Planning a move

[Ant]

I will be moving to Whyalla which is 5 hours away from where i currently live. The tanks I have to move up there are a 6 ft x 20 x20, a 3 1/2 ft x 20 x 14 and a 2ft x 12 x 12.

I have no idea how i'm going to shift everything and get the tanks established without killing any fish.

My options (i think) are:

1. Sell all my fish before i move and start agian when i get up there

Problem: Ill have to sell all my beautiful fish , and i won't be able to find foai 'sumbu' again.

2. Buy a new tank and set it up at the other end. Shift my fish up to Whyalla on a separate trip when new tank is established and get someone to look after my larger american cichlid in the mean time.

Problem: I have to spend money that at the moment is non existent and ill have to rely on someone else to look after my American. I will also have to take a separate trip which is more $$$.

3. Give away my American or get someone to look after him and set his tank (3 1/2 ft tank) up at the other end for all the other fish. In this case i could probably shift the fish, water and established filter without having to restart the tank again.

Problem: Have to give away my American or rely on someone else to look after him. I also risk killing all my fish if the shift fails and i get large ammonia spikes.

4. Same as no.2 but i buy some large containers as a temporary measure.

Problem: Have to take a separate trip

5. Take the risk and try to shift everything at once. Try to keep filter bacteria alive and try to take as much established water as possible.

Problem: Risk killing all my fish. A lot of work on just the tanks when ill have everything else to worry about whilst moving in.

I seriously need help in deciding what the heck to do. What would you do?

The easiest way out is number 1, but i really don't want to sell my fish.

HELP PLEASE!!!

Thanks

Anthony

[Bijengum]

Hi Anthony,

I would try a mixture of 2 & 5. Establish a tank or large 90 litre tubs at the destination using as much water as you can transport. I would then move the fish in 20 litre buckets with air,filters and heaters working off an inverter in the car.

[Ant]

Heaters shouldn't be a problem as I will be shifting in summer, if anything i will have problems with heat. It gets very very hot in Whyalla. Will likely be shifting the fish in eskies with battery powered airpumps.

[pride]

do you have a trustworthy LFS where your fish could board for a week or so while you move and get your tanks up an running?

[anchar]

Anthony..I feel your pain. I had to leave 8 tanks worth of fish (some were 12 years old) in Bendigo before I moved to Perth - there was no other option for me.

If you are intending on making multiple trips I would either buy another tank or sell the contents of one of your existing tanks. I would establish that on the first trip using as much water as you can take with you (and the filters/substrate etc).

Good luck, I don't envy your choices.

Andrea

[Ant]

I don't think any LFS will have the room for the fish I have and I really don't like to rely on others to look after my fish unless i realy trust them. There is only one person i would trust in looking after them but I could not expect them to or burden them. My other problem is that my tanks have to be moved on the very day everything else is moved because DECS (Education Department) is paying for it. When i move in setting up tanks will create twice the work. Unfortunately there is no perfect situation, my fish will be at risk no matter what i do.

[anchar]

Change hobbies...I hear stamp collecting can be very rewarding

Andrea

[Ant]

thanks merjo...would certainly make logistics a little easier.

Anthony

[Eddie Salita]

I moved all my favourite fish from cairns to brisbane(20+hr drive) in 200 litre plastic drums. The ones with the open top with the clamping ring. 2 of those half full in the back of the ute. I had mostly smaller tangs and malawians, about 20 fish in total. I couldnt possibly part with them. I used ample easy life in the transport, and that also made the cycling of new tanks that much quicker. It also kep the water from fouling on the trip down. They ended up going probably a week or two with very little food, which I think kept the water in better condition. No poo, no ammonia. They spent 3 days just in the drums with battery powered aeration. If I did it again, I would include cycled air driven sponge filters. I was afraid of the new set ups not being cycled, as I had new tanks waiting here, but didnt set them up till I arrived. I gave my old tanks to a friend up there and kept the filters. But it all worked out ok in the end. Didnt lose a single fish. I like the idea of setting up a new tank at the other end first. Maybe a chance to get a 6x2x2 ....... you could fit most everything but the large yank in there maybe while you were setting up the oldies??? What kind of american is he? he could hang for a week in a drum with a cycled filter if he had to i reckon. If I had discus, I wouldnt expect to do the same without losses.

hope this helps, but it is possible.

