Moving fish for home renovations. Help!

I'm renovating my house and i have to move my tank to a safer spot out of the house. How do I go about moving my 285 liter tank without stressing my fish to much? The fish are at a point where they are so healthy disease is uncommon now. I'm very stressed about this!!! :wondering:

 

its best to keep as much of the current water as possible

 

Firstly,
Fish: You should:
1) Bag all fish
or
If you have a huge bath/tub thats deep enough and can be covered then rather fil it with water from the tank and put the fish in there.
2) When transporting, drive carefully, to avoid spilling the water (if in a tub).
3) When at your destination, setup your tank and add the fish.

Tank: You should:
1) First remove fish with enough water (see above).
2) If there is some remaining water in the tank, leave it there. (If you have silica sand as a substrate, then you'll know why)
4) Remove the substrate with all the remaining water and place in a clean bucket.
5) Gently, remove tank from stand or cabinet. If the tank doesnt want to budge from the stand or cabinet, then DO NOT force it; rather carry the tank with the stand/cabinet and place on the bakkie/truck.
6) Fasten the tank to the bakkie by the use of thin rope. Have a person sit with the tank just in case...
7) If the tank cannot be tied, then a person holding the tank down during the journey should suffice.
8) Lastly gently remove the tank and stand/cabinet and place on a levelled area in your new home following the standard guidelines to setting up.

9) Add all substrate into tank
10) Add enough water so it fills about 1/4 to 1/2 of the tank (use the previous tank water)
12) set up your filter and heater.
11) Add the fish gently to the tank.
13) Try not to waste any time.

And thats how you move a fish tank...

PS: Note that I havn't indicated other finer details such as testing water parameters, contaminants, etc. This is regarded as common sense. to every fishkeeper.

However if you are sure that there are no contaminants whatsoever, then that should be fine, but always be sure to check water parameters.

 

If you take the above advice and remember to keep your filter media aerated, you will be OK...

 

Can i add a question here, as i will possibly need to move my tanks as well (hopefully not) in a few months, as my parents are painting their house atm, but will probably extend the renovations to my flat, where everything will need to be shuffled around so the walls can be painted a fresh 2 coats... will i need to move my tanks, or just throw blankets over them and leave them in the centre of the room?

My tanks are in the flat's living room of which the wall to the left of em in all my pics, is actually just a massive sliding glass door, which i can leave open during painting, and we have one of those massive "industrial looking fans that i can run from the opposite end to have air moving the smelly pva fumes out the door?

 

I assume you have a 3ft and 2 ft tank.
Well first you have to realise that the room has to be well aerated; that means that the fish should have a fresh supply of oxygen.

If the tanks are causing an obstruction then it is quite obvious that you should move them.

Since your tanks are relatively small, there is no big deal in moving them.

1. First remove water, plants and fish into a large bucket or tub
2. Remove enough water about 80 - 90% until you can carry the tank and move it.
3. Before picking it up, make sure that the gravel/substrate is evenly spread across the tank. If not, then level the substrate.
4. Pick up the tank carefully and carry it levelled, avoiding to tilt it.
5. Gently place the tank in the new spot.
6. Set up your tank.
7. To relocate just repeat the above.

 

i was asking more in terms of, is it necessary to move a tank out because of fumes?

if i move the furniture out and put the tank in the centre of the room, it wont be an obstruction any more, see? that why i was thinkin, its less stress to move it a meter than out the flat, but if the fumes are somehow a problem, i'd move it out for safety of the fish

 

hi Ferry i dont know what paint your parents are planning on using but i posted this a while ago for Veegal i dont know weather she tried it but my paint guy recommended it :

Sandtex Wall Care
Product Description & Uses

Sandtex Wall Care is a high quality, washable wall finish, which is ideal for exterior use.

Sandtex Wall Care is suitable for application directly onto new cement plaster, fibre cement, concrete, brickwork and various types of composition boarding. It is particularly recommended for fibre cement gutters and down pipes.

Sandtex Wall Care is suitable for direct application to previously painted surfaces, which have been prepared correctly.

Sandtex Wall Care may be applied to metal and wooden surfaces provided an appropriate primer has been used.

Product Benefit


* a premium quality, suede finish coating
* 100% pure acrylic
* exceptionally hard wearing
* excellent washability
* alkali resistant
* can be applied to unprimed plaster
* suede finish resists dirt pick up
* low odour and can therefore be used in odour sensitive places
* rapid drying allows fast re-coating time and labour saving
* inherent mould resistant properties repel mould growth

Properties

Type Synthetic Resin Dispersion
Drying Time @ 25° C Surface dry within one hour
Hard dry within four hours
Re-coating times 1 - 2 hours
Viscosity 100 - 110 Krebs Units
Relative Density 1,23 - 1,26
Gloss Level Suede Sheen
Solids by Volume 36½%
Solids by Mass 44½ - 47% depending on colour
Spreading Rate 8 - 10m² / lt depending on surface porosity
Flash Point Non-inflammable

Application

Ready for use with brush or roller.

For conventional or airless spray, thin with water.

First coat may be thinned by 10% for highly absorbent surfaces, however, thinning reduces opacity.

