# Transporting an Aquarium to College



## tharsis (Oct 9, 2009)

I would avoid keeping the fish in the tank if possible. I have tried this in the past while moving into a new place across town. I kept the tank %50 full and drove, it was a nightmare, water was sloshing around everywhere, tidal waves were aplenty and the fish were getting banged around pretty bad. I even hada tetra go overboard. And I wasn't even driving recklessly, i was going below the speed limit the whole way. I think all the sloshing will be pretty rough on your plants as well. You would probably be better off just wrapping them in newspaper/paper towel and bagging them for the trip.

It would IMO be less stressful on the fish if you were to but them in a covered bucket... Even bagging them with lots of oxygen should be fine for a 6 hour trip. I recently moved across the country and brought all my fish and plants with me. I bagged everything, kept them all in a big rubbermaid tote with blankets wrapped around to keep everything warm and there were no problems. 

Trust me...making the trip with the fish in your 10 gallon tank will be a serious PITA.


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## tuffgong (Apr 13, 2010)

I would remove all of the fish from the tank and put them in a bucket/buckets, that has a top, filled with tank water. I would then drain 95% of the tank and remove all plants and decorations. You can float the plants in the bucket if there's enough room or put them in ziploc bag with some water to keep them moist. I know alot of people on here have moved successfully utilizing this formula.


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## dwc13 (Dec 15, 2010)

Check out some ideas on this thread: 

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/g...cross-country-my-fish-plants.html#post1228190


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Most pet stores will give you free fish bags if you ask. Just bag the fish and take as MUCH water as possible out of the tank (otherwise you won't be able to lift it and the risk of cracking it goes way up).


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## gamexeater (Sep 20, 2008)

I actually bring my 10g to my residence too. I definitely wouldn't keep the fish in there. You could try keeping the fish in a bucket and putting another smaller bucket on the top to kind of form a seal, it's what I do for my 1.5 hour drive to campus. 50-75% is also probably too much as already mentioned by some of the other members, I drain my tank to about 10-20% enough to keep the plants submerged..though I only have java fern and moss in my tank...but this level of water has yet to cause any disaster. The hood on my 10g also helps to keep the any splashing contained (which WILL happen). For rooted plants...i'm not sure. But one thing i'm sure of is your substrate will be quite disturbed regardless of how you drive so rooted plants will possible get uprooted.


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## Dart27 (Jan 5, 2011)

I drive my fish back and forth to college, and it's a 7 1/2 hour drive one way. I just get an insulated box (like from walmart), free bags from petco/petsmart, and then put them in there. I also have some warmers from when I used to ship fish, but those aren't that necessary. I wouldn't worry about keeping the water--I would just keep a 5 gallon bucket, put the filter media and plants/decoration in there and put a lid on it, because that's where most of your beneficial bacteria are going to be. If you have a special substrate in your tank for plants, I would just leave that in there and just keep it slightly covered by water...it shouldn't be a problem that way. Good luck--fish are so relaxing at college!


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## kevmo911 (Sep 24, 2010)

5g buckets with lids at lowe's will cost you maybe 5 bucks apiece.


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## bobalston (Nov 8, 2003)

Do not EVER leave water in the fish tank when moving it.

Put any live plants in a zip lock bag with some water in it. Or wrap in wet newspaper and place in a sealed plastic bag.

2-1/2 foot square styrafoam Shipping containers from fish shops are ideal - it is how fish are shipped. Ask your fish shop. 

Also dumpster dive at fish/pet shops as many throw them out; they don't want to be bothered with providing to aquariusts.

If you don't use a fish shop plastic bag , be careful as some plastic bags for trash have anti-mold or anti-smell coatings that could be harmful to fish.

If you put much more air than water you are probably good for such a trip. Close the bag to avoid sloshing water out.

Probably best not to feed the fish for 48 hrs prior so as to not have fish poop foul the bag and reduce the oxygen.

When I shipped killies all over the USA/Hawaii I use "bag buddies" from Jungle labs to oxygenate the water.
http://www.amazon.com/TopDawg-Pet-Supplies-Buddies-400tab/dp/B000N30LDK

But I ship killies in only a few ounces of water and LOTS of air in the bag - for about 3 days shipping time.

The insulated box is important to keep the fish from getting too hot or too cold.

Some people use airstones in a slightly open bag to allow re-oxigenation of the water. There are battery operated pumps
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...=n:1055398,k:air+pump+battery++aquarium&ajr=3
or some people use 12-volt invertors. I personally don't think such is necessary if your water to air ratio is about 1/8 or better.