Jason

[Matthew]

G'day Ant

Make a seperate trip, your fish are worth the effort

If I were you I would enlist some help. Get say two friends to make the trip with you.

You will need a vehicle(s) that can contain the tanks. I was thinking of Station wagons or you could use a Hiace type van.

You will also need a vehicle that can transport the containers that the fish will be in. Unless you go for a bigger type of van/truck.

The tank stands are not such an issue as they can go in a trailer.

If you get enough people there to help you and they are fish people, then the packing up process will hopefully proceed smoothly.

Take as much 'tank' water as you can and treat the filters very well ensuring that they are well looked after.

I did this to get my current 31 operational tanks down here. But the drive was less, it was two hours away and I did it in stages.

PS. The first trip was two 4ft tanks and fish in the station wagon with the stands and water in the trailer.

[ViS]

Don't you work in an aquarium part time?

Couldn't they babysit your fish for a week or so while you set up your tanks at the other end? You could put your filter media in a bucket with an airstone to keep it alive and use it to seed your tanks at the other end. It would be a pain, but worth it in the long run, especially if you value your current fish.

Maybe even buy a couple of bunnings tubs and a couple of sponge filters and sit them in the shop out the back. At least they will be cared for and watched while you set up your tanks.

[Ant]

The shop has litteraly closed down today.. ..that is what has ruined all my plans . I might ask Mark (Eagleman) if he could help me out but I really couldn't expect him to say yes with him beeing so busy at the moment. I don't trust anyone else..lol..including my parents.

Anthony

[Ant]

I just witnessed for the first time my foai spawning..wow..the colours intesified 3 fold, these's no way i wan't to sell them now.

[Gav]

might want to look at how hot the place you are moving to gets...... knowing what tangs were like for me in brissy on hot days, if your place heats up too much during the day you can come home to a tank that is 40+ degrees. the house i had in queensland was only small and on the hottest days up there the record my 1000 litre tank got to was 42degrees during sultry weather. thankfully malawis cope with heat a little better than tangs (they all dropped off when the tank hit 35 degrees).

so if it gets REAL hot in your house, get a chiller.

[Ant]

Man i hadn't even thought about that yet , i have no doubt a chiller will be on the cards.

[Gav]

thats why i thought it important to tell you now while you are doing your planning. i had a feeling you may not have considered it

[Ash]

Where are you moving to need a chiller? Have you considered evaporative cooling (PC fans in the hood) switched to come on with the lights on a timer

[Ant]

Ok, after considering all information given and previous thoughts this is what is going to happen:

I'm going to purchase about 4 air driven filters (Sponge or corner filter?) I am going to place these filters into existing tanks as soon as I get them.

I'm Then going to buy 3 x 120lr containers from bunnings. 6 weeks before i move I will fill these with existing tank water and the pre established filters and run these with gold fish in them for 2 weeks to keep them cycled.

4 weeks before I go I will strip down all tanks and place the fish in the containers. One power filter and one cannister filter will continue to run as I will use them in 2 of the containers. My American will go in one container, catfish/plecos will go in another container and the foai will go in the third container.

When it comes time to move them I will drain half the water out of the containers and use the battery powered air pumps to keep the filters going during the trip (not sure how many to purchase yet). The containers can simply be lifted onto the back of my dads ute and covered so there is no direct sunlight.

When I get to Whyalla these containers can be lifted off and I can use my regular air pumps and filters (that were not emptied and were kept alive during the trip). These can remain as temporary tanks until I can setup and cycle the tanks once again. This way I don't have to worry about setting up tanks on the day we move in.

