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I'm moving to an apartment with my boyfriend and moving all my tanks. It's a 30min drive. For the 55g heavily planted tank I'm getting a 90g and moving everything to that instead of hauling the tank. How do I replant everything like my big sword plants? I can never get all the roots under the substrate when I buy new plants so I can't imagine replanting what has been established for a year or more. Then there's the 10g with baby snails and a baby crayfish and the 20g rivertank with hillstream loaches and white clouds. What would be the best way to move the fish? In bags or plastic containers? Should I take the gravel out and put it in a container? I'm also trying to decide if I should move these tanks 1 at a time and just make several trips or if I can get them all taken down and set back up before all the bacteria dies? My big tank has biowheels so that should help. I guess I need to test the water here and see how different it is. The underground river we get our well water from comes off the river they draw water from for this city. It has chlorine which my well water doesn't so I'll have to start worrying about that now but it should be similar in ph and hardness. Any other things I've missed? This is gonna be fun

First of all don't worry, things will be ok, and congratulations on getting the new 90 gallon tankyour boyfriend sounds wonderful to fully except all of this and a larger tank

Now I will say I've never had a heavily planted tank, but I've read on moving them, and moved my lightly planted tanks.

Carefully remove the plants from the tank, and put them in damp papertowels or newspapers, and roll them up inside it. Then for when you go and replant the tanks I'd have someone help hold the plant up on the bare tank floor, and then put the substrate around it to help give it support...oh hold it, first make sure you have some water in the tank:%)

Now moving fish and tanks I've done:%)I'd do it all in one trip...get yourself some bagsI use ziplock bags, but some people object to themand bag your fishies, and fry and whatever else might be in the tank, put the bags in an icechest and close the icechest

Drain the tank, and if you want and have a spare bucket put your substrate/gravel in it (donut/bakery shops are great for having them and sometimes they come with lids, just get to them early when they first open in the morning and ask) Put some wet newspaper on top...this won't guarantee keeping the bacteria, but will help some...same thing for your biowheels, pop them out and float them in a bucket with the fish water...

You will also want to keep as much of the water that is feesable 50% is good, but could become a pain

Pack it all up, drive the 30 min., unload, and set-up...

Chances are your tanks might go through a mini cycle, but nothing like beginning anew...

OH one last things (sorry can't keep things straight today) don't feed the fish the day of the move...and keep the lights off the day of and the next day, this will help prevent them from stressing out...

Best of luck, let us know how it turns out

heidi




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"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

WOW isnt houston lovley great advice

sham

Heidi has said it all. By following all her good advice you should not have any problems at all.

Keith

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Everything is said by houston, Great advice & some interesting suggestions.


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Thanks houston. All of that sounds like it should work perfectly. We go pick up the 90g tomorrow hopefully then I can start moving everything. Finding all my little fish in my 55g is going to be a challenge. I even got a free endler fry with my pineapple swordtail and tossed it in there. So I have to locate a 1/4" fish and the shrimp as well as digging all my clams out of the bottom so they don't get buried while moving.

Thank you, ya'llI only know because I've done it

As far as catching everyone in the tanks, if you find an easier way would someone please tell me?

I've never been the best at catching all the fry in a tank, and tend to leave some water not much incase I miss some i don't suggest this, nor do i recommend thisPLEASE, don't try this at homeif you do don't blame me if the tank unseals itself

Again, best of luck on the move, and congratulations on the new tank, they are always fun

heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle