and plus knowing them I'm sure they would charge me even if I brought in my own supplies...they over charge on even the cheap products

Well the problem with your last statement about the RO/DI is I don't have one here in Cali..it's when I move to Texas my sister in law said I will be using hers..so I can't do the whole change of water before hand..ill just have to take it as I go..plus I'll have water from my canister and the water from the bags that I'm going to put in the tank too just to mix with the new water

Just the amount of water in your filters and bags will only be a tiny portion of the volume in the new setups, but one way to help prepare your fish for the RO water would be to slowly add distilled water from Walmart or your grocery store to your tanks a week or two before you leave. Find out the exact parameters of the water you'll be using and work toward those in your current tanks. Of course, buying distilled water by the gallon or five gallons (if you can find it) might seem expensive, but if you started now and picked up a few gallons every week until you started getting ready to move, it would spread the cost out and you would have a large supply stocked up to begin gradually changing the water out. Just remember that distilled and RO water is pure water (at least nearly) and has no trace elements that fish need, so you'll have to add them.

 

[patfat]

Just the amount of water in your filters and bags will only be a tiny portion of the volume in the new setups, but one way to help prepare your fish for the RO water would be to slowly add distilled water from Walmart or your grocery store to your tanks a week or two before you leave. Find out the exact parameters of the water you'll be using and work toward those in your current tanks. Of course, buying distilled water by the gallon or five gallons (if you can find it) might seem expensive, but if you started now and picked up a few gallons every week until you started getting ready to move, it would spread the cost out and you would have a large supply stocked up to begin gradually changing the water out. Just remember that distilled and RO water is pure water (at least nearly) and has no trace elements that fish need, so you'll have to add them.

So after of all of what you just said it seems to me that it be better worth my time, money, and effort to better try and make my water to their tap water instead..because now I didn't think about it but glad you said it that I need to add trace elements.. So it's like that just complicates things more