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moving questions 9/5/15 Is it okay? 7/2/13 Moving query 5/26/13 Moving with angelfish 10/17/12 travelling with an angelfish, FW
7/3/12 Protocol for Relocating Aquariums
/Neale 12/1/11 Moving. Will fish be too
stressed? 6/24/11 Moving!
6/19/11 Moving My Fish -- 06/18/11 New tank, moving old to it... 12/10/08 Hello dear Neale, I hope you will be fine there. Neale I have bought new aquarium tank: 4 feet length 1.5 feet width and height is 2 feet. It's almost of 90 gallon tank. <Fantastic! That's lots of water, meaning your fish will be MUCH happier and healthy. Now, don't go bananas and buy every fish in the shop. Keep the tank under-stocked, and it will be a happy and healthy aquarium!> I got new power filter for it. Neale I want your help to start new tank that what should I do first to start it? <The easy way to take the filter from the old tank and connect it straight away to the new tank. No need to move old water to the new tank. Just the filter. If that isn't possible, put the filter media (the sponges or ceramic hoops) from the old filter into the new filter. The third option is to take 50% of the old media from the old filter, and put it into the new filter. This will instantly mature the new filter, and the old filter will still be good enough to keep the old tank safe for fish.> My second questions is that how should I introduce fish to the tank? <Fill the new aquarium with dechlorinated water. Disconnect the filter from the old tank. Connect the old filter to the new tank. Connect the new filter to the new tank as well. (Two filters better than one, and after 6 weeks, you can remove the old filter if you want, perhaps to use the old filter and aquarium for something else.) When this is all done, half-empty the old aquarium. Use a jug or bucket to put some water from the new aquarium into the old tank. Do this a few times so that the fish can "taste" the new aquarium. Maybe fill the old aquarium to 75% full, so it is a mix of old water and new water. After 20-30 minutes, carefully net the fish out from the old tank and put them in the new tank. That's it! Don't feed them this day; let them settle down into their new home first.> My last question is that Neale is there any function of gravels quantity for under filtration which works with the help of air pump. <Undergravel filters are useful. These are filters where an air pump or electric pump moves water through the gravel. They do a good job for biological filtration, removing ammonia and nitrite. They are less popular today though, for several reasons. Firstly, plants do not grow well in tanks with undergravel filters. Secondly, they do not remove solid waste, so you must clean the gravel once a month.> Thank you, Ali <Cheers, Neale.> Upgrading 80 litre to 180 litre 11/10/08 Hi Guys, I really hope no one has asked this question before but I checked all over the website to no avail. I currently have an 80 litre freshwater tropical tank which has been running just shy of a year now. This had been because I had been new to the hobby and bought a very handsome-looking Gourami that I didn't know was an XL Gourami. As he got bigger he became more aggressive and started bullying all my other mollies. <Not sure what an "XL Gourami" is. Do you mean an Osphronemus Gourami? These get to be about 40 cm or so in length and are really food fish. Yes, they become aggressive in small tanks. They are excellent fish for big (and I mean really BIG) community tanks alongside Pacu, Red-tail Catfish and so on. They become extremely tame.> Well, apart from a problem with algae I have been quite happy, but I have now bought a larger tank from a fellow fishkeeper of a 180 litres. Now my problem is this. Because of the new tanks size (It also comes with it's own cabinet) I will have to move my 94 litre marine tank and the old tropical to make room for this new tank. Now I plan to drain the old tank and use the substrate in the new tank, but I'm not sure if there will be room to run all the tanks so I can cycle the new tank. Will it be okay if I mix the matured freshwater with some new water, then place my fish in the same day? I have 4 Gouramis, 1 molly, 3 rainbows and 2 pim pictus catfish. Obviously my worry is the filter, as it will not have the beneficial bacteria in it to cope with the bio load. But my main worry is going to be moving my marine tank, with it's live rock, jasmine xenia and mimic tang. I think the move is going to be harder on them than the tropical fish. The marine I plan on half emptying, removing my tang and bagging him, and putting the jasmine on the sandbase to minimize movement as I move the tank. I don't want to bag the jasmine as it has started growing over the live rock and it is now too big to bag in one go. I hope I haven't rabbitied on too long. I have never moved two tanks in one go and I want to make sure I do this right as everything is running great at the moment. Any advice you can give with be great. Many Thanks Ali <Water from mature tanks contains virtually no bacteria, so does VERY LITTLE to speed up maturation. The way to _instantly_ mature a new tank is to take the filter (or its biological media) from the old tank and fit it to the new tank (or put the mature media in a new filter). When moving tanks, pay attention to the fish (keep them in covered buckets or whatever so they can't jump out) and also keep the biological media (whether sponges, ceramic noodles or even live rock) wet and preferably in buckets with aerated water. Other that these two rules, there's not much to go wrong, so take your time, don't rush things, and have fun! Hope this helps, Neale.> Travelling with Oscar. -09/02/08 Hi there! <Ave,> My husband and I are moving about 2 1/2 hours away and we are travelling with a 7 inch tiger Oscar. I was wondering what the best way to take a fish of that size a distance that far was. <Don't feed him on the day of travel (you don't want him messing the water above the minimum). In a big container, as big as you can get, filled with water enough to cover him, the rest air, and then with a tight fitting lid. Place a towel or blanket around the container to keep it warm. Every 30-60 minutes, it wouldn't be bad idea to loosen the lid to refresh the air supply, but otherwise 2-3 hours should be fine. If you have a good relationship with your local retailer, you'll be able to get the large polystyrene boxes used to transport fish. These are (obviously) ideal. Otherwise 5+ gallon buckets, or even picnic coolers, will do great. There are battery powered air pumps available, and these can make all the difference when transporting big, sensitive fish long distances.> I had planned on just putting him in a bucket with a lid, but wouldn't he need a heater? <Assuming he doesn't get too cold for too long, he'll be fine. Water keeps its heat for a while, and the towel will insulate the bucket that bit longer.> Please respond soon, we are planning on moving in a couple of days so I need to know if I want to keep my darling Dave alive for the trip, (which I do, of course!). Thank you so much! Lena. <This article is focused on marines, but the basic facts hold true for freshwater: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i6/Moving.htm Fish travel quite well, otherwise the tropical fish industry would never have gotten off the ground! The main thing is to be methodical and do things one step at a time. Unless something goes catastrophically wrong, like you drop the fish onto the highway and it gets flattened under a Mack truck, there really isn't much to go wrong. Really, the tricky bit is moving fish tanks, because the silicone seals are easily twisted and damaged. The fish on the other hand are quite easy to move. Done it many, many times. Cheers, Neale.> Re: Travelling with Oscar. -09/02/08 Thank you so much! I'll let you know how he does after the move. Lena. <Cool. Have a safe trip! Neale.