Loaches Online Forum

What is the longest trip anyone has taken driving while transporting loaches in 5 gallon buckets?

Lets say one wanted to take a 12-14 hour trip, would it work if the bubblers were placed in the 5 gallon buckets every 2 hours or so with live plants in the buckets along with the fish?

Is there a set procedure or something that would make things easier? I have read some stories of flights and all kinds of things that didn't sound like transporting them this far would work. If this were going to happen. The aquaclear filters would accompany these fish in separate buckets with water in them. Then every two hours or so we would pullover at a gas station and plug them in for a few minutes or so. Bubbler and filter.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Contemplating moving and wanted to hear some advice or personal experience on transporting loaches.

There are 4 3+inch clowns and 7-2"+ striatas. Along with some other fish as well.

If there are any battery operated bubblers available any suggestions would be great. this way a line can be tubed into he five gallon buckets and keep the lids attached.

It is too sad wanting to move and not be able to take these guys along with us.

http://www.targus.com/au/accessories_power.asp

obviously you'll need a version specific to your region because the power points are different, but this should work.

I have transported hillstream loaches over about 1000 miles several times using battery operated air pumps. There are several brands available for about $10-$15.
These pumps take four D batteries and last at least 17 hours on a set of batteries. You might want to consider some type of ammonia absorbing product like bags of Ammo chips or ammonia absorbing pads to keep that from building up during the trip and forget about the complication of using filters for short periods every few hours. The hillstreams did not require filters (unless I stopped overnight as I did on one trip) or heaters but you will probably have to come up with something to keep the temp right for the botias. I can't help you there.

Definitely don't feed the loaches for a few days before you transport them on such a long journey, as they will then not produce so much ammonia.

Another thing to consider is buying fish bags off of the lfs, and hiring a small pure oxygen cylinder from a gas specialist. Then you can bag up and oxygenate your fish properly, and then placed inside a polybox (and providing the weather is not extremely hot or extremely cold) you would be fine for a 14 hour trip. Space them out so you only have 2 or 3 fish per bag and also add a bit of Zeolite (ammonia aborbing granules) like Jim suggested, just in case. The other option, if you are on very good terms with a local aquatics store that has oxygen on-site, is to purchase the polybox and bags from them, bag up the fish, then just before you depart for the move, take them into the shop so that they can quickly undo the bags and re-seal with oxygen for your trip. They may or may not charge for this, but bagging with oxygen will give you peace of mind for a long journey. Then you can put your biological filter media into buckets and run battery powered air pumps through the media so the bacteria receives oxygen and doesn't die back in such a huge way.

Hope this helps,

Emma

Sorry about the msn link, but frabill makes a whole bunch of things from the battery powered aerators to the buckets and coolers with the aerators built in. I bought one of their "bait bucket" pails with the battery powered aerators on the side complete with air stone.

http://shopping.msn.com/results/fishing ... nd:Frabill


The other option is to use an inverter that plugs into your cigarette lighter that has a power plug, then you could use a regular air pump.


I'd bring along a bottle of prime too to make sure ammonia or nitrates aren't a problem.

Kevin

I checked out the link with the "bait bucket" pails with the battery powered aerators.

If you use this method, I suggest you cover up the wording "bait bucket"--If the fish see it, they will be totally stressed thinking they are bait.

Shhhhhh...

They think that BAIT stands for Botia Aeration Interstate/Intrastate/International Transportation....lol


Kevin

grizzlyone wrote:Shhhhhh...

They think that BAIT stands for Botia Aeration Interstate/Intrastate/International Transportation....lol


Kevin

An inverter would be great and run your existing air pump. Your filter is the most fragile as stated . I do get the foam boxes from the LFS to move mine in and use pocket hand warmers to heat them. You can stick one of those thermometers on a stick like the AC people use through the foam to watch your temp in the fish boxes too.

Here is an exampleof the pocket thermometer I mean.They are available at the Auto Supply stores I belive
http://www.toolrage.com/prodView.asp?idproduct=1662

Plants remove CO2 and nitrogen (Ammonia) only when there is strong light.
Optimum lighting to reduce stress in the fish is.... dark.
Do not add plants to the buckets or bags.

Ammo chips are a good idea.

great info guys. but those are some good products! thanks! this won't be for a long time either. so it should be ok.

Instead of the ammo chips, I'd grab one of the purigen pouches from Seachem, keeps all sorts of nasty chems at bay.


Kevin