Moving... any tips

Hello everyone

I am going to be moving from NY to CA and I was wondering if you guys
could share some advice on how to go about moving my planted tank.

As it stands, it looks like I will be getting the freight forwarding
company to load and unload. I will be doing the packing. Any ideas on
how to get my plants, fish and gravel there? I was thinking of setting
up a temporary 10gal tank there and then have the fish and plants sent
on Fedex overnight. My concern would be that the temperature here is
running around 2-8F (without wind chill).

Just in case... its a
72 gal bow front
bout 300lbs of gravel
3 dozen or so cardinals
2 clown loaches
4 SAE

Thanks in advance.

Keng

"Keng" wrote in message
om...
Hello everyone

I am going to be moving from NY to CA and I was wondering if you guys
could share some advice on how to go about moving my planted tank.

As it stands, it looks like I will be getting the freight forwarding
company to load and unload. I will be doing the packing. Any ideas on
how to get my plants, fish and gravel there? I was thinking of setting
up a temporary 10gal tank there and then have the fish and plants sent
on Fedex overnight. My concern would be that the temperature here is
running around 2-8F (without wind chill).

Just in case... its a
72 gal bow front
bout 300lbs of gravel
3 dozen or so cardinals
2 clown loaches
4 SAE

Thanks in advance.

Keng

"Keng" wrote in message
om...
Hello everyone

I am going to be moving from NY to CA and I was wondering if you guys
could share some advice on how to go about moving my planted tank.

As it stands, it looks like I will be getting the freight forwarding
company to load and unload. I will be doing the packing. Any ideas on
how to get my plants, fish and gravel there? I was thinking of setting
up a temporary 10gal tank there and then have the fish and plants sent
on Fedex overnight. My concern would be that the temperature here is
running around 2-8F (without wind chill).

Right - for some reason I just sent a blank post. You can use heat packs to
keep the heat up while the fish are being shipped. Strong cardboard boxes,
plastic bags with air and water in for the fish, and use packing material to
make sure the bags don't move around much. Research this and maybe get
specialist advice from an online fish seller. Shipping plants is easy
though, just stick them in poly bags with a small amount of water. Fish are
much harder to ship than plants.

Marcus

Keng wrote in message
om...
Hello everyone

I am going to be moving from NY to CA and I was wondering if you guys
could share some advice on how to go about moving my planted tank.

As it stands, it looks like I will be getting the freight forwarding
company to load and unload. I will be doing the packing. Any ideas on
how to get my plants, fish and gravel there? I was thinking of setting
up a temporary 10gal tank there and then have the fish and plants sent
on Fedex overnight. My concern would be that the temperature here is
running around 2-8F (without wind chill).

Just in case... its a
72 gal bow front
bout 300lbs of gravel
3 dozen or so cardinals
2 clown loaches
4 SAE

First tip, don't move. If THAT'S not an option...

2) Give your fish to your LFS. Say, "So long, and thanks for all the fish!"
3) Most plants can be wrapped in wet newspapers, knotted into plastic food
storage bags, and wrapped in more newspaper before being boxed. They'll be
fine for a few days, maybe a week or more, unless left outdoors.
4) Very delicate plants, bulbs, and special specimens can be shipped in
inflated plastic food storage bags with just a little water. I once carried
a couple of particularly nice ozelot swords onto the airplane like that,
packed in a knapsack.
5) When you get to the other end, don't be rushed. Take your time. Scour
and bleach all your equipment. Think of this as an opportunity - it's not:
it's a pain in the ass, but THINK of it as an opportunity. Set up your
tank, fill it with water, get drunk. Next day, put your plants in.

Been there. Done that. Have to do it again in a few months - fortunately,
this time, just one town away.

n 26 Jan 2004 11:36:14 -0800, (Keng) wrote:

Hello everyone

I am going to be moving from NY to CA and I was wondering if you guys
could share some advice on how to go about moving my planted tank.

As it stands, it looks like I will be getting the freight forwarding
company to load and unload. I will be doing the packing. Any ideas on
how to get my plants, fish and gravel there? I was thinking of setting
up a temporary 10gal tank there and then have the fish and plants sent
on Fedex overnight. My concern would be that the temperature here is
running around 2-8F (without wind chill).

Just in case... its a
72 gal bow front
bout 300lbs of gravel
3 dozen or so cardinals
2 clown loaches
4 SAE

Thanks in advance.

Keng


Now that is a project! Just shipping an empty tank is hazardous. I
bought two tanks a 10 and 29 gallon via eBay. The seller of the 10
gallon said the tank broke while he was backing it. The 29 was new,
and the seller had to send three before one arrived unbroken. UPS was
the carrier that got the tank to me in one piece.