> Moving fish from tank to tank 8/20/08 This is part of my original question that I sent in few days ago. Hi Have a few really quick questions 1. I have a tank that should be finished cycling in about two weeks. Same water source and everything from established tank sitting two feet from new tank. When I move the fish to new tank do I need to float them? I know you have to with brand new fish or is it ALWAYS have too even for reason I stated This is the reply that I got from Neale <Don't float them in the tank. Get a bucket, and half-fill with water from the aquarium. Float the bag in that. After 5 minutes or so, open the bag and sluice in a little of the aquarium water. Repeat across 15 minutes or so until the water in the bag is fully mixed with the aquarium water in the bucket. Then use your net to lift the fish into the bucket. Why do it this way? Because this minimizes chances of diseases (such as white spot) getting between the fish shop and your existing aquarium.> so being that Neale stated minimizes chances of diseases from FISH SHOP water. I replied with email that read...Hi I guess there is some confusion in my question. The fish in question that I want to move are not from a fish store tank .They are in my existing tank that has been set up for about 8 months. One fish has been in there for about 6 months the others about 3 months. I want to move these fish into a tank that is set up for about a month and is just finishing cycling, but obviously moving them AFTER it has cycled. That time Mr. Fenner got the email saying <Uhh, Joe... there's a couple dozen of "us" here... I have no idea what you're referring to here.... Follow directions... and send prev. corr. BobF> So there you have it. So basically to sum up again, I am just trying to find out if it is still recommended to float the fish when I move them from my EXISTING cycled tank to the new tank...after it has cycled...containing water from the same sink water that has been treated in both cases from the same Prime bottle.....Hopefully that is everything. <Well, that really clears it up for me! I would, just to be safe, still float your fish. You don't want to shock them incase some of the water parameters aren't exact by putting tiny holes in the bag. You could shorten the time you float your fish due to the water being from the same tank. Sorry about the confusion and I hoped I helped you! Merritt A.> Thank you <You are welcome!!> Discus Moving day... 8/13/08 'Lo crew! I have a bit of a dilemma on my hands. <Oh?> I have had a 30 gallon discus tank with 4 discus (3 around 2.5", one at close to 4"), 4 assorted cories, and 5 neon tetras at my parent's house form some time now. <OK.> Besides the small size of the tank, I am now presented with a problem. I have recently acquired a 55 gallon tank and stand. I, however, am going off to college. <Ah... been there, done that! Managed to talk a college professor into putting my big tank in his office!> SO, Sunday, at my soon to be place of residence (very soon, as a matter of fact, this Friday) I set up the tank with 3 bags of Fluorite, a Marineland HO Deluxe T5 Light Strip, an Emperor 400 Bio Wheel filter, A Top Fin 40 filter from my old tank (complete with a used bag to get the bacteria a running start), another used filter bag jammed in the extra slot of the Bio Wheel and an entire (small) bottle of Hagen Cycle. (Almost to the question, don't worry) NOW, here's the problem. The two tanks are nearly 2 hours apart. <No big deal. Transport fish, biological media in large (5 gallon) buckets part filled with water so there's lots of oxygen. Insulate against dramatic water temperature changes, e.g., using towels.> Which fish (if any) should I move with me this weekend? <Corydoras. They're more likely to tolerate being messed about with if setting the new tank takes longer than expected. I assume you're "cloning" the filters, taking established media from one filter to instantly mature the new one. Carry the old media in a bucket just covered with water so oxygen can get in easily. Adding an battery powered air stone will help, but simply having a friend give the bucket a good swirl every 15-30 minutes will do the trick too. Have done this many, many times.> I should be able to come home next weekend and get more of my fish, but I have NO CLUE what order to bring them in. <I'd perhaps set the new tank up, and then add the Corydoras to keep the filter ticking over. Move the Neons and Discus next time.> I want to bring the smaller discus first so the large one won't be able to establish dominance on the whole thank, but I don't want them to be killed by the possibility of ammonia. <A cloned filter will handle the ammonia perfectly from Day 1.> Then again, I'm afraid that If I bring the cories or the Neons, I won't have enough beneficial bacteria built up by the next opportunity I have to transport fish. <Corydoras will do the trick just fine.> The Ph and other water qualities are nearly identical (if not superior) to those at my home, so that shouldn't be a problem. <Ah, fish aren't wild about chemistry changes even to "the better", so do take care not to expose them to dramatic changes.> Please help! -Weston <Cheers, Neale.> Transferring fish... Koi, goldfish... in a 55? 6/25/08 Hi! I recently purchased a 55 gallon aquarium (last Sunday) The Goal is to put 2 Koi and 2 black moors which are housed in a 20 gallon tank into the new 55 gallon tank. I have put 2 gallons of water from an established 10 gallon tank. <Water contains almost no filter bacteria, so adding water from one tank to another doesn't do ANYTHING to speed up maturation.> 5 gallons from the 20 gallon tank added cycle brand live bacteria as recommended. I also took the old filter from 20 gallon tank and cut off pieces of it and threw them into the 55 gallon. <The good news is that "old" filter media will instantly mature a new aquarium (if used in sufficient quantity). By contrast, potions like 'Cycle' tend to be a bit hit-and-miss in efficacy.> The 55 gallon has been running since Sunday. <If you have matured the aquarium with filter media, remember: those bacteria can starve. ALWAYS add sufficient ammonia or fish food to keep them happy. A couple of pinches of flake work great. As the flake decays, it produces ammonia, and that feeds the bacteria.> My question is this... How long should I wait before adding the fish? <Don't. Add fish right now. The old filter media will have matured the new filter, assuming the water chemistry is similar between the systems. You can take 50% of the media from a mature filter and put into a new filter. The old filter will carry on working fine, and it will mature any new media put into it. The new filter with the old media (confusing, I know) is effectively a mature filter now! This is called "cloning" a filter, because what you're doing is splitting one mature filter into two mature filters. It is BY FAR the safest and quickest way to mature an aquarium.> The pet store told me to get a few tiger barbs to help with cycling but I don't want any more fish!! lol <Rubbish advice.> I am extremely attached to these 4 fish and don't want to harm them in any way. I am afraid to move them to their new home too soon. Any advice you could give me would be very appreciated. <Do an ammonia test. Even with flake adding to the water, you shouldn't detect any ammonia 24 hours later. This is because the bacteria hitch-hiked from the old aquarium into the new aquarium on the filter media you moved into the new filter.> Oh, also the tank came with a whisper 60 filter (hangs on the tank) I was thinking to be on the safe side to add another whisper 20 on the other side? Thanks Oh by the way, I didn't add any used gravel because I went with a different color in the 55 <Do remember fish can't stand brightly coloured gravel. If you want happy fish, especially goldfish, choose fine gravel or even better smooth silica (silver) sand. Don't use too much or they'll make a mess, and you won't be using live plants so a big depth of substrate isn't important. Cheers, Neale.