What products do people recommend to make the trip less stressful? I will likely use Ammo lock and will not feed the fish for a few days prior to the move. Also if anyone could answer my other question i posed during the thread it would be much appreciated . It is going to cost a bit of money but i don't mind, all the equipment will be used again or have other uses.

The tanks and the rest of my gear will be transported via removalist. At least the tanks are insured if they break. I may even be able to get the 3' 6" tank up and running on that day if there is time as the cannister and powerfilter will still be fine (in this case I may also transport some water incase I get time for this. My final problem is worrying about water quality in whyalla, i understand it comes straight from the Murray and have no idea what it will be like. I'll worry about that when the time comes.

Thanks

Anthony

[Ant]

Oh if anyone see's any problems with anything i plan on doing..let me know

[Ducksta]

Why all the stuffing around for weeks leading up to it?

If it were me. Buy filters and containers. Run sponge filters in existing tanks for as long as possible (ie. as soon as you recieve them put them in existing tanks). CLEAN the bunnings tubs!!!

All fish are adult so purge fish for 5-6 days before move. When moving time comes drain water into tubs for fish. Run the sponge filters the whole drive off of the battery powered pumps. (way better than airstones and it will cope somewhat with any fish waste produced on the way)

I would only use Prime/Safe - it's all I ever use and I have never had any problems associated with moving fish.

[Ant]

Run the sponge filters the whole drive off of the battery powered pumps.

and use the battery powered air pumps to keep the filters going during the trip

Thats the plan.

I want the tubs to be cycled well enough to leave the fish in the tubs for a few weeks not just for the day I move. Do you think that the filters will sustain this doing it the way you suggested?

Doing it the way I discussed allows me to make sure the filters are established and allows me to strip the tank down before i move rather than the day in which i move. Perhaps I am being a little to careful?

Anthony

[Ducksta]

I don't understand what you mean by cycling the tubs?

IMO its useless, what you want is cycled filters and aged/stable water which will be better kept in the tanks as long as possible.

My concern with using the tubs long term is that 120L of water fouls alot quicker than 300L (I can't remember what size your tank is but its something like that right?) The filters will be established by keeping them in the larger tanks.

You can keep the fish in the tubs as long as you want, but they will need more frequent water changes and thats going to take up alot of valuable time you could be using to organise other aspects of the move.

Perhaps start purging 5 days from move - and then move fish into tubs 2 days from move and strip tanks down then. That way the fish have been purged for 2-3 days already and should have less waste than if you kept them and fed them in there for 4-6 weeks.

[Ant]

I don't understand what you mean by cycling the tubs?

I was concened that a sponge filter taken straight out the tank and put strait into the tub may not be able to handle too many fish in it for 3 weeks (after move). Therefore I wanted to establish them properly for a few weeks before the move. I won't be setting tanks up on the day I arive at Whyalla, i have given a 3 week buffer if i'm being extra lazy . I will worry about water changes when the time comes.

I totally get you point though. I will probably do it the way you suggested as it does make more sence. As long as you think the tubs will not spike (because it hasn't cycled properly).

Thanks for all the info Ducksta and people it is very appreciated.

Anthony

[Ducksta]

Well you intend to attempt to keep all the filters going right?

Unless your planning on gutting all the other filtration and only using the sponges I would think my way is sufficient.

It is really up to you though. Good luck mate.

[Matthew]

G'day Anthony

I understand your idea and why you wish to place the fish into the tubs, but I believe it will add to the stress on your fish.

(Not that much bacteria will attach to the sides of the tubs. Just add some current substrate to the tubs and that will introduce heaps of bacteria)

The fish will be in the tubs for long enough once you get there. I would go with the plan that has the fish in the tubs for as short a time as possible.

I think the air driven sponges are a great way to go and would start them in you existing tanks as soon as you get them.

PS. the plan of getting the removalists to move the 'insured tanks' is the way to go and you have also covered the possibility should any of the tanks break enroute (the fish can stay in the tubs)

Matthew