Moving Fish - 10 hour drive

[TaxDodge]

Hi,  Ive done a search but can't find any references for sucessfully moving fish.  I know guys like Andrew do it all the time, but how excatly?

We have bought a hotel/motel 9-10 hours away at Charleville (West QLD) and I'd like to move about 35 adult cichlids and a few bristlenoses.  I'll have leave about 5am in the morning so I can not get oxygen put into bags.

I've got 2 eskies with lids and I'll take a tank with me (and jerry cans of their fish water) to set up immediately.  Unfortunately must ride in back of ute (with tarp) so I'm also worried about insulation.

What do you guys reckon?  I don't want risk their lives!

[mjscookie]

Andrew appears to have an army of 20L sealable buckets with a hole drilled with grommet through which airline from a battery powered (or by other means) airpump runs.

I don't know about his preparations, I suggest don't feed for a few days prior. Maybe a dash of stress-zyme (or similar product) in the buckets may help.

Insulation wise, i'm not to sure, but small volumes of water are subject to easy/quick temperature flucuations. Additionally cold will effect fish in other ways....


Thats the getting them there bit, will you have a cycled tank ready when they arrive?

If not, you'll need to keep as much water/filter material/substrate as possible. If this is the case, I suggest you ditch the the 20L buckets and buy a few of those ~100-200L black storage constainers from Bunnings and setup "scaled down" glass free tanks running on air pumps..

Anyway I'm sure others will have some input/suggestions.

Cheers Mitch

[trofius]

buckets, and battery airpumps are the go when moving fish long distances

bags and o2 also works very well, but a pain in the donky.

Only issues you will have is heat, in the back of a ute in the sun i am guessing they will cook, i even think this has happened to Andrew..

So maybe if you get yourself a big esky or 2, and a thermometer to check it, and a battery airpump attached to one or more of you existing filters for them.

Myabe big bunnings typ etubs willl work if you wrap em up in polystyrene so they are pretty much insulated, and avoid them being in the sun.

[Savage_roo]

Well andrew uses a power conveter and a big air pump
And small sponge filters in the containers
Hop this helps

[waltec]

the CQ boys (Andrew & Llloyd) have year of experience in move great numbers of fish with great success, last auction trip the only fish they lost was the 1 bucket that they accidentally didn't connect to the pump.  heres what I've picked up talking to them.

As for hardware they use an Invertor (converts 12v to 240v) to run 4 outlet airpumps (battery pumps don't have enough go) running small sponge filters http://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/prod206.htm,  the filters are run in their tanks before the trip the cycle up.  The 20l buckets have holes drilled in the tops (no grommets, and nearly 2x bigger than the tubing, lessens the water mist comming out the hole).  

As for insultating this is only required if the ambient time is greater then the max temp you want to keep the fish at, if the max temp is around 25c you should be fine if 30c the buckets will heat up.  you can try putting a wet blanket over the buckets and the evaporation fron the air from the moving vehicle should cool things down abit.

If still unsure the best thing I can suggest is to drop them a PM or email.

good luck

Matt

[gasnitro]

all depends how many fish and the size of these guys and are they all boys. this all needs to be accounted for.

[TaxDodge]

Thanks very much for the replies. I think I can adopt most of those suggestions.

Cheers
Brett

[hareysfish]

the biggest worry about moving fish that no one has mentioned yet is the ammonia build up in the water. the way to get around it is to starve the fish for about 2-3days before you are moving them.if you are going over dirt / rought roads then you dont really need a airerator as the slopping of the water will allow  oxygen to be dissolved in the water

[CQ_Pete]

[quote:a779c7ad8b]if you are going over dirt / rought roads then you dont really need a airerator as the slopping of the water will allow oxygen to be dissolved in the water
 
 
[/quote:a779c7ad8b]
Sure, But if he is going west it will be hot, so I would advise to bubble some air as well.

[quote:a779c7ad8b]ammonia build up in the water. the way to get around it is to starve the fish for about 2-3days before you are moving them[/quote:a779c7ad8b]

Yep great idea, also get some of your filter material (wool etc) and put in some air flow filters, or get some sponge filters and let them build up bacteria in your tanks now and put them in the buckets when you move. that way any residual ammonia can be broken down by the bacteria in the filter material.

[here fishie fishie]

Pretty much as said before, Airation with fish will be great, in drums or large buckets. 90lt drums may be best, sponge filter will fit in there, plus if they are adults, eg; Over 15cm, buckets will increase the chance of eye injuries & skin burns....I'd go for the 90lt plus sqaure containers, pick them up cheap, plus bigger water surface area, temperature be easier to control too.

Ceramic noodles, bio balls...airate them be great to in a bucket.

The darker you keep the fish the better to. Less movement with fish & less chance of fighting, stress...

As stataed as well don't feed them for 2 days before hand.

Good Luck with it all, take your time with the fish. Think of which ones for which container/drum...should be no worries mate.

Also how hard/soft is the water where you are going? I would be taking some stability, chlorine neutraliser{prime is best IMO}, salts, bicarb or buffer...I know it all seems common sense, but do a list up. Its amazing how it can be the simple thing you miss out.

Once again good luck.

Frenchy :D