> Re: transferring fish -- 06/26/08 Thanks for the information. (I feel really stupid now...lol) When I did the filter I was unaware that I was supposed to take the inside (charcoal) out of the old filter. <You don't have to. Old charcoal is simply biological media by another name; it no longer removes dissolved organics. Carbon only removes organics (the yellow stuff in the water) for about 2-4 weeks from brand new. Unless you're replacing it every 2-4 weeks, it isn't doing anything other than supporting biological filtration. Hence my usual advice to freshwater aquarists to skip the stuff entirely in favour of high performance biological media such as quality ceramic noodles or sponges.> I just cut off the dirty cloth stuff and threw it into the new filter (duh! My Bad!) <The sponge in the old filter is precisely what you want; the think cotton cloth stuff is likely the pre-filter, and of no particular value or harm. It is meant to replaced every month or two, the idea being it catches solid waste (e.g., dead plant fragments) leaving the biological/chemical media free to react with the water.> Problem is that now the old filter was thrown away and new one put in the 20 gallon tank on Sunday. What should I do now? <Not sure what you're asking. If you've put sponge, ceramic noodles, or even "old" carbon from the old filter in the new filter, then the new filter will almost certainly be biologically active. If you have done none of the above, and only used aquarium water or a bit of gravel from the old tank to "seed" the new filter with bacteria, you actually haven't done any such thing, and the tank will need (at least some) cycling. In any event, you ammonia or nitrite test kit will help here: if you detect either, then you have a filter than needs cycling. If you have zero ammonia/nitrite, then everything is fine. Test kits beat theory! Cheers, Neale.> Freshwater Fish Transfer 4/11/08 I cracked my 10 gallon tank on the bottom and I'm pretty sure it's not repairable. <Likely not worth your time and effort for the cost of a new 10 gallon.> Fortunately I am in the process of upgrading tanks and have a brand new 37 gallon tank in the trunk of my car waiting to be set up. <Great!> Here's the quandary. Currently the four Serpae tetras from the broken tank are in a 4 gallon bucket with the heater and filter. Which option has the highest probability of keeping my fish alive. a) Put water in the new tank and add the fish right away. <No difference between this and leaving them in the bucket except the increased water volume.> b) Keep the fish in the bucket for a couple days while I try to quickly cycle the new tank with gravel from the old tank, <I would get the fish out of the bucket, no filtration and too small.> or c) Put my fish in my friend's aquarium (which will probably over-crowd the tank). <You will be fine putting the fish directly in the new tank. Just be sure that your water is up to temperature and dechlorinated. Transfer whatever gravel/filtration you have with the fish.> Thanks, Erin <Welcome, good luck, Scott V.> Temporary (emergency) tank care 12/29/07 Hello, <Ave!> I have a long established 55 gallon freshwater tank that needs repairs ASAP. The filter is also old and should be replaced while I'm at it. <Replacing a worn-out motor is fine, but do remember that the mature filter media is worth its weight in gold, and shouldn't be squandered!> My question is regarding care for the fish while the new or repaired tank cycles. I have several five and ten gallon tanks to put the residents in but how do I prevent these temporary tanks from spiking ammonia while I'm waiting? <Tricky, but the usual approach is to use Zeolite-filled box filters or equivalent.> Are frequent water changes enough? <Depends on how long. I've kept fish in aerated 5-gallon buckets (with lids) for several days simply by doing water changes. But this does demand low stocking and of course no feeding.> Should I be using any commercial products to prevent ammonia? <May help, to a degree, but these products are really for removing the trace (<2 mg/l) ammonia concentrations present in tap water, rather than the vast amounts a Plec or big cichlid will dump in the water.> I'm very fond of my fish and don't want to put them under any more stress than they already have. I wish I had seen this coming and cycled the temporary housing in advance but I didn't. <My advice would be try and plan around keeping the fish in buckets for just a few hours if at all possible. In other words, don't repair the 55 gallon, replace it. After all, the glass "box" is generally not terribly expensive compared with the stand, lights, hood, etc. Empty the water into one or more big buckets. Stock these with the fish. Connect the filter to one bucket to keep the bacteria happy. Remove old tank, and install new tank. Add sand, rocks, etc. Fill back up with water. Re-install filter. Return fish. Should be fine done like this. Then, since you need a second filter, buy and install this second filter. After 4-6 weeks, remove old filter. The bacteria should have colonised the new filter by themselves without any extra effort on your part.> Any advice is appreciated. ~Mars <Cheers, Neale.> From Africa...to America...and now Europe?!? Shipping FW lvstk. 10/27/07 Hi all! It's been a while since I've talked to you guys. I was the desperate newbie with the Red Zebra Cichlid (Nemo says hi, bye the way) who'd been mauled by his ex-tankmates and therefore had basically no fins. He's doing fine, and has been for quite a while. He's roughly 3 inches long now, and hasn't grown in a while. He still lives alone, as several attempts to give him a 'buddy' have been extremely unsuccessful. <Hello Ashley, Nemo,> My new problem is that we are probably moving this summer to Europe. Not sure where yet, (we'll find out at around Christmas time) but it will probably be England or Germany. (I know...that really narrows it down...:P) Do you know if it's even worth it to have him shipped? I'm so very, very attached to him, and I really don't want to leave him with anyone, since everyone I know has no idea what to do with a fish, and I really don't want to leave him with someone I don't know. And how would you go about getting a fish shipped overseas anyway? Could I slip him in my backpack? <Shipping fish is obviously do-able, since that's how the tropical fish industry works at all. But there are multiple factors involved. For an adult Pseudotropheus estherae (which is what I assume your fish is) you need some way to maintain a relatively pollution- and cold-intolerant species in a confined space for upwards of 24 hours. At the very least, that means a large plastic bag with at least a couple of litres of water and three or four times as much air, and that bag in an insulated box. There's no way I can see this working in a rucksack. Speak with your local pet shop about getting a couple of plastic bags and a polystyrene box. Most aquarium shops will give the boxes away, since they receive lots of them every week and have to throw them out. You'd then package the fish up and air-freight it just like an exporter does. The courier companies will be able to advice you on prices, customs forms, etc.> (As ridiculous as it sounds, I have taken a Betta on a road trip with me once. Maddie lived in a plastic bowl for two weeks in a hotel room and ate peas and ham. And betta food, of course. She made it through all that, then got home and after a month, jumped out of her tank in an attempt to eat something crawling on the wall. Needless to say, I keep my tanks well covered now.) <Bettas are small, low-metabolism air-breathers: an entirely different kettle of fish when it comes to transportation. Rift Valley cichlids are only marginally less temperamental in transit than marine fish.