Moving Tank in Cold Weather

[Gyarados]

Hey everyone,

I have until February 1st to move out of my apartment and I'm starting to plan the move for my 210g. I think I'm just going to rent a HomeDepot pickup (should cost $40-50)

My question is, should I worry about how the cold will effect the tanks seals? I keep it at 82 degrees at all times, and I'm worried that driving the tank in potentially sub freezing temperatures could do harm... Any experience with this here?

 

[Gyarados]

By the way, the move is not long. Just from Owings Mills to Hampstead

 

[kevin911]

Should be fine, just make sure they are in a cooler and if possible have shot gun in your truck.

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[Gyarados]

Should be fine, just make sure they are in a cooler and if possible have shot gun in your truck.

Sent from my HTC One using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

Haha, yeah the fish will be split up in Styros, not to worried about them. Shotgun might not be a bad idea.

 

[JLW]

You probably want to make sure there isn't any water in the tank when you move it. The biggest concern, though, is going to be keeping the fish warm.

Of course, you also want to wait for the tank to "warm up" back to room temperature before adding water, too.

 

[jonclark96]

+1 on Josh's comment on letting the tank warm up before filling. Gradual temperature changes will allow the tank materials to expand/contract slowly. Taking a freezing cold tank and filling it with warm water could have negative effects. I'd let the tank sit in the house for several hours, maybe even a day if it's really cold outside, before filling.

 

[Tangcollector]

You may want to look into renting a van instead of a pick up. That way you can keep the tank temp controlled.

 

[Gyarados]

You may want to look into renting a van instead of a pick up. That way you can keep the tank temp controlled.

Didn't even think about a van... I will probably go that route, thanks!

 

[Gyarados]

You probably want to make sure there isn't any water in the tank when you move it. The biggest concern, though, is going to be keeping the fish warm.

Of course, you also want to wait for the tank to "warm up" back to room temperature before adding water, too.

You probably have A LOT of experience moving fish. Do you think these will cut it for a 30 minute trip?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/LIFOAM-30-Quart-Styrofoam-Cooler/16537215

They're so cheap I could realistically double them up even.

The plan is to get them to the house and get airstones going until the tank warms up and is filled.

 

[JLW]

You can rent a cargo van from Enterprise for not much different than what you're going to be paying.

A styrofoam fish box would definitely be your best box, but those will probably hold up just fine, provided you're careful. Put the fish in a good bag inside the cooler - don't just fill them with water. I doubt those will hold up with water. You may want to find something with a cardboard outer just to support the weight of the water better. Seriously, I was once in a bind and tried using one of those to ship in... it did not work well.

You can probably get styros and boxes from a LFS. I can loan you all the ones you need, too, though I would like them back.

JW

 

[Gyarados]

You can rent a cargo van from Enterprise for not much different than what you're going to be paying.

A styrofoam fish box would definitely be your best box, but those will probably hold up just fine, provided you're careful. Put the fish in a good bag inside the cooler - don't just fill them with water. I doubt those will hold up with water. You may want to find something with a cardboard outer just to support the weight of the water better. Seriously, I was once in a bind and tried using one of those to ship in... it did not work well.

You can probably get styros and boxes from a LFS. I can loan you all the ones you need, too, though I would like them back.

JW

I will check out Enterprise. I'm going to use HD Garbage bags to line the styros, those coolers definitely won't hold water for any period of time. If I didn't have family holiday obligations during your open house I would absolutely take you up on your offer!! Thanks for the advice.