It has been a long time since I had fish, but I just bought an aquarium and plan to move it and the fish to my house as soon as I buy a stand for it. When I do move it, probably the weekend after next, it must be done in 1 day, it comes with an Eheim filter, heater, and 30 fish. HELP!!!
Moving fish, new, help!
- Thread starter lucille
- Start date
It sounds like you are purchasing an aquarium from someone who has it already setup? If so, here's waht I would do.
Get a large cooler. Either fill this with water from the tank and add the fish, or use the tank water and baggies, putting the baggies in the cooler. Remove all the gravel and docerations and the filter media, store in a bucket with enough water to remain wet. Dump the rest of the water out. Pack everything over to the new place. Set the stand up, make sure it's level and stable. Give the tank a rinse if needed, then put it in. Add the gravel (don't rinse the gravel, decorations or filter media), and aquascape to your liking. Fill with water that has been treated for chlorine/chloramines, and is close to the temp and pH of the water from teh original setup. Allow water to circulate a bit, then add fish, floating them to balance temps if needed. the cooler usually keeps the water pretty stable, so you should be okay.
Don't worry about saving much of the old water. If it's a healthy planted tank, you'll want to have a couple gallons to start off the micro-fauna population, but otherwise you'd just import waste.
Talk to the current keeper, and find out as much as possible about the tank as you can--size, maintenance routine, age of bulbs, etc. Also get names of fish, if possible, and if it's not "George" and "Plecky".
Welcome aboard!
Get a large cooler. Either fill this with water from the tank and add the fish, or use the tank water and baggies, putting the baggies in the cooler. Remove all the gravel and docerations and the filter media, store in a bucket with enough water to remain wet. Dump the rest of the water out. Pack everything over to the new place. Set the stand up, make sure it's level and stable. Give the tank a rinse if needed, then put it in. Add the gravel (don't rinse the gravel, decorations or filter media), and aquascape to your liking. Fill with water that has been treated for chlorine/chloramines, and is close to the temp and pH of the water from teh original setup. Allow water to circulate a bit, then add fish, floating them to balance temps if needed. the cooler usually keeps the water pretty stable, so you should be okay.
Don't worry about saving much of the old water. If it's a healthy planted tank, you'll want to have a couple gallons to start off the micro-fauna population, but otherwise you'd just import waste.
Talk to the current keeper, and find out as much as possible about the tank as you can--size, maintenance routine, age of bulbs, etc. Also get names of fish, if possible, and if it's not "George" and "Plecky".
Welcome aboard!
Movinbg fish, new, help!
Would it help to conserve the bacteria by moving some of the water in washed 1 gallon milk containers? I have heard all sorts of things about fatal chemical spikes after a move, and am learning about cycles. I don't want to lose any of my fish. I have a partial list of the kinds of fish, some I will have to identify myself, but all are cichlids.
Her aquarium has been set up for a while but I do not believe it is planted. Would it help for me to put in some anacharis or similar fast growing plant for the first few weeks?
Thanks for the welcome!
Would it help to conserve the bacteria by moving some of the water in washed 1 gallon milk containers? I have heard all sorts of things about fatal chemical spikes after a move, and am learning about cycles. I don't want to lose any of my fish. I have a partial list of the kinds of fish, some I will have to identify myself, but all are cichlids.
Her aquarium has been set up for a while but I do not believe it is planted. Would it help for me to put in some anacharis or similar fast growing plant for the first few weeks?
Thanks for the welcome!
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The bacteria does not live in the water. There is no purpose in saving the water other than making the fish comfortable and keeping the gravel and ornaments and filter wet. Just make sure the new water is treated for chloramine before adding it.
Eheim is a great filter, you should empty most of the water from the cannister filter when you move it, it contains most of your bacteria which will not pour out with the water.
If you use a cooler, you can drop the heater in and run the cannister filter in the cooler and keep the fish that way for an extended period of time while you are setting up the new aquarium. Just remember to give the cooler a water change if it takes more than a day or so.
Plants probably would not work with a cichlid tank.
good luck
Eheim is a great filter, you should empty most of the water from the cannister filter when you move it, it contains most of your bacteria which will not pour out with the water.
If you use a cooler, you can drop the heater in and run the cannister filter in the cooler and keep the fish that way for an extended period of time while you are setting up the new aquarium. Just remember to give the cooler a water change if it takes more than a day or so.
Plants probably would not work with a cichlid tank.
good luck
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