sarah Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 In a few weeks, I am going to have to move my 10 gallon RCS tank. It’s about a 1-hour drive. Can someone please talk me through exactly what I will need to do to get them safely to their new location? I would like to only partially empty the tank and move it with all the shrimp inside, since I have tons of java moss filled with baby shrimp. Can this be done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9thdragon Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 idont see why not, people send package and it took 1-7 days in a bag delivery.. sarah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9thdragon Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 i say just bag them up with moss and breathable bags in a box =} sarah and sewoeno 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eozen81 Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 In my opinion the main issue is the new water parameters in your new place. I mean moving shrimps is easy but putting them in a not-cycled tank is not good. So you'd better save a bit of your current tank water. sarah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarah Posted March 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Just to clarify, I want to keep the whole tank setup - tank, substrate, plants, filter/media, everything. There is no way I can net them out and bag them up since 1/3 of the tank is Java moss filled with ~50 tiny barely-visible babies. Can I just empty the tank so it's 1/3-full and transport like that? I would put it on a hard piece of board or something to support the weight while carrying it (and cover with cling wrap to prevent anything sloshing out during the drive). As for water parameters, that is also a big concern of mine. Which ones should I be particularly concerned about? I do not have a TDS meter, but I think I have test kits for pretty much everything else. I will have access to DI water in the new location if I need it, but they are getting tapwater now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colorfan Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Get a couple 5g buckets and take all your water then slowly adjust with new water when you get there Crazyfishlady and sarah 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarah Posted March 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 In my opinion the main issue is the new water parameters in your new place. I mean moving shrimps is easy but putting them in a not-cycled tank is not good. So you'd better save a bit of your current tank water. Get a couple 5g buckets and take all your water then slowly adjust with new water when you get there Good point/idea! By "slowly adjust", do you mean put all the old water back and then do a series of small water changes with the new water over a couple weeks? Or should I be adding some new water on the first day? My inclination would be to keep it all old water for at least a week or two. How much do I need to worry about KH and GH? I have tested them in the new location (not the old one yet), and I am getting wildly different values between test strips and liquid kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
35ppt Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 It is a common misconception that tank water is used to start/preserve a cycle. The BB(bacteria) exist mostly on hard surfaces. However, for shrimp, keeping water is good because doing large water changes can be stressful. I haven't really tested it, to know how much of a difference in any parameter can cause an issue. Safest course would be to gradually change them. Bear in mind, the test strips are regarded as quite inaccurate. I think you will be fine moving your tank like that, in fact I'd guess you could drain it down pretty far to prevent too much sloshing. Keep the tank shaded (no direct sun). Good point about keeping it covered, although you might need something more substantial. Things are bound to get stirred up, so I would not delay on doing small water changes. Soothing Shrimp and sarah 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyana Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I just moved my 5.5 gallon tank. I drained as much water as I could and left the shrimp in it. I didnt save the old water but that's up to you. I just stuck the tank in my car and hook it up at my new place. The shrimp when in about 2 inch of water for over 3 hours and were fine, even the berried shrimp. my plants and driftwood moved a little but not too bad. sarah and eozen81 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eozen81 Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Good to hear everything went fine. Thank you for letting us know the result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DETAquarium Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Sarah, great topic, I definitely have contemplated what to do when we move in the next year or so. I have a number of 17.1g shrimp tanks and I really didn't want to have to do anything aside from drain the water and move to the new place. My thought was to purchase several either 5lb buckets or 20g Brute trash cans. Label each of the tops and take out as much water as possible. Then the difficult part, all of my shrimp tanks are rimless, so I will have to be extremely careful, as any major shift could cause damage. I was planning on purchasing a slightly larger piece of plywood, based on the dimensions of my tanks. Somehow maneuvering the tank on the plywood and carrying it to the vehicle. That is my game plan, I wish there was an easier way, but this is what I have thought about. Hope it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r45t4m4n Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 I'm moving two 20 gallon longs this weekend. I bought 2 sheets of 3/4" ply cut to 36x18 (going to use the same wood for shelves on a new rack). Planning to drain to about 1 inch above the substrate into 5 gallon buckets, then lifting the tank while my helper slides the plywood under the tank. Lifting by the plywood would avoid any twisting of the tank. Then the drive to the new house, I plan on doing this about 2am so that there won't be any traffic and I can drive as slow as I want.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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