I buy everything over the internet. Plants and fish do ship regularly
and safely. Overnight shipment works. The fish stores ship in
styrofoam boxes and either chill or heat with chemical bags made for
that purpose.

I would be concerned about the reception in California. I would set
as big a tank up as you can. Put some fish into the tank and start
bio cycling. I sure wouldn't want to put travel weary fish into a
virgin setup.

I presume you will ship the tank empty. The plants will have to be
removed and shipped wrapped in wet newspaper. Put the package of
plants and wet newspapers into zip lock plastic. If you sort as you
pull and package by species you will have an easier time when you set
up your California tank.

When the tank arrives in California, allow for time to set it up
again.


It might be cheaper and safer to sell the tank in NY or give it to a
friend, buy a tank you want to keep in California. Set it up with
fish, gravel, etc and let it cycle. Then when you do move and ship
the important stuff to California, the plants and fish will have a
home ready to receive them.

Build a crate for your tank - you can also have the mover build a crate.
Give the fish away to friends or back to your LFS. Maybe LFS will give you
credit and you can get some hardware? Fish probably won't make it.
Plants can make it in wet newspapers/paper towels and then in plastic bags -
but some type of insulation is advisable.
I live in Cal and just moved on Jan 16th. I only moved 22 miles, however,
and was able to keep everything. Despite being that close I moved all my
fist "stuff" myself - tank included. Haven't set up anything yet, cause I
had to take a trip to D.C. where the temps were COLD! Anyway
fish/plants/lights etc have been in a 40 gal rubber trash can using the same
canister filter that was on the tank. I plan on taking my time and setting
everything up this weekend.

HTH

DJay

"Marcus Fox" wrote in
message ...

"Keng" wrote in message
om...
Hello everyone

I am going to be moving from NY to CA and I was wondering if you guys
could share some advice on how to go about moving my planted tank.

As it stands, it looks like I will be getting the freight forwarding
company to load and unload. I will be doing the packing. Any ideas on
how to get my plants, fish and gravel there? I was thinking of setting
up a temporary 10gal tank there and then have the fish and plants sent
on Fedex overnight. My concern would be that the temperature here is
running around 2-8F (without wind chill).

Just in case... its a
72 gal bow front
bout 300lbs of gravel
3 dozen or so cardinals
2 clown loaches
4 SAE

Thanks in advance.

Keng

Thanks for all your advice. Yeah it looks like the fish are going to
find another home somewhere. I am contemplating bringing them on the
plane with me and then sticking them into a 'trash can'? in the hotel.
I will be staying in a hotel for a month.

I'll keep you guys posted

I moved my 200 litre tank successfully from Munich to London (2 day's
journey, about 1000 miles, including ferry crossing across the English
Channel).
I emptied the tank of water, (saving some of the water) in order to lift the
tank on to foam padding in the removal truck.
Then refilled a few inches of the old water, just enough to cover the fish
and a heater which plugged into the truck's power supply.
On arrival, topped up with new water and replaced the filter.
All fish and plants survived.

Kate


"Djay" wrote in message
...
Build a crate for your tank - you can also have the mover build a crate.
Give the fish away to friends or back to your LFS. Maybe LFS will give
you
credit and you can get some hardware? Fish probably won't make it.
Plants can make it in wet newspapers/paper towels and then in plastic
bags -
but some type of insulation is advisable.
I live in Cal and just moved on Jan 16th. I only moved 22 miles, however,
and was able to keep everything. Despite being that close I moved all my
fist "stuff" myself - tank included. Haven't set up anything yet, cause I
had to take a trip to D.C. where the temps were COLD! Anyway
fish/plants/lights etc have been in a 40 gal rubber trash can using the
same
canister filter that was on the tank. I plan on taking my time and
setting
everything up this weekend.

HTH

DJay

"Marcus Fox" wrote in
message ...

"Keng" wrote in message
om...
Hello everyone

I am going to be moving from NY to CA and I was wondering if you guys
could share some advice on how to go about moving my planted tank.

As it stands, it looks like I will be getting the freight forwarding
company to load and unload. I will be doing the packing. Any ideas on
how to get my plants, fish and gravel there? I was thinking of setting
up a temporary 10gal tank there and then have the fish and plants sent
on Fedex overnight. My concern would be that the temperature here is
running around 2-8F (without wind chill).

Just in case... its a
72 gal bow front
bout 300lbs of gravel
3 dozen or so cardinals
2 clown loaches
4 SAE

Thanks in advance.

Keng