Hi y'all.

I am finally about to actually move and dealing with the fish is scary enough, but the fry are the hardest part.

I am thinking the least stressful way to transport them would be to remove half the water from their tank and just leave them in it, remove the sponge filter (keeping it in tank water in a bowl) and everything in the tank but the fish and try and keep the water from swirling and sloshing as much as possible.

It will only be a 10 minute drive, so aeration and temperature are not really an issue.

It is a ten gallon tank with 7 inches of water in it, I was thinking to take it down to 3 or 4 inches and just try and carry them and move them in that tank. I would think the stress of moving them all into something smaller might be worse? I could try and catch them in a little cup and put them in a small tupperware, but my instincts say that would be more stress and more dangerous?

There are about 35 fry in there, only 2 1/2 weeks old and still pretty small.

I really only want to end up with 2 or 3 to keep anyway, but again, my worst fear is causing harm or pain to the little guys. Thanks for any advice!

I will aslo be moving my four huge comets/commons in a bucket, with the filter media in another bucket. My two little telescopes will probably go in a large Tupperware bowl, or maybe a bucket too (lol, not with my giant fish at the same time though). I am pretty confident about moving the adult fish, but still nervous that I will trip while carrying them or hurt one of them trying to catch them. Catching my giants is NOT easy to do, they are huge, fast and very strong.

This is one of those times I am very, very thankful for my barebottom tanks!

Two things I am hoping for...that my Python is easy to attach to the new sink and that the water at the new place actually has some frigging buffer in it! I have 0 kh water here, let's hope it is better there! It could be worse though too...ammonia and such. But we are thinking positive. Sorry for rambling, I haven't been sleeping...

Wish me luck, I will need it!

I have month old guppy fry to move, and they probably aren't much bigger than yours

I'll only be moving about 2-3 hours away, so my guys are just going to be in a bucket with everyone else, except my two goldies, who are going to go in a different bucket.

I just figured it's the easiest way to do things, and I'll have the minimum amount of heavy things to carry up the stairs.

Now, a Python...thats something I don't have. I hope to get one some day though. It sounds sooo much easier than lugging a gallon of water at a time from the sink to the tank.

What you want to avoid is any violent "sloshing" of the baby fish. This will bend backs and otherwise damage them.

Normally, I would say NEVER EVER EVER try to move a tank with water in it. TAke everything out of the tank before you move it to protect the tank. In this case, I think the fish stand a higher probability of damage than the tank does. ( As you move a tank with any weight in it, it is easy to twist the tank and shear off the silicon sealant. This can cause leaks or cracks down the road.)

So, I guess what I would do is more or less what you have decided to do. Clean the tank well, so the water that the fry have for the move is as clean as possible - that way the 2-3 inches of water is as good as you can make it.

Then drop the level of the tank as low as you reasonably can.

The last suggestion I have is a BIGGY. Get yourself a board that is at least as wide as the tank plus an inch or so and longer than the tank. Have someone help you carefully lift that tank (with only a few inches of water in it) onto the board so that the fish do not slosh around as you do it. Then, when you pick the tank up, pick it up with a helper. Each of you take one side of the board and let the board support the tank from the bottom on all sides. This will prevent any twisting or shear on the tank - the worries that you have when moving a tank.

Carrrying the tank on the board, which will support the tank evenly all around the bottom will prevent any twisting or shearing or problems with the tank in the future. You can do it with the minimum of sloshing, too.

Then, drive carefully so you do not slosh. I would acutally see if you can set the tank at an angle - so forward and backward motion does not cause a wave back and forth, and sideways motion is also arrested. This is not as important, though.

Good luck! May your new home be pleasing and all your fish travel swimmingly well!

Thanks TetraLover, I hope you have a good outcome with your move too! LOL, at first i thought you said you were putting the guppy fry in WITh the goldfish and I was like...um, you don't think they will eat them? Then I re-read it. And yes, a Python is a wonderful thing to have, once I got the 55 gallon tank I swore off buckets. Your back will thank you!

Daryl, thanks for the suggestions about the board and placing the tank at an angle, I probably would not have thought of those things and they should help a lot.

I agree that normally I would never move a tank with water in it, but being that it is a ten gallon and I can get away with a very small amount of water, I thought it would be the best way to go, I am glad you concur.

Thanks for the well wishes too, hopefully all will go well and the water at my new place will be perfect. :-)

ive moved twice with adultish fish what i did 1st time was walk with them in a bowl my legs killed and one fish died bad idea one idea is to put the huge fish in a 40l tank or something like that and put lots of matieral on top put make sure there is a tennis ball size hole somewhere for air that worked aok for me

Mis-posted.....

daryl my fish are in spawning time any wya i can help my female get eggs

Good luck with the move Jen. You can do it !! Stay calm, go slow - your fry will be just fine .

post about what happend please :help