I am moving in about three weeks and will need to move my 75 gallon aquarium. This has been home to my beautiful oscar, two silver dollars, a clown loach and pleco for the past 3 years. I'm moving them across town and the transport time is about 30 minutes. I need advice on the best way to plan for and execute this move.

I have a spare 29 gallon aquarium and a 10 gallon tank that I could set up in the new place in advance of the move, but the 29 gallon was previously used for saltwater. If I clean it up really good, can I use this as a (very) temporary home? (I need time to break down the 75 gallon and prepare it for moving day.) I was thinking I'd put the oscar in the 29 gallon and the rest of the tankmates in the 10 gallon. My oscar is about 8 to 9 inches in length and very healthy. The remaining fish are all about 4 to 5 inches in length - and also pretty healthy. Will this be enough room for them for a couple of days until I can get the 75 gallon moved and set up? If not, does anyone have any advice or previous experience on this? I also have extra air pumps, filters, and heaters to use in both tanks. (Actually I have way TOO much aquarium stuff )

I also need advice on the best way to transport all my fish. I've never moved fish this large and need all the help I can get!

THANKS!!!

Okay, it is good that it will only take 30 minutes between properties. However, you're going to have to plan this so that you can save most of your bacteria. If you leave your filtration off for too long, or let your media try out your going to have to cycle the tank all over again, that will be a very difficult task using your existing fish because of their size, your ammonia will absolutely soar and probably end up killing all the fish. If it was me, I would plan this very carefully. What you could do is set to a small tank up with your existing filter, move the fish into it and then take your main tank straight to your new property, get somebody to fill at with water while you go straight back to your old property, collect your fish and filtration and go back to your new property, put the fish in and put the filter straight on the tank.

You really don't want to leave the filter off for any more than one hour, you must keep the media wet.

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I actually have two canister filters on my 75 g tank, so I shouldn't have a problem with the media drying out, right? One is a Marineland Magnum C-360 (rated for 100 g) and the other is a smaller Eheim 2234 Ecco External Canister Filter (as a back up) rated for 60 to 143 g.

I guess I could remove the Eheim and set up the 29 gallon with this filter, but is that too much? What about the 10 gallon tank? I'm a bit afraid to put ALL the fish in the 29 gallon tank at once. That would be really, really crowded!

What about the actual transport? Any advice on how to do that?

As long as you make sure that the canister is full of water when you switch everything off, the media will be okay for a while

I would suggest a large reciprocal for transporting the fish, or maybe get a hold of large plastic bags, the same that the fish stores use. If you are traveling when the weather is cold just make sure that your car is nice and warm. The plecs and the Oscars should be perfectly okay, clown Loach can be a little bit more susceptible so those are the ones you're going to have to really keep an eye on and make sure that it doesn't get too cold.

As long as you're not leaving the fish for too long, they will be okay in the 29 gallon tank. However, you have got to remember that clown Loach cannot tolerate any ammonia so those are the fish to pay particular attention to.

After much thought, I've decided that 2 days before my move, I'll remove the smaller canister filter from the 75 gallon tank, load up the 29 gallon tank, place all my fish in a large Rubbermaid container, and race over to the new place. I'll quickly set up the 29 gallon tank in a temporary location, hook up the smaller canister filter, place the fish in the 29 gallon tank and hopefully they don't kill each other for the next two days. That will give me time to break down the 75 gallon tank and prepare it for the move and then set it up on move day. I'm estimating that my fish will be in the 29 gallon tank for 2 days at the most. We've had mild weather here in the Pacific NW, so I'm not too worried about the cold, but I will make sure they don't experience any drastic temp changes during transport.

Any advice on netting an large oscar??? I've never had to move him since he got so big!

Use a large net!!!!! and expect some water to get splashed around

a 30 minute drive won't give you too much concern in moving fish.
its either you move the tank and the fishes first or move them last.
if i am in your shoes, these are things i would do step by step:
1) mapped out the exact new location of the tank in the new place.
2) get ready the 29 gal tank in the truck, and fill it with tank water
enough to house your fishes but will not splash over during moving.
3) get ready the 10 gal tank too with tank water.
4) move all filters in the 10 gal tank to keep all bb alive
5) remove all decors in the existing tank and lower the water level
for easy netting the fishes
6) move all fishes in the 29 gal tank.
7) drain the main tank and move for transporting

arriving in the new place:
8) move and positioned the main tank
9) fill it with new water, add prime or anti chlorine
10) install all filter and run
11) move all fishes in there
monitor and observed and re-decorate later. some people will pour the old tank
water in there to help acclimatize the fishes.

the whole process will take maximum of 2 hours or less.... everything should be fine