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  1. #1
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    Moving Fingerlings

    Hey everyone,

    What is the best way to transfer fish from one tank to another? I am a newbie at a critical juncture. I have 100 2 to 3 inch fingerlings in 100 tank and need to move them to my 500 gallon tank. I figured I would put them in 4 five gallon buckets and truck them the 1/4 mile to the big tank.

    But I can't catch them. They are quick. I have about 12 inch net. I guess I am going to have to drain 100 gallon tank down until they can't get around my net and buckets. I am afraid this is going to stress them so much they will all go belly up on me.

    Am I being overly nervous? Any suggestions are welcome.

    Best Wishes,
    Tom Cloud
    Filaree Farm
    WSDA Certified Organic
    Okanogan WA

  2. #2
    Moderator badflash's Avatar
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    Re: Moving Fingerlings

    I split this off of Ernie's topic as it didn't belong there.
    To answer the question, 5 gallon buckets are fine for 50 fingerlings for about 15 minutes with no air stone. Longer, probably an hour with one.
    Drain the tank. You'll be forever otherwise.
    The best fertilizer is the farmer's shadow

  3. #3
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    Re: Moving Fingerlings

    My apologies for the misplaced post

    My move was successful but I may have made a big mistake. I moved them 6 am Sunday morning. Only one fatality moving from 100 gallon tank to 5 gallon buckets to 500 gallon tank.

    Every thing looked fine. Fish were schooling, swimming around, exploring their new habitat. I saved the old tank water figuring that it already had nitrates built up, lots of feces to break down so why not top off the new tank with about 45 gallons of old tank water.

    By late afternoon yesterday the perfectly clear water of the big tank was looking a bit green and murky, hard to see the bottom. By mid day today the green had turned to brown and I can't see the fish if they are below the top 1/3 of the tank. Lowering my hand into the water I can't distinguish my fingers when water reaches my elbow.

    Water parameters have not changed too much. Before move big tank temp was 74.0. PH 7.0, Alkalinity 40, hardness 70, nitrite 0, nitrate had slight tinge of color.

    Water temp today went from 71.7 at 5:30 this morning up to 84.7 this evening. PH has risen to 8.2, Alkalinity 80, hardness 75, nitrite shows slight color and nitrate less than 20.

    It is hard to tell how fish are acting because I can't see them. They are alive, mostly invisible hiding in bottom 1/3 of tank. They are not eagerly, actively feeding. When I approach they scatter. If I hang back they rise slowly out of depths to hang in top third of tank, silently rising like a wolf pack of submarines, not darting like a school of fish but just hanging motionless. When I move close to tank they dart and scatter to the depths.

    Tomorrow I will begin filling 100 gallon and 25 gallon tanks as soon as sun gets high enough for solar heater raise temperature of our irrigation water. As soon as I get it 70-75 degrees I will start discarding and diluting 500 gallon tank water.

    Is the anything else I could/should do? Any suggestions on lowering the PH and Alkalinity? They are the only parameters that seem out of whack. Why would adding the old water affect them when PH was never over 7.4 in old tank?

    If anyone has experienced a similar situation and has any suggestions, I'd appreciate hearing them.

    Best Wishes,
    Tom Cloud
    Filaree Farm
    WSDA Certified Organic
    Okanogan WA

  4. #4
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    Re: Moving Fingerlings

    sounds like an algae bloom,, cover your tank and add air..
    if it's still murky after a couple of days, add a couple of eggs (lightly scrambled up in a bucket of water) to remove suspended solids

  5. #5
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    Re: Moving Fingerlings

    yes it sounds like an algea bloom to me also. definetly cover your tanks. also the egg trick that keith suggested works i had to do it to my tanks, with in a couple of hours you should start noticing a difference. but it will take a while to start clearing up the algea bloom. good luck Big Al

  6. #6
    Moderator davidstcldfl's Avatar
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    Re: Moving Fingerlings

    Hi Tom,
    I agree with Keith and Big Al....cover your tank, and sump, if your using one.

    When I moved my fish outside...they took almost 2 weeks before they seemed really comfortable in the new tank....even with a cover.

    I reduce my PH with muriatic acid...for swimming pools.
    I add about a 1/4 cup of acid to a large plastic cup ( a quart) with water in it. The cup has a small hole drilled in the bottom. That way, it drips into my sump...lowering the PH 'very' slowly.
    I added everyday, for a week, going from in the mid 8's to the upper 7's.
    My tank is 500 gals, also....total system around 1000 gallons.

    I was told to check the PH ,first thing in the morning....then in the afternoon. If there's a difference...it's being caused by algee. Also, there will be less oxygen at night, because of (lot's) of algee.
    Guys with more experience...does that sound correct ?

    On the egg trick.....isn't it 'just' the egg whites ...?


    Sorry Tom....Maybe I missed reading it.....do you already have grow beds with plants in them ? And, you already 'cycled' the water (before moving the fish) in the new 500 gal tank...using ammonia or something else ?
    "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - President Ronald Reagan

  7. #7
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    Re: Moving Fingerlings

    hi davidstcldfl, i used the hole egg 6 eggs for every 300 gallon of fish tank water mixed with a little tap water. just like your making scrambled eggs mixed really well. and just dump them in fish tank. and let system cycle like normal. it looks pretty sick at first. but it will clear up. thanks Big Al

  8. #8
    Moderator davidstcldfl's Avatar
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    Re: Moving Fingerlings

    Hey Big Al....Glad to hear the whole eggs work.
    I did it awhile back....thught I just used the whites.... I remember looking at a bowl of egg yolks, everytime I opened the frig...
    I heard about it ,form some guys, from 'down under'.....guess they do it different there....
    "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - President Ronald Reagan

  9. #9
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    Re: Moving Fingerlings

    i think leaving the yolks in helps a system cycle up, but I haven't done any, or seen any extensive testing - like not adding humonia, or anything and waiting for an ammonia build up - i used 2 eggs, shells and all first time, crays seem to have taken care of most of them - the shells that is..but i added aged humonia at about the same time, then added minnows about a week later

  10. #10
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    Re: Moving Fingerlings

    Quote Originally Posted by davidstcldfl
    Sorry Tom....Maybe I missed reading it.....do you already have grow beds with plants in them ? And, you already 'cycled' the water (before moving the fish) in the new 500 gal tank...using ammonia or something else ?
    Hi David,

    I have 500 gallon fish tank pumping up to 40 gallon flood tank which floods into 4 by 16 gravel filled grow bed. I do not have plants in bed yet, but did add 3 gallons of pond water about a week ago to start bacteria growing. Is that the cycling you speak of?

    Thanks everyone for suggestions. Right now I am pumping out murky water and diluting it with clean, temperature correct irrigation water. Will that help? Or will the algae just keep growing?

    Best Wishes,
    Tom
    Filaree Farm
    WSDA Certified Organic
    Okanogan WA

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