Bob :biggrin:


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## regalesse (Dec 18, 2010)

tuffgong said:


> I would remove all of the fish from the tank and put them in a bucket/buckets, that has a top, filled with tank water. I would then drain 95% of the tank and remove all plants and decorations. You can float the plants in the bucket if there's enough room or put them in ziploc bag with some water to keep them moist. I know alot of people on here have moved successfully utilizing this formula.


that is my exact sugesstion as well. moved cross country that way no losses.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Those seem like better options. I'll definitely get one of those insulated boxes the next time im there. I'll also make a stop over at Lowes. Thanks for the ideas.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

What would be the best way to transport my Betta? Is placing him back in the cup I got him in ok for the trip? I don't want to place him in a sealed bag because he may run out of oxygen. I also don't want to place him in an unsealed bag because of spillage.

Will being transported in that cup be too stressful?


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## i'm a ninja (Aug 2, 2009)

If you're worried about him running out of oxygen in a sealed bag you could always just stop every once in a while and open the bag back up. I wouldn't suggest dumpster diving like someone above suggested, my boss caught someone diving in our dumpster at the lps I work at, he called the police.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

i'm a ninja said:


> If you're worried about him running out of oxygen in a sealed bag you could always just stop every once in a while and open the bag back up. I wouldn't suggest dumpster diving like someone above suggested, my boss caught someone diving in our dumpster at the lps I work at, he called the police.


I was just going to go ask lol. I also have only 4 fish to transport so I won't need that large of a container (to hold the bags/cup)


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## Dart27 (Jan 5, 2011)

trust me, he won't run out of oxygen...  Just get the bags and you'll be good to go.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

You don't need to worry about the Betta running out of oxygen on a 6 hour trip, as long as it's a nice big bag like they'd send you home with from the pet store, fill it about 1/3 with tank water. I think that's the best mode of transportation, I actually think being in the small cup would be more stressful and more likely to injure the Betta. If you're REALLY worried about the oxygen, I'm sure you'll have to pee at some point, so any time you make a pit stop, just open the bag(s). 

When we transported our 30 and 60g tanks and all of the plants and inhabitants, we simply filled 5g buckets about 1/3 - 1/2 way with tank water (one for each tank) scooped out all the fish and shrimp, put them in there and closed the lid. I know you only have a few fish, but if you think about it, the more water volume, the less chance of the fish slamming into the side of the container, so I'd suggest either a 5g bucket (large volume) or bags (smaller volume, softer walls). 

ALSO I would highly recommend you put filter media in the bucket with the fish. This way you keep your beneficial bacteria alive and don't have to worry too much about ammonia / nitrIte spikes. We used this method and we didn't lose a single fish or shrimp. And we even ended up needing to keep the fish in their buckets for a couple days. We went so far as to remove the gravel from the tanks, but we also had much larger tanks which = much more weight in gravel. 

Plants I would remove from the tank along with as much water as you can, sloshing is the worst for the tank. Put the plants in some zip lock bags or wrapped in damp paper towels or damp newspaper. You just want to keep them moist, they don't need to be submerged, in fact in transport they tend to do better NOT submerged. roud:

If you use a 5g bucket for transporting the fish, that's probably all the tank water you'll need too. :thumbsup:

good luck! (and sorry for the novel :redface


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Karackle said:


> You don't need to worry about the Betta running out of oxygen on a 6 hour trip, as long as it's a nice big bag like they'd send you home with from the pet store, fill it about 1/3 with tank water. I think that's the best mode of transportation, I actually think being in the small cup would be more stressful and more likely to injure the Betta. If you're REALLY worried about the oxygen, I'm sure you'll have to pee at some point, so any time you make a pit stop, just open the bag(s).
> 
> When we transported our 30 and 60g tanks and all of the plants and inhabitants, we simply filled 5g buckets about 1/3 - 1/2 way with tank water (one for each tank) scooped out all the fish and shrimp, put them in there and closed the lid. I know you only have a few fish, but if you think about it, the more water volume, the less chance of the fish slamming into the side of the container, so I'd suggest either a 5g bucket (large volume) or bags (smaller volume, softer walls).
> 
> ...


I love reading and as long as its good information (which I believe this to be) then I'm more than happy to read it. I'll definitely look to get a bucket or something similar. you're right. that'll help with transporting the water too. 

:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:I love this forum. People are so helpful helping out a newbie like me I really do appreciate all the advice.:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

I'm also going to go out to get some Root Tabs tomorrow (as well as go to the bank and do some other errands). I have regular PetCo brand black substrate. Should I replace it or will I be able to grow plants well in it if I have root tabs. My Amazon Sword is growing like crazy...it's a bit scary.

I want to possibly work on getting a carpet of Micro Sword...at least decent coverage (1/3 or so). Will root tabs be able to get this effect? I believe the grain size of my substrate is not much larger than most aquarium gravel but I don't think there are many "trace elements" inside. I know this isn't a thread for substrate or in the substrate section but I could use the advice.


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## Zareth (Dec 13, 2010)

Yeah for some reason the water in those bags doesn't slosh around that much, its some kind of magic physics thing. I'd take a 5 gallon bucket that has a lid and put the fish in those bags and seal the bags with rubber bands. Then fill the bucket with tank water, If you can hang the bags in the tank water either by putting the lid on and pinching the top of the bag or string, etc. The temperature will be consistent, it will be dark, and there will be very little sloshing because the pressure of the water in the bucket is even around the bag - the fish will feel nothing and probably sleep cause it will be pitch black.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Zareth said:


> Yeah for some reason the water in those bags doesn't slosh around that much, its some kind of magic physics thing. I'd take a 5 gallon bucket that has a lid and put the fish in those bags and seal the bags with rubber bands. Then fill the bucket with tank water, If you can hang the bags in the tank water either by putting the lid on and pinching the top of the bag or string, etc. The temperature will be consistent, it will be dark, and there will be very little sloshing because the pressure of the water in the bucket is even around the bag - the fish will feel nothing and probably sleep cause it will be pitch black.


That sounds really efficient. Should I leave the aquarium light on a bit longer the night before so they "tire out" a little bit more?


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

I am doing the opposite, I am moving two 10g and two 5g tanks from my second floor APT that I was living in for school back home. Let me tell you it is a pain to move them if they have stuff in them, especially if you are alone.

I had to balance the tank on my leg just to free one hand to close and lock doors. So make it easy and take as much stuff out. I'm lucky that I haven't slipped on any ice too. 

I use a 5g bucket to put some of the old water, then I bag my fish/shrimp and put them in a strofoam box.


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## Zareth (Dec 13, 2010)

AquaStudent said:


> That sounds really efficient. Should I leave the aquarium light on a bit longer the night before so they "tire out" a little bit more?


I wouldn't do anything abnormal to prevent stressing them out. They'll probably sleep just the same if they are in the dark. 
If you dose the right fertilizers you can get plants to grow in inert substrates - its just about if you want to put the effort in vs just replacing substrate


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

thanks guys for the advice. I really think I can do this.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Good luck, and I'm glad you didn't mind reading my novel, I hope it was helpful! The method I outlined worked really well for us, as I said we didn't lose a single fish during transport. That's not to say our method is the only or best way, just that it worked roud: 

Also, if you are breaking down the tank to move it anyway and have the cash and access to a simple planted tank specific substrate like eco-complete, you might as well grab it. If you don't have it locally available and/or don't want to spend the money and/or you don't want to actually swap out the substrate, root tabs should be just fine!


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

So just to add some simple advice. Don't overcomplicate a simple situation. 

Bag or bucket the fish, they'll have no issue. 

Drain tank down to an inch of water or so then place some paper towels or newspaper or something to keep everything down and damp.

Drive! Enjoy the trip back to school.

I'm flying back to ASU and I am nervous as to what my mini m looks like a month later with no filtration and just packing tape sealing it up! (it is in front of a window that gets plenty of natural sunlight so I'm not sure how it will all end up)

-Andrew


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

I just went out to a local store and got some root tabs. I was amazed at how large it was and how extensive their selection of fishes, plants, and supplies were. I'm just used to seeing my small section at PetCo and the even more uninspiring selection at the local pet store...the 5 tanks worth of unhealthy looking fish. It's quite demoralizing.

I'm a bit worried. I go to college in, quite literally, the middle of nowhere. The nearest "city" can barely be called that. The only store that has any types of fish is WalMart. I rescued a betta there a few months ago (gave it to my girlfriend as a present) but I haven't looked closely at the other stock. There wasn't much selection that's for sure.


