Moving Large Fish

My husband and I have a 135 gal with one 13" Pacu, 3 Oscars, ranging from about 6" to 10", and one 11" sucker fish. We will be moving across country (from Florida to Maine) in about a month, and were wondering what the best way to transport our fish is. We were thinking about putting all of them in a very large rubbermaid trash can, and getting an airator (sp?) to keep oxygen flowing through the water. My question is, what temperature is too hot/cold for the fish? We will most likely have to stay in a hotel one night, and the trash can will be much too heavy to carry in and out, so we were thinking about leaving them in the car. But I'm worried they'll get too hot or too cold. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Lianne

[Cichlid Man]

The best thing to do is go to your LFS and ask for some polystyrene boxes form previous orders. Don't worry they're free because the LFS have so many orders of fish and have no use for them. They should be big enough. I used a couple to transport a pair of 14" red snakeheads, so you'll be laughing, you've only got to manage a couple of pacus and plecs. A bit of advise, when you catch your fish wear a waterproof coat.
And remember, one fish per box, we don't want to be sued because one of plecos spines made a hole in one of your pacus. As far as temperature and airation goes, don't worry, the boxes are insulated.

[j55]

you can get the boxes from fishing tackle shops,

[fishboy]

i have to transport 2 6" goldfish on a two hour trip can if i get 1 of these boxes will 2 fit in 1?

Thanks for your replies. My husband and I just talked, and we're thinking that it may take about 4 days to travel (with the U-Haul and all), and possibly stopping to see some family on the way. How long is too long for our fish to be in those containers? Also, is there something we can put in the water to calm our fish down for the trip?

[fishboy]

to calm fish there are 2 good things
1.)Darkness
2.)A product called Stress Coat which is easy to find

[Scuba Kid]

over 4 days is a long while though...

[Fishfirst]

you will have to do regular water changes as you go to keep the ammonia in check, but it is doable. I would highly recomend treating them for ich as it can be stress induced (which there would be a lot of it during the trip) You can do this easily by increasing the temp in your tank over a few days to 87. This will ultimately kill ich but not your fish with good circulation. Also a portible aerator will be a good thing to have. With the smaller styrofoam boxes you can probably bring them in the hotel. I'd do water changes at the hotel, 25 - 50% (always add declorinator). Have a thermometer on hand and before you leave slowly turn down your temp to around 72-74 (or whatever temp you believe you can keep your car at). Check the temp hourly and adjust the temp in the car. I wouldn't worry about stress coat, its more for damaged slime coats, which won't be damaged because of styrofoam.

This may be a silly question, but how do I increase/decrease the temperature of the water? And should I get each fish their own box, or can I combine species? If I can put a few of them together, I would get a larger box. I don't want them cramped!

[euRasian32]

If you use the styrofoam, the temperature will increase/decrease slowly, reducing the chances of stressing your fisth out even more.

4 days is pushing it, and the water change reference is probably a must for survival over 4 days. The battery operated air pump, I highly second that notion. I just got a Hagen for emergencies for less than 10 bones at bigalsonlin.com. If you can afford it get one for each styrofoam container, otherwise you'd have to alternate the pump to other containers every so often.

Also, don't feed your fish for a couple of days before transport. It'll reduce the amount of waste, reducing the ammonia levels.

Thanks, eu. We will definitely do a partial water change every night - these fish have been with us for YEARS. I would be so upset if anything happened to them. We talked about leaving them here when we move, giving them to a good home, but we just can't bear parting with them! Because there will still be some excrement even if we don't feed them, do I need to put a filter in each container? Or will the nightly partial water changes be enough?

[euRasian32]

no problem, everyone has given good suggestions.

I would put a battery operated pump on each container. The partial water changes should keep the ammonia at safer levels, because like you said there will be some waste being produced regardless of fasting them a couple of days prior.

The pleco will be the trooper in the bunch, so if you were shy one air pump, it'd be his container. It being 11" I'm assuming its of the gibbiceps species, a very hardy bunch of fish. (can reach 18-24)

[Fishfirst]

when I refered to adjusting the temp in your car I meant via air conditioner/heater, you don't want it too cool in the car or too hot because those styrofoam containers CAN overheat over a long period of time, and CAN cool down over a long period of time. I'd take a thermometer along with you to measure the air temp inside the car, and in the styrofoam containers. And like I said eariler, I would treat your fish for ich a few weeks before you leave so you don't have to worry about them coming down with it after transport. If you mean by the above how to increase or decrease your water temp in the tank, I meant by adjusting your heater.