> So what exactly are my options? <Carrying the fish as carry-on isn't an option really, unless perhaps you fill the entire rucksack with the bagged fish. You'd need to consult with airport security before you go, since we live now in an age of anti-terrorism insanity. There's certainly nothing illegal about transporting live tropical fish from the US to the UK, though you will need to declare the fish at customs coming in. I'm not a legal expert, but this form would seem to be the one you need to fill in before transit: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/regulat/forms/fish/dof15.htm . I've carried livestock on aeroplanes in both the US and UK, though admittedly not between them. Sometimes the check-in staff consult with the airline before letting your board the aeroplane.> Do airlines let you take fish on the plane with you? <In theory, yes, but again, anti-terrorism insanity means we have these crazy rules about how much liquid a person can carry on board with them. So check with your airline first.> My gut says no...but then again, I've never tried to take a fish on a plane with me... <My feeling is that shipping the fish air-freight will be easier and safer, especially if you have someone at the other end who can receive the fish and at least keep it somewhere warm. If they can put it into an aquarium, even better. On the other hand, you might prefer to leave the fish in the US. When I moved to the US for a few years, I had a good friend look after one of my fish, a Panaque catfish, while I gave away to others. When I came back home, she returned the catfish. At the very least, you could leave the fish in the US for this trip, go to Europe, set up an aquarium with some new fish, and the next time you travel back to the United States, come collect the cichlid.> Thanks in advance for your answer! You guys are amazing and I appreciate what you do! Ashley <Good luck, Neale> Moving Aquariums in cold weather -- 10/18/07 Hi! I'm a new owner of a Betta and an Apple Snail. <A good combo. Should be fun pets; I kept Apple snails as a PhD student in my office, and loved 'em. The baby snails are especially adorable.> I'm a college student, and these guys are perfect little companions for me, and they seem to get along with each other just fine. My Betta pretty much ignores the snail unless he falls, and then he goes over to check out what happened. <Hah!> I have them in a 2.5 gallon tank, with a light, and a filter. The snail gets algae wafer, lettuce, and other munchies (not all at the same time of course) and the Betta gets pellets and occasionally frozen brine shrimp as a treat. I've only had the guys for a week, but already the snail (oh, and can I just say that my snail's siphon completely freaked me out the first time I saw it. I had absolutely no clue what it was. Yes, clearly I am new to all of this fish stuff) has added about 1/16 of an inch of new shell and my Betta's colors have become much more vibrant and he keeps blowing bubble nests. <All sounds good.> But now I'm just rambling, so on to my question! <OK.> I will have to travel home for Christmas break. And I'm so worried about moving them and taking them out in the cold. The drive is only an hour, but it's the actually getting them to my car when it's freezing out that has me worried. I was planning on just removing some of the water from the tank, and moving them while they're in it. Would this be okay? do I need to put the tank in a box with blankets or anything to keep them warm? Obviously, I'm clueless. Will taking them out in the cold shock them too much, or am I just being a paranoid fish mommy? Thanks so much! <Hmm... being cautious is never a bad thing. But in this instance, you're probably fine. Tropical fish don't suddenly die if the temperature drops. What happens is that their metabolism slows down, and in the long term, that makes them more sensitive to infections and makes it more difficult for them to metabolise properly. So they get sick and weak, and eventually die. But this all takes time. People ship fish in insulated boxes all the time, and within a 24-48 hour time frame, provided you take precautions, the fish will be fine. In your case here's what to do: put the fish and the snail *in their own* receptacles for the trip (to avoid problems with pollution). Anything that holds 1-2 litres of water will be fine. But, don't fill these containers with water. Go 25% water, 75% air. Air is, paradoxically perhaps, more important for this sort of thing because loss of oxygen will kill aquatic animals much more quickly than the ammonia in the water. Then place each container in something dark. Brown grocery bags are ideal. These make things dark, and this calms down the animals. Then bundle up each with additional plastic or paper bags. This is for insulation. Place both packages inside some sort of box or bag and bundle up with towels, laundry or whatever to create extra insulation and to stop things bouncing about while you're driving. When moving fish the most important thing is not to panic: rushing is where people come a-cropper. Just think about avoiding leaks and keeping the fish insulated from *rapid* temperature changes (slow temperature changes are fine). When you arrive wherever, float the containers in their new home if possible, so that the snail and the Betta can re-adjust to warmer water. Alternatively, add warm water to the containers in dribs and drabs over 20-30 minutes, then lift out the animals and place them in the tank. Problem solved, zero hassle. If you avoid panicking and do things by the numbers, keeping fish *really* is quite easy compared with other pets! Hope this helps, Neale> Moving Aquariums in cold weather -- 10/18/07 Hi! I'm a new owner of a Betta and an Apple Snail. <A good combo. Should be fun pets; I kept Apple snails as a PhD student in my office, and loved 'em. The baby snails are especially adorable.> I'm a college student, and these guys are perfect little companions for me, and they seem to get along with each other just fine. My Betta pretty much ignores the snail unless he falls, and then he goes over to check out what happened. <Hah!> I have them in a 2.5 gallon tank, with a light, and a filter. The snail gets algae wafer, lettuce, and other munchies (not all at the same time of course) and the Betta gets pellets and occasionally frozen brine shrimp as a treat. I've only had the guys for a week, but already the snail (oh, and can I just say that my snail's siphon completely freaked me out the first time I saw it. I had absolutely no clue what it was. Yes, clearly I am new to all of this fish stuff) has added about 1/16 of an inch of new shell and my Betta's colors have become much more vibrant and he keeps blowing bubble nests. <All sounds good.> But now I'm just rambling, so on to my question! <OK.> I will have to travel home for Christmas break. And I'm so worried about moving them and taking them out in the cold. The drive is only an hour, but it's the actually getting them to my car when it's freezing out that has me worried. I was planning on just removing some of the water from the tank, and moving them while they're in it. Would this be okay? do I need to put the tank in a box with blankets or anything to keep them warm? Obviously, I'm clueless. Will taking them out in the cold shock them too much, or am I just being a paranoid fish mommy? Thanks so much! <Hmm... being cautious is never a bad thing. But in this instance, you're probably fine. Tropical fish don't suddenly die if the temperature drops. What happens is that their metabolism slows down, and in the long term, that makes them more sensitive to infections and makes it more difficult for them to metabolise properly. So they get sick and weak, and eventually die. But this all takes time. People ship fish in insulated boxes all the time, and within a 24-48 hour time frame, provided you take precautions, the fish will be fine. In your case here's what to do: put the fish and the snail *in their own* receptacles for the trip (to avoid problems with pollution). Anything that holds 1-2 litres of water will be fine. But, don't fill these containers with water. Go 25% water, 75% air. Air is, paradoxically perhaps, more important for this sort of thing because loss of oxygen will kill aquatic animals much more quickly than the ammonia in the water. Then place each container in something dark. Brown grocery bags are ideal. These make things dark, and this calms down the animals. Then bundle up each with additional plastic or paper bags. This is for insulation. Place both packages inside some sort of box or bag and bundle up with towels, laundry or whatever to create extra insulation and to stop things bouncing about while you're driving. When moving fish the most important thing is not to panic: rushing is where people come a-cropper. Just think about avoiding leaks and keeping the fish insulated from *rapid* temperature changes (slow temperature changes are fine). When you arrive wherever, float the containers in their new home if possible, so that the snail and the Betta can re-adjust to warmer water. Alternatively, add warm water to the containers in dribs and drabs over 20-30 minutes, then lift out the animals and place them in the tank. Problem solved, zero hassle. If you avoid panicking and do things by the numbers, keeping fish *really* is quite easy compared with other pets! Hope this helps, Neale> Switching Tanks... FW 9/2/07 I have a tropical tank and a goldfish tank. I want to put the goldfish in the tropical tank and the tropical in the goldfish tank. I was wonder what I have to do. Please write back. <Greetings. You don't need to do much! Assuming both sets of fish are quarantined, all you really need to do is make sure the temperatures in each tank are appropriate to the new fishes. Put the tropical fish in one bucket, put the goldfish in another bucket, and then remove the filters from each tank and leave them running in some other buckets or containers of water so the bacteria stay alive. Give the "old" goldfish tank especially a thorough clean, and empty the water out of each aquarium. Transfer any plants and ornaments. Fill each tank up again with dechlorinated water, install the heater into the tropical tank, and wait for it to reach at least 22C. In the meanwhile, slowly replace some of the water in the goldfish bucket with water from the "new" goldfish aquarium, so it can acclimate to the new water conditions. Repeat this a few times across 30-60 minutes. Carefully net the goldfish out, and place them in their new home. Do the same thing for the tropical fish, giving them 30-60 minutes to acclimate to the water temperature and chemistry in their new home. If you want, take this opportunity to give the filters a quick clean, taking care not to kill the bacteria by washing the sponges or ceramic media in buckets of aquarium water, not under the tap. Install the filters in the two tanks. That's it. Cheers, Neale> Question regarding moving an aquarium to a different location within same room 8/9/07 Hello, <<Hi, Michele. Tom here.>> First, I want to compliment you on your wonderful site, which I have found to be a wealth of information. I have been in the hobby for 9 months and have learned so much from you all. <<Thank you very kindly. Nice to know we've been of help to you.>> Recently, I have been reading through the "moving an aquarium FAQ's" as I need to temporarily move my 36 gallon freshwater tank while a new tile floor is being installed. (My tank is in my basement, which recently was flooded, destroying the carpet, necessitating the tile floor.) <<Ouch! Sorry to hear that, Michele.>> Since I want to make sure I do it properly, I have researched this topic on your site and am pretty clear on how to drain it, temporarily house the fish in Rubbermaid containers, etc. but the one thing I am not clear on is whether or not I need to remove the gravel. I understand that in moves that involve lifting the tank, removal of the gravel is highly recommended. <<Depends on the size of the tank but, it's certainly a good idea to prevent breaking the seals.>> In my case, I am planning to slide the drained tank which will be empty except for the substrate on its stand over to the other side of the room. I plan to do this with the help of one other person who will be steadying the tank on the stand. Do I still need to remove the gravel in this case? <<In your case, no. Since the tank will not be, literally, lifted, there's no reason to go through the trouble/work of removing the substrate. The stand will continue to support the tank frame so there's no need.>> If you think it will still be risky, I will then do as you recommend. <<As long as the tank stays flush on the stand, you'll be fine. It's the 'bowing' of the glass with subsequent strain on the silicone seals that makes removing the substrate recommended. The stand will prevent this from happening, even tipped a bit, so make it easy on yourself and your friend.>> Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter. I truly appreciate all of you and your great site. Michele <<Thank you, once again. Enjoy the new flooring! Best regards. Tom>> Transporting Fish 5/21/07 Hi There, We have a question or two to run by someone knowledgeable. We appreciate your thoughts on the subject. <Hello, and we'll do out best.> We will be moving from Seattle WA to Sedona AZ in a couple months, and would like to take a few of our baby guppies with us. We currently have an 80 gallon tank which will stay with the house. We are thinking of transporting about 6 of our 3-month old guppies in a 5 gallon bucket with a loose-fitting lid (available at Petco). The bucket has a handle which would make it easy to move from car to motel room. <Sounds ideal.> We have already purchased a small undergravel heater for 5 gallons or less (requires electricity) and a small battery operated air pump which could be used to operate a small filter box. We will be traveling for about 3 days during which we could keep the car temp set at about 78 degrees while driving and use the heater in the motel room at night, along with constant aeration day and night. <I've done something similar when moving pet reptiles across the continental US, so while there's no guarantees, I can at least say it worked for me. Guppies are somewhat tolerant of low temperatures for short periods, certainly more so than, say, discus.> Do you think this plan would work? If so, should we use water from the 80 gallon tank for the transport or new water? If using new water should we set it up way in advance as one would do if starting a new aquarium? <I'd recommend taking another bucket of water with you, and every 1 day remove some of the old water in the guppy bucket and put in some of the stored water.> We have purchased a new 6 gallon aquarium to set up when we arrive at our new home and plan to use the water from the transport to start it. <I wouldn't fixate on the water too much. Guppies are very tolerant of water chemistry changes, provided they're adapted to them slowly. So I'd tend to leave them in the bucket, but fill the aquarium with 100% new water, and use the drip method (or similar) to put small amounts of this new water into the bucket across 60 minutes to give the guppies time to acclimate to the new water conditions. The "old" water in the bucket should really be discarded, as it'll likely have quite high levels of nitrite and ammonia, even assuming your filter does the job to some degree.> Are there any additives which would make the trip safer for the fish? <There are various additives around said to be "stress" cures. Use 'em, don't use 'em; I can't imagine they make a huge difference. The thing exporters and shippers use is oxygen, and that makes a big differences, but alas that probably isn't an option for you.