Keeping fish in your hotel room

[Pat Kelly]

Saw a question that someone had on what people did with fish while at a convention.

Here is what I do.

NOW REMEMBER that I am a little overboard on things. I am a fish nut and I have been to 30 conventions in the last 10 years. If I had more time off and money, I would be at even more of them.
Proceed with Caution..... You have been warned.....

 

[Pat Kelly]

Okay, you were warned.....



Sometimes I take fish with me to show or sell. Other times I take most of this stuff just incase I find fish I just cant live without.

First off a week or two ahead of time, I start a new list of items to take. It hangs in my fish storage area.

May sound stupid but I need to do this so I don't forget.

I have a bunch of storage containers. Some large and some small. These carry most items to and from the event and serve as the fish tanks while I am there.
If I am selling like at the swap meet, I also usually have a few 10 gallon tanks that I take with me.
Anyway the storage containers.

The small ones are like this and then they fit into the larger ones for transportation and storage between conventions.

You can get them anywhere. I just recently bought new ones because my others were getting rough. (FRANK, I took your advice and bought the one like yours). These came from Target.

 

[Pat Kelly]

I store them with most of the items already inside so I can go at any time.

I stack around 5 smaller containers into 1 of the larger ones. Inside the top one I keep the items I will need.
This one is my Air items.

You will notice I have air line, gang valves, as well as other items.

 

[Pat Kelly]

Yes, air pumps. I loaded up everything for the Cat Con last year and after setting up, realized my air pump did not work. Now I carry 2.

I also use Dirt Magnets from Jungle for filtration.
The reason is the size. I cut the lift tubes and they work perfectly in the small containers.

I have Dirt Magnets in some of my tanks in the fish room. I keep them in there mainly so they are ready for a show.

I have some old bases and lift tube that stay in the box. That way when its time to leave, I take the sponges off the filters in the tank and put them in a bag and go.

 

[Pat Kelly]

In another big box, I carry more small ones with other items.

I have some 50 watt heaters that I carry. I bought them just for this. You don't need much in the hotel room. So far 50's have done well for me.

Don't know how many times I forgot these, so I always buy an new one to put in the box now.

 

[Pat Kelly]

Power.

Heavy duty cord

And some power strips

Buckets

 

[Pat Kelly]

I carry another container with bags and bands in it.

Don't forget things like a drain hose, couple of different size nets,
A sharpie, a razor blade or knife to cut air line. Etc.

 

[Pat Kelly]

Okay, why this picture?

Tracey and I have found out the hard way that sleeping with the fishes may not work well. If the fish are in total darkness they tend to startle and bang on the side or the lid of the container. These are the cheap led lights that don't put out a lot of light. I put a couple on a few of the lids and it glows just enough so the fish stay quiet and we can get some sleep.

 

[Pat Kelly]

I usually take a 4 foot table with me so I can put fish on it as well as under it.
I also have taken that rack that was in the first few pictures with me if I am
selling out of my room. I can set it up in about 10 but it takes me another hour to
get the tanks or containers set up in the room and running the way I want.


Oh and always take the lids. You want them sitting on top for the jumpers.




Here are two other set ups I spotted at a convention. Remember these are for selling out of your room but it show the extreme that people go to .

 

[Pat Kelly]

This is the set up I had in my room at OCA in2006.

This is the view when you were walking down the hallway of the hotel.
You can see even then I was advertising the club every where I went. Top left... LOL

 

[Pat Kelly]

So now you see how strange I am.
When I travel to these things, I am prepared.
Heck I have flown from California with fish in my luggage.

You can do this on a much smaller scale, but I don't like going little.

 

[Ading522]

Awesome topic! Thanks pat! Maybe one day I can get to do this as well..

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[verbal]

Pat definitely goes all out, but the concepts are even great on a smaller scale.

It is amazing how many options a few storage containers, some airline, a pump and some sponge filters can give you. It helps if you are buying or selling fish.

It can also make quarantine easy, just use the storage bins before you add the new fish to your tanks.

 

[jonclark96]

Good write up, Pat. You can modify the magnitude of your set up based on your own needs. It really is easy to set up. You can have tanks up and running in less than an hour in a hotel room without much effort what so ever.

 

[Pat Kelly]

I have flown to conventions and only taken two small containers and just enough stuff to set it up. You can fit a lot of stuff in 2 containers.



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[olzkool]

Thanks! Awesome info

 

[festaedan]

This is super helpful. Especially because this is my first time going to a convention with live fish.

 

[Tony]

Very nice writeup, Pat!

I've set up in hotel rooms a few times.... borrowed many of your ideas.

You make it look so easy, lol!

 

[Pat Kelly]

Very nice writeup, Pat!

I've set up in hotel rooms a few times.... borrowed many of your ideas.

You make it look so easy, lol!

Actually I am just a nut case. LOL
How many people actually have all that stuff sitting in storage, ready to go. Just in case a convention pops up?
Stop to think about it, I believe there are others in the club that do it too.
My non-Fish friends think we are all strange.

 

[lkelly]

My non-Fish friends think we are all strange.

Would those be your human friends?