# Moving in August -- too far to bring my fish?



## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

In August, I'm moving 14 hours (driving) away from here....Is this too far to bring my fish?

I won't be bringing everyone, but I'm really attached to some of my fish -- mainly my Red Severum, 2 of my angels, and my Bolivian Ram pair.

If the consensus is that it can work, I'm going to use 5 gallon buckets, and I will put them into the truck/van early in the morning, and they'll be back in their tank late at night. I'll put a battery powered air pump in each bucket with fish (I'll have just 2 -- Severum by himself, then the other 4 together).

a few questions:

1. Will this work?
2. I don't know if the back of a moving truck is climate controlled....how do I make sure my fish don't fry....it'll be August! 
3. Is my tank at risk of leaking with a trip that long? Who knows how bumpy the road will be.
4. Will my 5" Sev be ok in a 5 gallon bucket for a full day?

Thanks in advance!!


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## Malawidolphin (Dec 15, 2006)

I would go for it, but is there any way the fish could be with you rather than a moving truck? I, personally, would feel better to have them with me in my car (Backseat floor). That way I can check on them during stops and do a partial water change half way. Instead if just an air stone you could seed some sponge filters in your tank before you leave and that will take care of any amonia spikes in the bucket as well as providing oxygen. If you get a AC adapter that you can plug into the lighter outlet in the car, you wouldn't even need battery powered air pumps. (this is what I use because I can plug in two regular items at once).


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Wow, i had never thought of the lighter outlet. Actually....i'll be the one driving the truck! It won't be one of those huge ones, just a small u-haul type. I'm a student, so I don't have _too_ much stuff. I'm really worried about leaving them in the back. I'll have someone with me (in the passenger's seat), and I don't think they'd appreciate fish taking up their foot space!! I'm not familiar with trucks, so I'm hoping that there may be some space _behind_ the seats? I'm also bringing my 2 cats, so I need to figure this out!

The sponge filter is a great idea...i hadn't thought of that either. Thanks!


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Malawidolphin has given you some excellent advice!

I recently made a ~20-hour (about 1,300 miles) trip with an 11-inch oscar...

I was driving the moving truck, and what I did was put him into a roughly 7-gallon cooler which I placed between the two front seats (there was plenty of floorspace). I used his old tankwater to fill the cooler, and I included all the filter media from the filters as well (two sponge inserts and two bio-ring inserts). I also put in a sponge filter which I had in his tank several months prior to the move. I used the same electric air-pump in the truck using a power inverter which plugged into the dashboard. All I did was drill a small hole through the lid of the cooler, inserted the airline tubing from the pump to the filter, and then plugged it in.

Try to maintain a 'room-temperature' in the cab of the truck, and you'll be fine (definitely keep the fish in the front with you). My trip was in December, so I turned the heat on a bit. As long as your truck has working A/C you should be just fine. If not, roll down the windows if it gets too steamy in there, lol.

I drove a full day, stayed overnight in a motel.
Drove a second full day, stayed overnight in a motel.
Didn't reach our destination until the following morning, and the fish was fine.
(I brought the cooler into the room at night and plugged in the filter; didn't do any water changes)

I had a big 44 gallon Brute Rubbermaid trash bin (which I use for aging water prior to doing water changes) that I partially filled and treated as soon as we got to the new place. I dumped the entire contents of the cooler in there (plugged in the sponge filter), and then I gradually added more treated tapwater throughout the day until the trash bin was full. This provided a great place to keep the fish until I could get the tank set up, which wasn't until a day or two later.

Hope this helps.
BV


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Wow, amazing advice. I'm so excited that I can keep my Severum. I was starting to get really sad....The rubbermaid idea is perfect. I was wondering how I'd get everything set up before figuring out where to put all the furniture... rubbermaid solves the problem 

I'll do a smaller cooler, considering my fish is a lot smaller than your oscar. I'll also make sure the truck has A/C.

Thanks for the great advice!

One more thing...the new place will inevitably have different water parameters than here. Are there any precautions I should take?


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

You're welcome, and I wish you the best of luck with the move!


Isis24 said:


> One more thing...the new place will inevitably have different water parameters than here. Are there any precautions I should take?


You could probably look on the public utilities website for whatever town you're moving to. They should have water parameters posted. Depending on the site, it can sometimes be a bit tricky to track down what you're looking for. If that's the case, just give them a call and ask them the following:
-do they treat with chloramines or just chlorine?
-what is the level of nitrAtes?
-pH?
-hardness?