> Do you have any suggestions on transporting which may work better than our plan? <Make sure you bring some/all of the old filter media. That's the stuff that matters. Pack it away in a sealed carton. Not filled with water, but with air: you want the media to stay wet of course, but the oxygen is the stuff that keeps filter media alive.> Thank you for your time and your advice. Steve and Sharon <Good luck! Neale> Moving a Pleco 5/15/07 I came across your web site and found that it is full of great info for the new/inexperienced fish enthusiast. <Good> My question is "Is it possible to physically move cross country) with a pleco?" <Yes> I started with a 10 gal tank, a few fish and this tiny 1 inch pleco about 4 years ago. Since then, my pleco (Jaws) has moved from 10 gal to 20 gal to his new home of 55 gal. He is now 12 inches long. <Neat> The 55 gallon tank is full of fish and Jaws - I am sure he will continue to grow with this new amount of space. <Likely so... a Pterygoplichthys sp.... See the Net... get much larger> My family is in the military and our time at our current location is coming to an end and we will have to move soon. I just can't imagine giving my pleco away. He has his own personality and is like part of the family. The remaining fish in the tank, I can give to friends. Is it possible to move my pleco or best to find him a new home - I have read he can live for many many years.... Thanks, Julie <Mmm, yes... Well either you can "live haul" your pet with you (bagged, oxygenated and boxed for thermal insulation) for a couple of days... or in an open container, with attention paid to switching out some water, starving the animal a few days before moving... Or consider leaving it behind to be shipped (perhaps by a friendly LFS) once you're resituated, and the system is up and going. Please read here re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/movelvstkfaqs.htm the same principles, techniques apply to freshwater. Cheers, Bob Fenner> Tank Transfer 3/20/06 Hi Crew, <Michael> I have read and re-read different articles on your site relating to my question before I bug you folks but I still have some unanswered questions. Here is my situation. I have many old tanks from several years ago (not being used) and have decided to start using them again. My son has a 20 gallon hex with a couple small Gouramis, 2 Plecos (small), and a Platy with 1 Cory cat. I decided to transfer them to my 54 corner and put new substrate in. I did transfer the old substrate from the 20 hex on top of the new. <Good> I put in the 20 hex plants (plastic) with some new one as well as all of the water from the 20. 2 days later the fish seem fine and are eating but the water is cloudy. <A bit of re-cycling... bacterial population explosion> I am running a Eheim Professionel II with new media but put the media from the 20 hex in it as well. The old media was not very much since it came from a small Aquaclear filter. What could be clouding the tank. Am I going through a new cycling process? <Of a sort, yes> I plan on removing these fish and adding Cichlids within the next week or so if the water parameters permit. I thought doing it this way would quickly establish the new tank. <Will, is... let time go by, careful feeding...> Am I going about this correctly or should I be giving this tank more time to establish? The 20 hex was about 1 year old. <Your methodology is about perfect> Thank you in advance for your advice. It is more than appreciated. <Welcome. Bob Fenner> Michael J. Bukosky Shipping fish to US <from Canada> 8/7/05 Hello :) Has anyone had any experience with shipping live fish from Canada to the US? If so, what is the procedure/requirements...Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks! l. >>From the Canadian side it is very simple if the amount is under $2000 (if above you need to fill in the B13 export paperwork). From the US side it is a nightmare. The US side will have to get in touch with USFW and likely buy an import license. Then there is also an inspection fee and the fish have to enter at a designated port, of which there are few. There has to be a 48 hour notice when the shipment will arrive and you have to fill in the USFW form, invoice and AWB at that time. When the fish arrive they have to be inspected, and you also have to clear customs. Good Luck, Oliver Moving... a large, crowded pacu 7/14/05 Hi, <Hello> We will be moving soon, and we are wondering how the heck we are going to do so. Since our Pacu is now about 2 feet long and 1 foot tall. He is currently in a 60 gallon tank which we upgraded for him 2 years ago. <... too small> He use to be in a vertical 45 gallon. Anyhow, the last time we moved, he suffered a fractured tail; he jumped out of the bag, landed his tail on the edge of the bucket, and flopped on the floor. It was a nightmare!! <Think about the fish> Since then he has grown a few inches, and we don't want the same thing to happen again, do you have any suggestions? <Yes... this fish is best removed from the tank with the use of large, thick plastic bags (pet fish or trash can variety), perhaps doubled, tripled for strength... slowly, deliberately scooping up enough water, the fish... and enough strong arms present to lift all out of the tank... then using oxygen gas to fill the bag/s, seal... and expediently move> Also, how to you travel 400 miles with a fish that big, without killing him? Shoselyn Novo <The oxygen will help... but perhaps it's best to leave the fish with someone, a shop that can/will ship it to you (air) after you're situated. I must state that this is not an adequate space for this animal, species... Unless you're able, willing to provide something of a few hundred gallons, I would find it another, better home. Bob Fenner> Re: Need help transporting my goldfish Oranda 7/4/05 Hello, so my roommates and I decide to move. The move is about 15 min.s. away. How would you or what would you recommend I do to transport my 2 goldfish Orandas. I have a 30 gallon tank. Thank you, Ryan <Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/movgaqfwfaqs.htm Bob Fenner> Travel with Betta fish 7/4/05 Hello, My name is Rachel. I have two Betta fish in a five gallon tank. I will be moving six hours from where I am currently living. I plan to take my fish with me and would like to know if there are any suggestions on how to travel with them. Thanks! Rachel <Bettas, being aerial respirators, travel very well just being bagged up in some of their water, packed in thermally insulated containers... sometimes for days. Bob Fenner> Moving Gravel to a New tank 7/4/05 Hello, Great site. I have a few questions on upsizing my current aquarium. I currently have a 29g and 55g, both community tanks. Fairly light fish load, heavily planted. I am going to move everything into a 125g tank. My questions is about moving the gravel to the new tank. Should I rinse the excess waste from the old gravel? Should I rinse it at all? Should I rinse it in tap water? I want to keep the biomass and the water and the live plants to reduce cycling time. Any suggestions? Thanks, CW < If you have a Marineland filter with a bio-wheel , then you can rinse the gravel with out any loss of beneficial bacteria because it lives on the wheel as well as in the gravel. If you don't then I would gently rinse the gravel in dechlorinated water before placing it in the big tank. I think I would fill a 5 gallon bucket up half way with dechlorinated water and place a few handfuls of gravel from the old tank. The lose stuff should float up in the water and you can transfer the old gravel to the new tank a few handfuls at a time. Tim Hovanec from Marineland has actually done tests and found the beneficial bacteria was lost when the gravel was agitated too much during cleaning. To cover all the bases it wouldn't hurt to use some bio-Spira from Marineland after the new tank is set up.