Home » Plants & Animals » Aquariums » Fish Transportation

Fish Transportation

© Winston Vaughan Schoenfeld

So, life is about to change and it is time for you to relocate. You can easily load up a U-Haul or one of your relative's trucks, and head off. Most people never think about it, but what about those fish? The dog can simply ride in the back...things get a little more complicated if you have a cat. When it comes time to consider the aquarium many people find themselves in a dilemma. Recently I got an e-mail asking what was the best way to transport fish. I quickly realized two things: 1-there really is no source for information about this (face it...the pet shop puts the fish in a plastic bag with water for the ride home) and 2-most of what I know is from my own experience. Here are some of the considerations. While I do not promise to have the best answers to this, I will try and make things a little more simple for you. I will start with a few basic concerns, and then list suggestions for distances from across town to across the US.

Basic Concerns
No matter how far you are going, there are some basic concerns. The first concern is oxygen. Left in a volume of water, fish will eventually use up all the oxygen (this is why we use filtration in aquariums to oxygenate the water). Given the distance you are planning on traveling, you may need to oxygenate the water during the trip. The best way I have found to do this is by using a small air pump and stone. I found that at most bait stores you can purchase a battery-powered air pump. Usually they are the size of your hand, and use a few D-batteries. I once transported a pair of 3" oscars six hours away using such a pump, so it works. The next basic concern is temperature. It would be unrealistic to transport fish if you could not ensure that the water temperature could remain within reasonable limits. Luckily, my experience with fish transportation has been limited to Florida where it is fairly warm, but for those of you who live in the north things might be a little more difficult. I wish I could suggest a solution to maintaining reasonable temperature, but I am afraid this is where my experience is lacking. I would say that the colder your climate is at the time of transportation, the shorter the distance you can go. Luckily vehicles are equipped with amazingly good climate controls now, so you may be able to beat the weather if you can stand to travel with a car temperature in the mid to upper '70s. One final note is that you should ensure that the water you use to transport the fish in is at a reasonable temperature. The water should come from the aquarium since it is already biologically sound and should be at the proper temperature.

The copyright of the article Fish Transportation in Aquariums is owned by Winston Vaughan Schoenfeld. Permission to republish Fish Transportation in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.