moving my tank

Question
Hi Ron,

I currently have a 56 gallon tank with a mating pair of convicts and about 30 babies that are about a month old.  I am going to be moving in a month and I would like to know what is the best way to move this tank without causing too much stress to the babies.  Do I have to completely empty the tank, or can I leave the fish in a couple of inches of water and move the tank - or will this possibly break the tank?  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Answer
Hi Candace,
  You could leave a little water in the tank, but that is going to put way too much stress on you.  The easiest thing to do is to catch all the fish, put them in a bucket (e.g., a 5 gallon bucket with a lid with some holes in it) half filled with water and transport the fish that way.  Empty the tank, move it to the new spot, set it up again and put the fish back in.  Convicts are very hardy and shouldn't be bothered too much by all of this.
If you are particularly concerned, then put the kids in one bucket and the parents in another.  

 I've moved fish across the country this way with no problems.  Be careful they don't sit in the car in the sun and get too hot or too cold.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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