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## snakeman1989 (Jul 22, 2010)

I've moved all of my tanks 3.5 hours across state without issue. The biggest one is my 48gallon bowfront. I put all the gravel in a rubbermaid and purchased 3 cheap, foam coolers and used tape to fasten the lids. All of the fish were in the coolers with 1/3 water and the other kept plants. I moved them in the summer when it was about 85 degrees without any deaths or illness. Water sloshing was minimal if at all and I was well over the speed limits.

I also didn't feed my fish a day prior to moving everything. So, there's nothing special that you need to do other than keep the fish in water when moving them. 

I would not recommend moving the tank with water in it. I did that with my sister's 20 gallon across town with about 1/3 of water. It sloshed everywhere! 

Also, glad you thought of car space ahead of time. I just barely fit all my equipment, stand, and 48gallon tank in my car! Anything larger would've required a bigger car. 

BTW, there's no cooler addition to a college dorm room than a fish tank! I always had compliments on mine and even got my roomate back into his fish hobby! 
A word of advice though, avoid letting roomates select fish for your tank. I did that and while it was fun to tell them what they can get and what they cannot, it probably wasn't the best idea. Now, if they like the fish you want to put into the tank, then let them buy it!


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

I forgot to update this thread. I got up to school and everything is going great! I did a rescape when i set up the tank again and it looks fantastic. I'm really liking it.

I used a 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot with a lid (less than $5). I placed my columns decoration in the bottom (it fit perfectly and was covered with java moss). It was nice because it gave my fish a bit of peace of mind...some places to hide. I was going to put them in the fish bags that I got from PetCo but I didn't like the idea of having them just floating in there. I could have put the lid on with the tops of the bags pinned down but then the fish wouldn't be able to get away from the wall. I opted to just let them free in the bucket. The did quite well. I wrapped my coat around them for insulation and pinned them between the dashboard and the passenger seat.

I placed the plants in the fish bags wrapped in wet paper towel (and a little water) and then floated them in the inch or two of water above my gravel in my tank. I believe it helped keep the sloshing down. It was a great way to transport them. I also placed the filter medium in a bag with some water to keep it from drying out.

The only thing that didn't go quite as well was the fact that now half my desk is taken up by a 10 gallon tank. I thought I'd be able to put it on my shelf but I forgot to take into consideration how far back the HOB filter goes. Whoops. It still looks pretty good I'll upload a photo.

I added 8 neon tetras to pretty much complete the stock. They all seem happy and are eagerly exploring the tank.

Actually, my roommates have pieced together another 10 gallon that's sitting in the corner of the common room. I'm not sure how planted it's going to be. I couldn't convince them to do a fishless cycle but I still don't think there will be much of a problem. They have a huge filter on it (was used back when my roommate had a tank growing up...i actually think it was for a 30 gallon) and my old gravel. The bacteria should still be on the 15 pounds of gravel that I used to have in my tank (i upgraded to something more plant friendly).

Some of my friends in another suite went with us to walmart today. They ended up purchasing a 10 gallon starter kit also for their dorm. I'm starting a new trend! 

Anyway to summarize the trip the 5 gallon bucket did great. I definitely recommend this to anybody who has to move a tank. Thanks TPT members for all the advice!


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

looks good! You're right, it does take up a lot of your desk though...ah well....it's worth it :hihi:


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## snakeman1989 (Jul 22, 2010)

I kept my 5 gallon on my dresser. That seemed to work very well. The fish weren't really bothered by the drawers opening and closing.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

For future reference, next time you transport fish get some cheap styrofoam coolers. They're cheap and work great, and really help insulate the fish against temperature fluctuations, which are one of the biggest dangers in transporting fish.

If you're just moving small fish like a betta, the tiny coolers at The Dollar Tree work fantastic.

If you're transporting long distances, you can tape up the coolers to reduce the risk of them coming open/splashing and drill holes on the top for air. Styrofoam is easy to poke/drill/cut through.

You can stick a small battery operated airstone or get a car adapter to run a small airpump for oxygenation if needed. This can be very important with larger fish.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

I can believe that. I'll definitely try to do that next time. I had my coat wrapped around them and kept the truck at around 75 deg but there is still some heat loss. I also made sure there wasn't too much heat going directly onto the bucket.

A Styrofoam cooler would be better for insulation.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Here is a video I made about my trip. The acting is worse than Monty Python but the information is quite relevant. I hope to do a remake when I move in a couple of months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boHrnv7MsDc


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## kered (Jan 17, 2011)

man some good info in this thread...im about to finish up college in may and im not looking forward to tearing down my 75 gal planted with an oscar!


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Good luck with that. It was annoying enough moving my 10 gallon!


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