Advice for moving across the country with fish?

[LoachTruther]

I'm moving 3/4 of the way across the country (Washington to Wisconsin) at the end of the summer, and I'm trying to decide the best way to move my tanks (one betta fish, one axolotl). Here are my options, and if anyone has experience moving with fish or has an idea I haven't thought of, please chime in!

1. We could rent a U Haul trailer and drive, but it's a 4 day drive, so I would have to rig a temperature controlled and filtered travel container. This method has the advantage of having the option to not break down my tanks (both planted) and keep a lot of the beneficial bacteria alive, because I could just drain and ceran wrap the tanks to keep the plants moist. But, it would involve a longer period of being in a smaller/more stressful travel container for the animals both while we're in transit, and until I get their tanks set up once I get there. I estimate they'd be in temporary enclosures for at least a week, maybe up to 9 days. The rental for the trailer is also very expensive. Also, 4 days is a long time to be in the car 8-12 hours a day.

2. I could ship my stuff (like my actual human life stuff, not just my hobbyist things), fly to Wisconsin, and take the betta on the plane. However, TSA regulations don't specify whether aquatic salamanders are allowed on flights, and even though I know they probably are, I'm just not willing to run the risk that chance of that the TSA guy might be having a bad day and decide to give me a hard time. In this scenario, I would have to leave my axolotl at home in a tub for a few days while I set up things in Wisconsin, and then have my brother pack and overnight her to me after I arrive. He would also have to send all my aquatic plants, because the moving company I would use doesn't allow me to pack living things in the boxes they move (most companies don't, I think). This method has the advantage of less total time in transit (for the animals and for me haha), but the containers they would be in while in transit would not be filtered and would have limited temperature control (just ice/heat packs and insulation). Also, I would have to break down my tanks completely to ship the actual tank and substrate with my stuff and pack the plants separately. It is less pricey than the trailer option, but only just.

I have been thinking in circles around this for weeks, and I am hoping that hearing other people's thoughts might help me break out of my decision paralysis. Any advice or opinions are welcome, thank you!

[Kirsten]

If it were me, I'd drive them, and anything else fragile/super sentimental/perishable. Especially for the axolotl.

Seattle to Milwaukee is 30 hours, which is 4 days on a conservative estimate. You know your own driving stamina best, of course, but every time I've planned a road trip, responsibly stopping every 8 hours, we always end up throwing it out the window and driving for 12-13 hours plus rest stops. I bet you could make it in 2 days if you have a friend to share the driving, especially for long, straight stretches.

I don't even want to think about the stress and trouble of trying to bring a betta on a plane, especially right now, much less hoping and praying an axolotl survives shipping and handling.

[Andy's Fish Den]

If you are driving, I would keep the fish and axolotl in the drivers area with me, not in the cargo compartment, it can get crazy hot back in there during the summer. The betta, I wouldn't worry about too much. Put it in a bag with 1/3 water and 2/3 air, and keep in a cooler or styrofoam container to avoid extreme temperature fluctuations. When you stop for the night to rest, you could open the bag, do a water change, make sure to carry some prime or other dechlorinator with you. The axolotl, I know has to be kept cool, I would put in a plastic shoe box type container with a small sponge filter. Get a USB air pump and use a car adapter to power the air pump and sponge filter, and keep it down on the floor of the car or truck, since it tends to be a little cooler and keep the sun from shining on the container.