Moving Multie babys 450 miles:

Next week we plan to move 4-5 Multies from E. Oregon to Tacoma. We have been able to move several kinds of young Cichlids from my home in Tacoma to E. Oregon without any trouble or loss. We used styroefoam boxes and air stones. The trip takes about 8 hrs. We are thinking the problem might be that they are babys about half the size of the parents or less. Please, any suggestions would be helpful. How about a Jar with an airstound set in a styroefoam box with newspaper packed around it. Or is that crazy

i find baby's much easier to move than adult fish for some reason, i have had baby's in a 5gl bucket with a lid with out a air stone for around 8hrs before (i know seams weird but everyone was all good) in fact i just moved 5 1" fry in a 5 gl bucket the other day but i ran an established air driven hydro 0 sponge with any problems and it was for 3 days (pulled them on a Friday and wasn't able to deliver them till Monday afternoon)

good luck let us know how it goes

What a great response in such a short time. My confidence is already improved. . I don't have a bucket, but I do have a small cooler that I could probably setup for them. Thank you again for such a quick response.

yep no problem good luck with the move the cooler will work to but if you want a bucket i used the ones like you buy at home depot or lowes just make sure to get the lid very important for a car ride unless your goal is recreating slash mountain ... been there done than lids all the way now

if your super worried 1gl freezer bags work but there not always leak proof i still put them in the bucket but works great if your worried keeping everyone separated ie larger and smaller fish

Thank you again. I will let you know how it goes. They will be my first Shellies.

I have moved many fish in coolers with no problems. Many years ago when I was dumb about such things, I used to cram them into coolers and move them across states. I'd take them into the hotel room with me, open the top and feed them , run an airstone for the night, and pack them back into the car for the next leg of the trip... I don't know how they survived like that, but I rarely lost any. I even moved my breeding pair of angels that way and they made it and continued to spawn in their new home as well. I think their longest trip by car was from New Mexico to Washington.

Now when I move any, I fast them the day before the trip to limit the poop production in the bag water.

Should I still fast them, even if they are babys?I'm thinking probably not, I just want you all to know, I feel much better about even trying.

You can also use Rubbermaid tubs, which is what I will be using when I move in a week and a half.

yes fast them.... even if they are babies they will be fine without food for more than a few days..... Last thing you want is a ammonia or nitrite spike to kill them on a 8hr car ride.

I like your styrophome idea, I would just indivually bag the fish then put them in the styrophome igloo for the trip, and make sure to put bag buddies, (oxygen tablet) in the bags. Should be more than enough oxygen for 24 hrs in a nice size bag.

I would have to say don't fast them. Fry are too delicate to go without feeding for a day. I think betty just fasted them because she was taking such a long trip. I don't think 8 hours is a long enough trip to need fast them for a day. Just my opinion, but that is what I would do.

Good luck I think they will be just fine whatever you decide!

I would fast them for a day, they'll be fine. A little bit of poop in a small amount of water is an issue. If you puth them in more then 2ish gallons of water then I wouldent worry about it.

Well again, Thanks guys. I don't have bag buddies, and cant get them to me by Wed., but I think we will be fine.. Our plan for now is a small cooler, half water , half air, a bubbler and a small amount of Amquel. I plan to not feed them on the day we leave. I'm thinking this should work.

Sounds good let us know how it goes.

Well, we all made it. My daughter-in-law, my grandson, a kitten named "Petroneas, the arbitor", 5 little tiny baby multies and myself. I think the kitten and the multies fared better then the rest of us. Loooonnnggg, trip. The babys are eating and I hope to get them in there tank today. Thank You all for your encouragement. Yes, I know they are called "fry". What can I say, I'm old.

Have to ask where the cats name came from?!

Glad you all made it safe and sound!

Dont know. The grandkid I took him too, named him. . I call him "Pete"!

LOL well pete sounds good to me!