-Chuck> Moving Goldfish over 1100 miles Hello! I'd like to thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter. <Welcome> I have a 10 gallon tank with 3 small Ryukin goldfish (~2" long) and 1 larger Ryukin goldfish (~4" long) that I am planning to bring with me to Idaho in the coming week as I move from Arizona. From what I have heard from hobbyists, I should place several plastic bags (in a triple-bagged manner) in an insulated cooler, and fill the bag(s) with about 1/4-1/3 water for the fish to travel in. The remaining space within the bag should contain oxygen. Is this an appropriate method for travel? <Yes> (My estimated travel time is ~24 hours, with time allowed for overnight rest, meals and fueling breaks.) Upon arrival in Idaho, I would like to eventually put the goldfish in a 30 gallon tank. However, given the necessary time period needed to develop a biological environment, I will return the goldfish to the 10 gallon tank until I am confident that the goldfish can be safely moved to the 30 gallon tank. The 30 gallon tank was previously used for tropical fish, but I will be washing it thoroughly with hot water, while also replacing the gravel, plants and filtration system. Do you have any additional suggestions? <Mmm, none... other than perhaps to encourage your reading here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/movgaqfwfaqs.htm for a bit of review> Thank you so much! I appreciate your advice and assistance in this complex situation! (I'm sure that Mia, Wilson, Casper and Cody {the goldfish} will also thank you!) Sincerely, Sheena <Keep your eyes on the road and don't worry. All will be fine, going by this plan. Bob Fenner> Moving Big Fish Hi Bob - I wanted to ask you what is the best way to move an Oscar fish into a larger tank. My Oscar hates to be moved and the last time jumped out of the tank and onto the floor. He jumped out one other time when I went to feed him and he really tears up his skin when he does this. We have tried netting, pouring, etc. and it is just a huge nightmare in my experience. Is there an easy way to do this? Any information that you could give me would be greatly appreciated! < Big fish require big nets. Many fish stores don't carry nets big enough to do the job right. I would recommend a net as least twice the size of the fish So a 1 foot Oscar needs a two foot long net. You will probably have to go to a bait or fishing supply store to get that big a net. I would remove all the rocks and things that he could hurt himself on. Then turn out the lights and let him fall asleep. After a couple of hours then sneak back in and slowly catch the Oscar. Taking him out of the water should be easier in the bigger net. Obviously he will be wide awake when taken out of the water. Set the net in the new tank and allow him to swim out. <<RMF would just scoop out this and other large FW fishes with dipping in large, thick plastic bags... much less scrapes>> Don't just plop him in. Keep the tank dark for a few days and approach him slowly for awhile until he gets accustomed to his new surroundings.> Also I know that you don't recommend feeding Oscars the feeder fish, but there are time when that is all mine will eat. How many and how often should they be fed the feeder fish if that is all they will eat at the time? Thanks!!!! < I still stick to the old rule that feed him once a day and only enough food so that all of it is gone in two minutes.-Chuck> Transferring the entire contents of one tank to another Hi, I love your site, and have spent hours going through the various FAQ's. I have not found a question quite like mine yet, but I admit I might have missed something. I recently found a 45 gallon tank and stand for $40 at a garage sale, and couldn't pass it up. It had been sitting in a barn for a long time, and was quite dirty, so I hosed it out over and over, and soaked it in Epsom salt before I brought it home. I didn't know that I could clean it out with bleach and then use a dechlorinator, but it is kind of too late for that now. I cut out the silicone and resealed the 4 corners because it was slightly dry, and there was barely any silicone visible. I hope I did all of the prep work OK. Unfortunately, I don't have room in my apartment for both the new tank, and my old 29 gallon tank. I need to transfer the contents of the 29 to the 45, and I was wondering if I could just do a complete transfer and put the bio media from the Aquatech 20-40 into one side of the new Penguin 350. I really don't want to stress out the fish at all. <Can reduce, but not avoid entirely> I can't have both tanks up and running for more than a couple of days, because someone is coming to pick up the 29, and like I said, the apartment is so small that we can't spare the room. Just to give you as much info as possible, here is what moving from the 29. 50 lbs of gravel 2 Neon Dwarf Gourami 2 Neon Tetras 3 Rasboras 1 4" pleco (who surprised me by being kind of aggressive when I brought him home) 2 5" Weather loaches 1 5" African Knife fish 1 4" Botia robusta that I was originally told was a tiger loach. 3 fake plants and 1 fake rock structure Bio media from the 20-40? <Yes> I know I will eventually need a bigger tank, or a second tank, and I plan on moving in the next year, so I will make sure to find a place big enough for the needed space. <Can be done. Some plans, insights posted here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/movingaq.htm and the Related FAQs linked above... similar to marine moves...> If I may, I have one other question about feeding. Currently I am rotating TetraColor flakes, TetraMin Flakes and freeze dried plankton between 3 meals a day, plus a couple of sinking brine shrimp pellets at each meal. Every three or so days I throw in a half of an algae disc, because the pleco doesn't leave the same spot under the heater unless he goes for one of the sinking pellets, and I wanted to make sure he had something to munch on. Once or twice a week I substitute some frozen brine shrimp for a meal. <I want to live in your tank!> Is this too much variety? <Mmm, no> When I put in the flakes, they last less than 7 seconds, and I was worried that maybe I was feeding too little. I have never seen the weather loaches eat in the past 3 weeks that I have had them. I see plenty of poop, and I would rather under than over feed. I just thought it might be a good idea to ask while I was at it. (side note, the gouramis eat from my fingers, which is fun) <Neat!> Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate all of the work you do to help people like me out. Tim <Thank you for helping in turn. Bob Fenner> Two Day Move Hi, I have a 10 gallon tank with dojo loach, Pleco, etc. My question is, how can I move my fish from CO to TX, a two day drive? I really don't want to deal with bags, I'll have two kids and a dog too. Could I put them in a bucket or something? I know I could get rid of the fish here and buy new there, but we are very attached to our pets and want to take them along. Any advice? Thank you in advance. Chrystal <A clean bucket with a lid should be fine. If you go to a sporting goods store you can pick up a "Minnow Saver". This is a small battery powered pump used to keep oxygen in the water. Take as much water from your current tank as possible. Refill with this water at your new home. Top it off slowly so you do not shock your fish. If your filter has a bio media, (wheels, balls, pads etc.) put them in the bucket with the fish. Do not clean them or let them dry out. Good luck. Don> Goldfish Transportation, International Style Hi! <<Hello Thea, Marina this morning.>> I'd emailed you a while ago about my sick goldfish Pepper. Thanks a lot for all your advice and help. Now, I'm moving from Dubai to India and I want to take him with me, but I have no idea how. <<Easy, once you know how.>> I've heard that goldfish are usually transported by plane, but don't know anything else. <<All ornamentals shipped beyond a certain distance go by plane.