Either way, you should definitely make sure that you introduce your fish to the new water gradually. What I'd do is dump the cooler and the fish into the rubbermaid container as soon as you get there, and be sure to plug in any filters you might need (the sponge filter to start with). Add some pre-treated tapwater of the same temperature (I'd add about half again whatever the volume is from the start---e.g. if your fish is in 5 gallons, add about 2.5 gallons of treated tapwater). Add half again a few hours later, then repeat until the container is full.

You can always add the new water at a slower rate if you're worried about it.
Main thing is to match the temperature as best you can, and be sure to treat the water with Prime prior to adding to the rubbermaid with your fish.
BV


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Thank you 

As for my tank....is it at risk of leaking after a trip that long? Should I sell the tank here and get a new one there? I've resealed in the past, but I'll have so many other things to do during the move that I don't want to worry about that.


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

A lot of that depends on how good a driver you are... 
But in all seriousness, I think it will be just fine as long as you empty it completely, pack it well, and drive carefully. Even if something does happen to go wrong in transit, a large rubbermaid trashbin/container (along with filters) should buy you enough time to either find a new one or make any needed repairs to the current tank.

Good luck! :thumb:
BV


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

LOL...

I've had two tanks leak in the past 5 months, so i'm paranoid about it. I'll give it a shot!

Thanks again for replying :fish:


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

No problem. :wink: 


Isis24 said:


> I've had two tanks leak in the past 5 months, so i'm paranoid about it. I'll give it a shot!


Man, that stinks---I'd be paranoid too!
BV


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## Hannah06 (May 20, 2009)

Big Vine said:


> Malawidolphin has given you some excellent advice!
> 
> I recently made a ~20-hour (about 1,300 miles) trip with an 11-inch oscar...
> 
> ...


I just wanna say thank you for the information that you have been shared by posting it on this website.

_________________
Aprilaire


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

One thing to keep in mind regarding the aquarium in the back... The tail of the truck will bounce the most... in the box section against the wall to the cab has the least movement. Put a pad under & around the tank and make sure loose objects cannot fall inside the tank and then bounce around.


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## Rift485 (Dec 3, 2004)

I would definitely agree with using a cooler to put the fish in so it will regulate the temperature better and not be as prone to fluctuating with the temp in the truck. If you do that, put a piece of saran wrap underneath the lid that drapes over the sides to reduce spillage. Good luck!


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Wow! One amazing piece of advice after another! I'm so glad I posted this thread early!


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Isis24 said:


> Thank you
> 
> As for my tank....is it at risk of leaking after a trip that long? Should I sell the tank here and get a new one there? I've resealed in the past, but I'll have so many other things to do during the move that I don't want to worry about that.


Never move a tank with water or substrate in it as it can casue the tank to flex which contributes to leaks.


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Of course. I was planning on emptying the tank completely and just putting towels in it. I need to move my towels to Virginia somehow, and i figured that's the only I can put in the tank that won't damage it!


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Isis24 said:


> Of course. I was planning on emptying the tank completely and just putting towels in it. I need to move my towels to Virginia somehow, and i figured that's the only I can put in the tank that won't damage it!


Just making everyone was on the same page. Lots of people try to save time by only lowering the water. Happy to hear you aren't one of them.

Towels are perfect for inside the tank.


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Lol, just noticed that you live in Fairfax. I grew up in Loudoun county. This time, my move will be farther south. I hope my fish make it in good shape. I'm quite attached to the little buggers.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

How much farther south? North Carolina has beautiful weather and a few nice fish clubs


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

LOL, Norfolk Virginia. Just a few hours away! Seems that norfolk doesn't have any good fish stores :? I was there last week and couldn't find any SA cichlids!! Well, ok...maybe one or two, but seriously. Their selection was just sad. I guess I'll have to drive far to stock my new tank....


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Don't bother coming north for the fish stores. There are a couple in Baltimore, MD but nothing between Norfolk and DC area. I have resorted to yearly trips to Virginia Beach to check their stock. I have pretty much relied on local fish club swaps and shipping from fellow forum members.


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

Wow. That stinks! I didn't realize I was so spoiled here in Montreal! Well...I will be driving back once or twice every year  ......


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Yeah I am always envious of the LFS abundance and apparent quality of the Canadian stores, especially those in the Montreal area. It seems like all the species I have been really looking for and can't find are extremely common just over the border.

There are a couple in the VA beach area though that I consider worth a second trip
Animal Jungle and Pet Paradise at least seem to have healthy stock. Check in the reviews section under retailers. Might be a few more or closer to Norfolk. Let me know if you run across any good ones.


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