Use water for cleaning equipment.

Surface Preparation

Surfaces must be clean and dry before painting.

NEW WORK

Concrete / Cement

New concrete must be left to cure for at least three weeks before painting. Rough concrete surfaces should be filled with Sandtex Acrylic Fillercoat.

Fibre Cement

No primer required. Thin first coat with a maximum of 10% water to aid penetration.

PVC (Gutters and Downpipes)

Degrease and sand lightly. Apply direct.

Galvanised Steel

Clean with Sandtex Galvclean and flush with water. Prime with one coat of Genkem 3 in 1.

Ferrous Surfaces (Iron and Steel)
Loose surface rust must be removed by wire brushing. Prime with one coat of Genkem 3 in 1.

Previously Painted Surfaces

Surfaces must be in sound condition. Loose, flaking paint and efflorescence must be completely removed. Any bare metal areas, e.g. nail heads, must be spot primed with Genkem 3 in 1.

Before painting, all existing and evident mould must be eliminated with Tile Doctor Mould Stop. When dry, brush down and wash the surface with water. Allow surface to dry thoroughly before painting.

Old enamel or other oil paint
Must be well sanded.

Chalked PVA or other powdery surfaces
Must be well brushed and sealed with Sandtex Alkali Resistant Primer.

Old cement fibre
hese surfaces should be sanded and a coat of Sandtex Alkali Resistant Primer applied.

Precautions

Do not apply direct to bare metal surfaces.

Do not paint during wet or cold weather conditions, i.e. below 10° C

When buying pre-tinted colours, ensure that all containers are from the same
batch so as to avoid colour variations.


HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES


* This material is essentially non-hazardous.
* Always keep product out of reach of children and pets.
* This product should be stored in a cool, dry place 8°C - 25°C out of direct sunlight. Keep container closed at all times - check for leaks.
* FIRST AID MEASURES
* EYE CONTACT
Take care to avoid contact with eyes. In case of contact, immediately rinse the eyes with plenty of water (15 minutes) and seek medical attention.
* SKIN CONTACT
If accidental contact with skin should occur, wash the area immediately with warm soapy water or with a recognised skin cleaner.
* INGESTION
Harmful if swallowed. Drink 3 - 5 glasses of water. Do not induce vomiting. Seek medical attention immediately or call the Poison Information Centre on 0800202655 (Toll Free South Africa only). Other countries please contact your local Poison Information Centre
* TRANSPORTATION
This product is not classified as Dangerous Goods by Dangerous Goods Code for transport by road or rail. Care must be taken to secure product during transportation to avoid spillages
* ACCIDENTAL SPILLAGES
Prevent run off into drains and waterways. Use absorbent soil or sand, inert material. Collect in container for disposal.
* FIRE FIGHTING MEASURES
Specific Hazards - Non-Flammable.
* ECOLOGICAL MEASURES
Avoid contaminating drains, sewers, rivers etc.

When it comes to painting there will always be some sort of fumes when it drys. My paint guy said this is one of the safest u get but still recomends covering your tank for 3 hours while painting.

. he did tell me they painted the fish shop next door to his place with it with no effect to the fish

 

i think i'll then rather take out the tanks, thanks,
they're gonna use plascon, i think double velvet or somesuch pva... seeing as it'll be a jobby for a few days worth i think, plus i forgot the ceiling needs to be done too, sigh... oh well, i'll set it up in their part of the house then, lol, probably drain most of the water into a buddy container, move the tanks and fish just outside the flat into the main house (ajoined by a door) and set it up there, pump back the water and leave it till the fume smell is gone, dont want the air pump pushing the solvent fumes into the water.. didn't think about that before either.... when alls done, move it back.

Lol, being lazy doesn't pay

 

I got these two big blue buckets that have wheels, and a clip-on lid.

Probably 1m x 45cm x 45 cm (guessing here), and the two of them worked a charm especially with the wheels.

 

thats exactly what i have, my buckets are white though...

 

Bucket is sort of the wrong word, these are rectangular containers, like tupperware bakkies.

 

lol, yeah, my mum calls it a buddy container for some odd reason, maybe thats the make name, i dunno. but its the correct size to pour almost your whole tank into if you have about a 3ft, or smaler i think

its also easy to carry around, even if its nearly full, well, you do need another person carrying the other side, but still, easier than a tank...

 

You should get another one of those just as a back up it comes in handy when a tank cracks or something

 

we have two...

 

i've always seen these at makro and game, problem is no place to keep them in the interim when i dont use them

 

put other stuff-s in them in the interim. there's always stuff-s lying around put put in places they dont belong, makes for fun spring cleaning games, once every blue moon you rummage through it and go, OOOOOOOOOOOooooh, thaaaaats where i put it...

 

That's exactly the thing I'm talking about (from your pic)

They should fit just fine in any cupboard, and we actually have them around to store odds and extras in the garage.

 

You can also get them with wheels - I have one and it works very well. Just glide it along, although you still need two people to make it easier (but it sure saves your back some )

 

yeah, mine has wheels too, but i'm thinking if its near full, the momentum of moving it on the wheels would make it splash when it stops...?