# Never had to do this before...Moving+Aquariums, Suggestions needed.



## PAXpress (Sep 22, 2011)

Well this is super short notice for me, I normally like time to plan ahead and get things figured out ahead of time. I just found out within the last week that I will be moving from Colorado Springs to Las Vegas. Aside from money job and homing issues, I'm worried about getting my plants/tanks/livestock there alive. Currently I have an El Naturalish 10g with a few bettas, a 20g long with 2 Axlotyls, a 29(I think)gallon Hex tank El Naturalish with 2 Angels, and a 55g with the majority of my plants and my co2 system on this tank (only 3 corydoras in here). So I'm not super worried about transporting the fish, the Axlotyls are a different story but I think a cooler with a small frozen water bottle placed in there upon leaving and just replaced if they need to be in there for extended periods. How can I prevent them from getting tortured durring the 13 (aprox) hour drive. Between sloshing and such? What is the best way to get my plants to the new place? I most likely will need to rent a Uhaul trailer to transport some of the bigger things, not sure how the tanks will be transported yet. Also I assume for the elnatural type tanks I'll prolly have to redo the substrate? Or would it be possible to just leave the substrate with all the water removed (a 10 and a 30 shouldn't be too back breaking for me and a friend to carry even with 4 inches of substrate and leftover water if this is the method we need to do) also in the 55 as substrate I have Flourite and river rock, should I just keep this and rinse it well before setting it back into the 55? Just pretty strapped for cash and the less stuff I have to replace/pay for during this will be super helpful. 
I still have quite a while to prepare for this though, will have from about mid april to the end of may to move and get everything moved out so several trips in a small car, or if I can afford fewer trips with 1 big vehicle.
I'm sure there'd be a way to keep the cycle alive for the tanks considering I have a canister and a few different filters with different filter media that should be able to survive, but most likely I might not even bother and just when I set the tanks back up they may all be turning into el natural, or I might not even end up setting up all the tanks right away when I get them moved, just what is necessary, the 55 will most likely not get set up right away because of the time it would take.
The plants I'll be transporting:
Hygrophila Difformis 
Ludwigia Repens
Elodea
Microsorum Pteropus attached to a large piece of driftwood
Java Moss Tied to a large porus Lava Rock.
Rotala Rotundifolia
Hygrophila Corymbosa Stricta
Vallisneria Americana Gigantia 
Anubias Nana
Marimo balls
Fissidens Fontanus (kinda worried about this one because I just bought it and its still just the little 2 x 2 square but it has a while to settle in)
(I bet all of my algae will make it there without me even trying  too bad that crap can't get left here with the altitude)
Also if anthing is sealed in a bag I will most likely have to do something because of the reduction in pressure on the way back or should this not be a problem? Altitude here is over 7000 feet not sure what it will be there, bet it will be easier moving the tanks in Vegas as opposed to here with the thinner air, I'll feel like an olympian first time below this altitude in a while.
I know most of these plants are pretty tolerant and shouldn't be a big deal to transport but I really just wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions as to how any of the items should be handled to ensure they make it. Sorry if I posted this in the wrong place and how essay like this post is. Thanks in advance!


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## Aquaticz (May 22, 2009)

Frankly I wonder if I would want to move it. I met a guy today that had to move and sold off his reef system. h
He bought another when ready and figured the cost to do so was less than the stress
of actually doing it. Gotta say it makes sense


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## PAXpress (Sep 22, 2011)

Aquaticz said:


> Frankly I wonder if I would want to move it. I met a guy today that had to move and sold off his reef system. h
> He bought another when ready and figured the cost to do so was less than the stress
> of actually doing it. Gotta say it makes sense


Ya the thought had crossed my mind. But in the end I still want to keep alot of my plants, if not all. I know the resale value on the tanks themselves is crap, so I could sell the tank off cheap and prolly get a new one for reasonable prices. I could see that with a reef system it would be a different story. Those systems are pretty delicate, however I'm pretty sure I could toss most of the plants in a cooler 1/4 filled with tank water and only have minor browning when I arrive in LV. I'm willing to purchase what I need and take the time (and the stress involved) to get these puppies there. Can anyone give me the know how?


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## Skelley (Mar 4, 2006)

I moved from Maine to Oregon a few years ago. I sold all three of my tanks. The only thing I brought were my ferts and CO2 equipment. Moving is too much of a headache as it is. The only thing I could think of is grabbing a cheap (or free) tank off of Craigslist when you get there and throw a shop light over the tank to buy a little time until you can get a new setup going.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

I've left plants in a cooler for a week with the lights over them until I could get to them after a move, but the move was pretty close compared to what you have. If you can get it all there, just toss the plants in a large marine cooler with a filter of sorts and your lights and it's basically an interim aquarium and temporary home for the fish. Best of luck.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

mudboots said:


> I've left plants in a cooler for a week with the lights over them until I could get to them after a move, but the move was pretty close compared to what you have. If you can get it all there, just toss the plants in a large marine cooler with a filter of sorts and your lights and it's basically an interim aquarium and temporary home for the fish. Best of luck.


Gosh, believe it or not, I forgot some Crypts in a bag for over a year and they were still alive and recoverable, so they're more tolerant than it's sometimes conceived. Good luck with the move and try not to worry too much.


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