>> Any suggestions? How do I take a fish all the way across countries? What do I do? What are the risks involved? Any special preparations? Food? How do I carry him? Thanks again, Thea <<Alright, don't feed him for a two to three days prior to the move, this ensures an empty gut and greatly reduces pollution in the bag. Have some water that's been aged and well-aerated for a couple of days on hand, you'll bag him in this. Ratio of water to air (oxygen, if you can access, is even better) is 1/3 water, 2/3 air/O2, in relation to bag volume. For a single fish, assuming he's about 3" or less, I'd try to get a 1-2 gallon bag. Too much water will let him slosh around, too little allows no buffer. If he's not much bigger than 3", then a two gallon volume will work just fine. Also, put some Methylene blue in the water, just a few drops are all that's needed (a pretty ocean blue). DO NOT use a Ziploc bag! They seem really neat, but are prone to "poppage". When you do bag the fish, DO NOT fill the bag tightly, it will pop once you hit some altitude. Double-bagging with fish bags is recommended, and twist the bag end well, loop with rubber bands, twist again and loop it down on itself, and rubber band most securely. Put all this into a small Styrofoam container. If you can hand-carry your fish, better for you both. If NOT, then place this box into a cardboard box that's lined with several layers of newsprint. As long as he's kept calm and time in the bag isn't beyond 24 hours, all should go well. Upon arrival the fish will need new, clean water, be sure to acclimate him well to it as you did when you first purchased your pet. Marina>> Moving a newly bought fish I have found many articles on how to move fish that have lived in home tanks, but none on how to move a newly bought fish. My situation is this- I have been searching for an Electric Blue Jack Dempsey. A LFS told me they could order one for me, but they keep their tanks in horrible condition. I fear that if I were to order one, they would put the fish in one of their pre-existing tanks before I could pick it up. So I found a pet store in GA that claims they keep their tanks "Immaculately clean" & that I could examine the fish & was not obligated to buy even though they would order it for me. My problem is that I would be purchasing the Dempsey in GA & it would take me 7 hours to drive back home to NC. My plan is to line a cooler w/plastic bags & water & supply it w/a battery operated air pump for oxygen exchange. Would the pet store in GA be likely to give me enough tank water from the Dempseys tank to transfer to the cooler? <Sure... but would be better to have them double bag it (against fin spine puncture) and oxygenate, seal the bag/s... rather than transport the fish in an open water container... the oxygen will help anesthetize the fish> And should I set up a quarantine tank to cycle before I leave home to go get the fish? <A good idea> I would be spending a good amount on this fish, and have never traveled more than an hour to get a fish back home, so I don't want to mess this up. Is the plan I have, suitable for moving a new fish? <Yes> My trip is a month away, so I am trying to have everything planned out ahead of time to ensure success. I just can't buy a fish before I see it, so mail ordering isn't an option. ANY help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! Michelle in NC <Learn to put spaces between your sentences. Bob Fenner> Moving Tanks Hello...........<Hi! Ryan Bowen with you today> I have a 90 gallon salt tank, a 55 gallon fresh tank, and a 15 gallon fresh tank. My family will be moving about 2 hours away this fall to a new house. I'd like some advice on how to easily and properly move the tanks and fish without harming them. <Not a lot of fun, but can be done.> In the salt tank, I have a yellow tang and a porcupine puffer and I'm really worried about my puffer, he's big and would be very bad if I lost him somehow not moving him correctly. <Very hardy fish- Follow the article I guide you to, and he'll be fine.> My 55 gal tank has a really large pleco that I would not want to harm either by handling him wrong. <Again, super-hardy species. It'll be fine.> Please help!!!!!!!! <http://wetwebmedia.com/movingaq.htm, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/movelvstkfaqs.htm> Kristina Quick red devil question Hi - I hope it's Ok for me to drop an email with a quick question. I'd really appreciate any insight or advice. I am temporarily moving to house-sit and am concerned about moving my red devil. The new place is about a 20 minute drive from my current location. Do you have any thoughts as to how to make this as smooth as possible for her? Also, do you think that it would be more traumatic for her to move rather than to let her stay where she is with a friend who will be living in my apartment? I'd rather not leave her as the move will be for about 9 months, but I want to do what's best for her. Many thanks for any info. < Move and take the red devil with you. Put this fish in a 5 gallon bucket and cover it so she can't jump out. Move the tank to the new place and set it up. Make sure the new water is treated for chloramines. Your fish will appreciate the new water. These fish are pretty indestructible. Thirty years ago I was moving a red devil in a 5 gallon bucket on the passenger side of my car. I was forced to hit the brakes and the bucket with the fish spilled onto the floorboard of my car. The water drained out and I needed some water fast. I pulled over to a gas station that was closed and filled the bucket up with radiator water! Cold untreated radiator water. I flopped the fish back in the bucket and resumed taking it over to my friends house twenty minutes away. I told him what has happened and we flipped the fish into a waiting 40 gallon tank. The next day you couldn't tell anything happened at all. It never got sick. -Chuck> RE: quick red devil question Thanks very much! I feel better about the whole thing and will get a bucket. They must be pretty indestructible. I didn't know that the fish was a red devil when i acquired her -- thought that she was a small, orange goldfish and had her living in a container with cold water. Eventually figured out that she was manipulating objects in the container and that she was much more than a goldfish. Three tanks (she destroyed one of them) four filters and a couple heaters later, she's bigger than my hand and behaves more like a pet dog than a fish. But, especially since I've been picking up info about her as I go along, there are a few things I'm concerned about...Can I ask you just a few more questions -- Should I be concerned that she seems to only want to eat pellets and tropical fish flakes? I put a couple of guppies in the tank once and she ate them, but she is no longer interested in meat of any kind, it seems. < The pellets and flake food are much better for her as well as less expensive too.> Also, How do I get her in the bucket? Should I use a net? < Place a black plastic trash bag in an empty five gallon bucket. Fill the five gallon plastic bucket about two/thirds full of water from the aquarium. Pull the excess bag to the top. Catch the fish in a large suitable net and place her in the bucket. Then tie the top of the trash bag close to the top of the bucket to prevent her from jumping out as well as spilling any water. When the new tank is set up then take the net and place her in the new tank.> And, finally, she used to lay eggs and hasn't for a while. Does this have to do with natural aging or is it because of some kind of ph imbalance in the tank? Or general unhappiness? < It means that she is in very good shape and is in condition to breed. Good food and clean water has her primed to spawn but she unfortunately has no male to spawn with so she still has to lay her eggs to get rid of them. As she has matured she will not waste anymore energy on egg production until she has paired up.-Chuck> Kate |
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