Possibly having to Move out of State

[ktk4beees]

I live in Idaho but all my family lives in CA. Due to my disability, my family has wanted me to move to CA but I have been resisting because I love it here. Now they are putting on a lot of pressure and looks like they are buying me a house to force the move. My question is how the heck do you move 16 fish tanks with fish you really care about and some of the tanks are 75 gallon. Anyone that has moves fish both big and small along with all the fish tank that has suggestions or information on accomplishing this without killing the animals, I would appreciate your advice. This is not a done deal yet but when the family get in in their heads that I need to move closer, I need to know what I am facing with the fish.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Ya, that’s a tough one, especially with the move being far away and all in one shot. 
 

I have 14 tanks, and have been in my place for 5 years. I often think about what I will do when I eventually move in a couple of years, and the best answer I have come up with is either 1) pay double rent/mortgage for a month to be able to have 30 days to move everything or 2) sell/gift all the fish and potentially the tanks and start all over in the new place. 
 

No easy answer, unfortunately. 

[ktk4beees]

I own outright this house and I am assuming that they will put the sale of this one against the price of the one they are buying. Long and short is that I could move slowly. The real issue is that it is a 14 hour drive to the new area so 28 hrs each move is pretty much out of the question. I will NOT get rid of any of the tanks and that is out of the question also. I am hoping someone can come up with a plan to get everybody there safely.

[macdaddy36]

You could try to consolidate all your fish into as few tanks as possible, move the tanks that you emptied in a moving van, get those setup at your new house and then drive the rest of your tanks and your fish when you make the drive. This would be easier if your tanks are lightly stocked and if you have small fish.

[ktk4beees]

Kind of what I thought and NO, most are very large fish. Going to have to figure out how to combine shrimp so they do not interbreed and I can get them back out of a tank when they are moved.

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/14/2024 at 10:13 AM, ktk4beees said:

I live in Idaho but all my family lives in CA. Due to my disability, my family has wanted me to move to CA but I have been resisting because I love it here. Now they are putting on a lot of pressure and looks like they are buying me a house to force the move. My question is how the heck do you move 16 fish tanks with fish you really care about and some of the tanks are 75 gallon. Anyone that has moves fish both big and small along with all the fish tank that has suggestions or information on accomplishing this without killing the animals, I would appreciate your advice. This is not a done deal yet but when the family get in in their heads that I need to move closer, I need to know what I am facing with the fish.

I would suggest a few things to make life really easy for you. 

1. Have your family setup totes. Just get the ones that are sterilite from target or home Depot and set those up somewhere. Right now in Cali, you don't need a heater, thankfully.  You want to have your family setup the tubs with air stones and lids just to get things "moving"

2. Take your filtration media and keep it wet. Put that into an ice chest in bags or however you need to do it to keep it cycled. You can also get a big bottle of something like seachem stability for pretty cheap and use that on hand when you get to those tubs.

3. Bag up your fish, they go in the ice chest as well.

4. Regardless of moving anything else that is all you need to have for your fish themselves to move. You can take your hardscape and you can take plants and that stuff too, but it's not a priority so to speak.

5.  You ship the fish or drive them, then you would acclimate them like anything else when they arrive in California. Add in your filter media to the bottom of each of the totes and then just let the fish have the "pond life" for a few weeks.

6. Break down and setup the tanks and move everything you need to. This is where you can replace tanks, merge tanks, and so on if you need to as well. Getting a uhaul or something like that for moving all your stuff would be very helpful and the fish can make that journey with you as well.

It's a trek for sure, but it is absolutely possible.

If it was me in that scenario, I would ship the fish and have totes like that setup as holding tubs.

[johnnyxxl]

On 4/14/2024 at 6:43 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I would suggest a few things to make life really easy for you. 

1. Have your family setup totes. Just get the ones that are sterilite from target or home Depot and set those up somewhere. Right now in Cali, you don't need a heater, thankfully.  You want to have your family setup the tubs with air stones and lids just to get things "moving"

2. Take your filtration media and keep it wet. Put that into an ice chest in bags or however you need to do it to keep it cycled. You can also get a big bottle of something like seachem stability for pretty cheap and use that on hand when you get to those tubs.

3. Bag up your fish, they go in the ice chest as well.

4. Regardless of moving anything else that is all you need to have for your fish themselves to move. You can take your hardscape and you can take plants and that stuff too, but it's not a priority so to speak.

5.  You ship the fish or drive them, then you would acclimate them like anything else when they arrive in California. Add in your filter media to the bottom of each of the totes and then just let the fish have the "pond life" for a few weeks.

6. Break down and setup the tanks and move everything you need to. This is where you can replace tanks, merge tanks, and so on if you need to as well. Getting a uhaul or something like that for moving all your stuff would be very helpful and the fish can make that journey with you as well.

It's a trek for sure, but it is absolutely possible.

If it was me in that scenario, I would ship the fish and have totes like that setup as holding tubs.

Basically what I was just thinking when I read the post.

[ktk4beees]

On 4/14/2024 at 4:43 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I would suggest a few things to make life really easy for you. 

1. Have your family setup totes. Just get the ones that are sterilite from target or home Depot and set those up somewhere. Right now in Cali, you don't need a heater, thankfully.  You want to have your family setup the tubs with air stones and lids just to get things "moving"

2. Take your filtration media and keep it wet. Put that into an ice chest in bags or however you need to do it to keep it cycled. You can also get a big bottle of something like seachem stability for pretty cheap and use that on hand when you get to those tubs.

3. Bag up your fish, they go in the ice chest as well.

4. Regardless of moving anything else that is all you need to have for your fish themselves to move. You can take your hardscape and you can take plants and that stuff too, but it's not a priority so to speak.

