Moving with fish

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BsLuFs

Hobbyist
Sep 10, 2014
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College in New Hampshire, Home in Maine
Real Name
Luke
I've just got a quick question. I'm a college student in New Hampshire (my house in Maine is about 4-5 hours away) and I'm looking to start up a brichardi colony next semester. My only concern (other than the rule that we can only have 10G tanks in the dorm rooms, which I'm working on =P) is having to move the fish from point A to point B each time I go home for an extended period of time (Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, summer vacation).

I was thinking that the easiest way to do this would be to have 2 tanks set up; one at home and one at school. My question is how would I keep the tank that the fish aren't currently in established? Would moving the filter and a few rocks with the tank be enough to avoid having to wait for it to cycle each time? Should I have someone at home start dosing ammonia a week or two before I return? Any suggestions are appreciated!

Luke
 

jpappy789

Plants need meat too
Feb 18, 2007
26,364
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Gainesville, FL
Real Name
Josh
First off, how long are your breaks? I'm assuming Thanksgiving and spring break are a week at most. IMHO there's absolutely no need to tear everything down for that short of a time...the fish will likely be fine without you. Just feed a bit heavily a few days before, fast the last day, and then do a large water change before you leave.

I've gone up to 3 weeks or so without feeding or water changes over an end of the semester break, but I know some schools have longer ones than that so it might be too much of a stretch.

I always moved for summer and all it takes is a 5 gallon bucket for fish and keeping the filter media wet. The established media is what is important, not the tank itself (for the most part). I've done full transfers like that no problem.

I'm honestly not sure how I'd have fit a tank large enough for brichardi in my dorm room though...hell, even in my off campus house a 20 long was a big space-taker.
 

BsLuFs

Hobbyist
Sep 10, 2014
95
0
6
28
College in New Hampshire, Home in Maine
Real Name
Luke
Haha, currently we have four people squeezed into a double actually! Don't ask me how, but we make it work. There will be ample room for a 30B in my housing for next semester, maybe even bigger I think.

But yes, Thanksgiving is near a week and for Spring Break I'd be gone 9 days, but Christmas is upwards of 5 weeks and I'd rather not leave them alone for that. I think I'll still get two tanks if I can get my hands on them and just move the entire filter back and forth along with the fish whenever I move.

Thank you for the input!
 

OBlitzO

AC Members
Sep 12, 2012
53
1
6
Up-state New York
I have been in a similar situation. Leave them there for anything that is less than 15 days. You can just throw in a time release feeder thing in there for that time. Take the fish with you when you go back for winter vacation. When I moved my tanks I take everything with me (they are small ones). But at the very least take the filter media and the fish in their own tank water (different buckets of course). I try to take as much water as I can with them; this does two things keeps them more comfortable / less stressed (more water more room & harder to change the temperature) and it jump starts the bio chemical processes of the moved tank.

Good luck ... seriously its a b!tch to move with fish tanks and all other college stuff, but its no so bad after you get a system down.
 
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