We have an upcoming move next week from NY --> MI and I am looking for the best way to safely transport my Supershrimp. I have about 16 of them with 10 snails in a small 1/2 gallon tank that sits on my desk (Photo attached).
There are some items in my tank that I could see having a bit of movement on the drive. I am thinking it might be safer to shift the shrimp into a small Pyrex/Glass Jar with a Lid for travel and then relocate them back to their home after the drive, or based on the tank photo, do you think it would be OK to take them as is in the current set-up?
We have an upcoming move next week from NY --> MI and I am looking for the best way to safely transport my Supershrimp. I have about 16 of them with 10 snails in a small 1/2 gallon tank that sits on my desk (Photo attached).
There are some items in my tank that I could see having a bit of movement on the drive. I am thinking it might be safer to shift the shrimp into a small Pyrex/Glass Jar with a Lid for travel and then relocate them back to their home after the drive, or based on the tank photo, do you think it would be OK to take them as is in the current set-up?
Thank you!
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I would remove all but a couple inches of water (save it to another container), and also remove the big rocks, round glass pieces, and plastic plants, but not the gravel substrate, and get on with the move. When you arrive and set up the container in its new location, put everything back in and add the saved water.
The type of container you have is sturdy enough to do this whereas a traditional aquarium with panes of glass would not be. Set the container in a sturdy box that is just large enough to fit the diameter of the container and set it on the floor or seat of the vehicle.
I moved my ecosphere from CO to NV this way. However, all his decor was glued to the bottom of the jar so I couldn't take it out. And I didn't remove any of the water because, at the time, his jar lid hadn't been breached. But in the future I would, just to avoid the salt creep the top of the jar will get after sloshing around for a few hundred miles.
I think you might actually do better to just buy a silicone gasket for your jar lid (looks like anchor hocking?) and sit it on the floor of your vehicle for the trip.
In my experience with these jars, removing most of the water just makes more room for movement and sloshing.
Presumably most of your trip will be highway miles, so not a whole lot of lurching stops and careening around corners.
Your decorations aren't tall, so they won't topple over and crush any shrimp, and your substrate seems deep enough to restrict shifting/rolling movements.
Edited to report: The gaskets don't seem to be available anymore, but the stretchy silicone lids work, too. As long as the jar rim is totally dry when you put them on, they seal like a dream. I have also had good results with Parafilm tape around the outside of the lid, if you have access to some.
Do you think there will be an amonia spike after disrupting the tank? Maybe you would be better off tranfering the opae to another jar by themselves. Once you get to MI test the water. If alls well just add them back in.
That's a good question. I'm not entirely sure, but I didn't have any problems with my big move (drove 9 days coast to coast). I set up a big mason jar with substrate, rock, and water from the old tank and stuck the jar in a cooler to protect them from temperature swings. They ended up living in the jar for several months before I got them settled in a new tank.
When I moved recently I just sealed up their tank and hit the road. No issues
Transporting them in just water might be a good added precaution, though.
If you think about how hardy these opae are I doubt you wil have any isses at all if you transport them in their current tank. Just lower the water & you should be fine.
Move went well! I removed all the decor (glass marbles, lava rocks and plastic plants). With the decor removed, the water level dropped quite a bit. I purchased silicone stretch lids off Amazon and placed that around the top of the jar and put the lid over the top. We drove 10 hours with the opae at our feet and they made it safe and sound! Unfortunately, I forgot all my decor back in NY so I have someone mailing it to me this week! No ammonia spike was seen, all shrimp are happy and healthy and beginning to pink/redden up again!