5.  You ship the fish or drive them, then you would acclimate them like anything else when they arrive in California. Add in your filter media to the bottom of each of the totes and then just let the fish have the "pond life" for a few weeks.

6. Break down and setup the tanks and move everything you need to. This is where you can replace tanks, merge tanks, and so on if you need to as well. Getting a uhaul or something like that for moving all your stuff would be very helpful and the fish can make that journey with you as well.

It's a trek for sure, but it is absolutely possible.

If it was me in that scenario, I would ship the fish and have totes like that setup as holding tubs.

Great Idea! Thanks. I could make that work. As for shipping the fish, I am not sure. Some are as big as 8 in by 5 in and the biggest is is 19 inches. I would like to rehome that one as it is really too big for my 75 gallon. I have 2 pairs of bristle nosed gold plecos breeding right now and 5 catfish the are very large.  4 of the tanks have 4 different varieties of shrimp. There is a betta and a host of different sized Corys from Pygmy to large Venezuelas in different tanks. 4 clown plecos in different tanks. 6 pairs of Rabbit snails (one just had a hatch), 4 very large goldfish, 1 large blue crayfish and a host of other fish from Guppies to Apisto cacatuoides and some fish on the rarer side. It will be a mess to move all this and I worry about loss.

On the good side, every tank has at least 1 if not 2 Aquarium Coop battery back up air pumps so air is not an issue. If my Motor home has not sold, it will have power but I have it up for sale and it has been looked at already so that is unknown. It is going to take movers to move all of what I have and will not leave including my frige and a freezer. I have a great deal of antiques that my years have accumulated. Add a ton or so of hard back books, computers printers and a large desk. I figure if they want to move me all the other stuff is their issue as I will not leave here without it all. Can you tell I really do not want to move?   

[Little Guys]

On 4/14/2024 at 10:13 AM, ktk4beees said:

I live in Idaho but all my family lives in CA. Due to my disability, my family has wanted me to move to CA but I have been resisting because I love it here. Now they are putting on a lot of pressure and looks like they are buying me a house to force the move. My question is how the heck do you move 16 fish tanks with fish you really care about and some of the tanks are 75 gallon. Anyone that has moves fish both big and small along with all the fish tank that has suggestions or information on accomplishing this without killing the animals, I would appreciate your advice. This is not a done deal yet but when the family get in in their heads that I need to move closer, I need to know what I am facing with the fish.

A house is very generous but it does not mean you have to go.  

[ktk4beees]

On 4/15/2024 at 8:41 PM, Little Guys said:

A house is very generous but it does not mean you have to go.  

Thanks, I needed that but I don't think this fight is worth it. Right now I am just trying to steer things in a way I can end up happy in the aftermath.

[Little Guys]

Happy is a great targe.  Well meaning help can still be intrusive help.  Part of happy is living your own life.  Moving all those tanks sounds daunting to me. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/14/2024 at 8:46 PM, ktk4beees said:

Great Idea! Thanks. I could make that work. As for shipping the fish, I am not sure. Some are as big as 8 in by 5 in and the biggest is is 19 inches. I would like to rehome that one as it is really too big for my 75 gallon. I have 2 pairs of bristle nosed gold plecos breeding right now and 5 catfish the are very large.  4 of the tanks have 4 different varieties of shrimp. There is a betta and a host of different sized Corys from Pygmy to large Venezuelas in different tanks. 4 clown plecos in different tanks. 6 pairs of Rabbit snails (one just had a hatch), 4 very large goldfish, 1 large blue crayfish and a host of other fish from Guppies to Apisto cacatuoides and some fish on the rarer side. It will be a mess to move all this and I worry about loss.

I would highly encourage you to check out channels like Ohio fish rescue and this video from Cory. Every day people move live fish and there's a billion ways to do it.

One nice tip was for sensitive fish, add some carbon to the bottom of the bag or the bottom of the tote with some air. That helps.  There's also studies using salt when shipping fish to avoid ammonia burn. Great ideas.

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/14/2024 at 8:46 PM, ktk4beees said:

. I figure if they want to move me all the other stuff is their issue as I will not leave here without it all. Can you tell I really do not want to move?   

Moving is never fun, but you learn a lot and get to see a lot of all your things. I moved so much everything I owned, including mattress, fit in the back of my hatchback. 

I would encourage you to just try to have some confidence and hope that things will be ok in the end.

[ktk4beees]

First I want to thank you all for your help. Never occurred to me to go to Youtube for advice and it was a wonderful suggestion. It is going to be a major pain but at least I feel that I can do this as long as I have a lot of help! I know I can at lease be knowledgeable enough now to "direct traffic" when the time comes. Also, there is a fish rescue in Boise ID that I know of and right here in Challis there is a fish hatchery that I may contact as well. 

Although this is not a done deal by any means, They showed me the 2 houses they are looking at and one of the 2 is very nice indeed. Both are in Idyllwild, Ca. If you are curious the address of the one I chose of the 2 is 54987 Daryll Rd, Idyllwild, CA 92549. You can look it up in Zillow. The other I told them would require fencing for my dog and it needs new carpet which brings it up to about the same price as the fist choice which needs nothing but the move itself. They are going to go up and look at both this weekend and let me know what they decide. Then I have to put mine up for sale. I already talked to a contractor today because I need some painting done and I want to finish fixing the roof over the porch so that is already in the works.  This is going to be interesting since I am not suppose to drive and I have an Toyota FJ and a Motor home to move.

I will keep you posted.

 

[TheDuck]

Call quick moves 805 based in Southern California they specialize in hard to do moves get with Carlos he’s a good guy and patient with your needs. 
 

805-827-7297 Carlos Gutierrez