3,895 answers about fish & aquatics
A healthy aquarium is a balanced one — water chemistry, filtration, stocking and feeding all work together, and most fish problems start with the water. This page gathers the fish and aquatics library of KinsLe Answers in one place, organized by topic for freshwater and saltwater keepers alike. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
245 answers in Travel & Boarding — page 6 of 11
With once-daily checks from someone who actually looks at the fish, the water, and the temperature, a healthy adult betta can be left for a short trip of several days to around a week, provided the tank was stable before you left and the checker knows the feeding portion exactly. The daily visit, not the calendar, is…
Transport each peacock cichlid in its own strong, dark container of tank water, because males in confinement will fight, and even females can be battered in a shared bag on a long journey. Keep the container insulated and cushioned against the thumps this muscular fish makes when startled, and have rockwork waiting at…
Transport a nerite snail in a small rigid container lined with a damp, tank-water-wet cloth or in a little of its own water, kept humid, dark, and at a steady temperature, because nerites travel better moist than sloshing and are champion escape artists. Check every lid, bag, and plant from the old tank before you…
Transport a kribensis in its own strong container of tank water, and if yours is a bonded pair, decide deliberately: together in a larger container with a divider-free cave for short moves, or separately if either is in breeding condition and likely to turn. Kribensis defend a cave fiercely, and confinement converts…
Transport ghost shrimp together in a rigid container of their own tank water with a piece of plant or mesh to cling to, because these near-transparent scavengers are easily crushed in a folding bag and panic without a foothold. Keep the container dark, level, and at a steady temperature, and count the shrimp out at…
Transport a firemouth cichlid on its own in a strong container of tank water, kept dark and steady, because a confined firemouth will flare at and injure a travelling companion and can tear a thin bag when it thrashes. Give it a cave or rock structure waiting at the destination so it can claim cover immediately…
Transport a discus in a tall, dark, insulated container of its own warm tank water with gentle aeration for longer journeys, because this deep-bodied fish is unusually sensitive to chilling, jolting, and water that drifts from the conditions it knows. Move it last out of the old home and first into the new one, keep…
Transport a convict cichlid alone in a strong, well-sealed bag or lidded container of its tank water, because this hardy but combative fish will attack anything bagged with it and can damage a flimsy container. Keep it dark and insulated, move it in the cabin rather than the boot, and give it cover and its own…
Transport a bamboo shrimp in a sturdy container of its own tank water with a piece of plant or mesh to grip, kept dark, steady, and at tank temperature, because this filter feeder cannot brace itself and stresses badly when it cannot hold on. Do not bag it loosely like a fish, and do not clean the container so…
Brief your goldfish's sitter on the emergencies with the highest stakes for this fish: filter failure in a heavily stocked waste producer's tank, a power cut, and a goldfish found floating, sunk, or gasping at the surface. Show them the battery air pump, the spare filter parts, and the vet's number, and authorise them…
Brief your betta's sitter on the three emergencies that actually happen: a heater or filter failure, a fish found on the tank floor or trapped, and a betta that suddenly cannot surface or stops responding at feeding. Show them where the spare heater, thermometer, and your vet's number are, what the normal temperature…
Transport a yoyo loach scooped, not netted: guide it into a smooth submerged container, then into a strong, double bag of tank water, because loaches have small spines near the eyes and snag easily in mesh. Check every cave and piece of wood before the tank is emptied, since a hiding loach is easily left behind.…
Transport white cloud mountain minnows in bags of their own tank water, kept shaded and cool in the car cabin, because this cool-water species shrugs off a chilly trip but suffers quickly in a hot vehicle. Unlike tropical tankmates, they need no heat pack, and a warm journey is the thing to plan against. Bag the group…
Transport tiger barbs in roomy bags or a lidded bucket of their own tank water, kept separate from slower or long-finned tankmates, because confinement sharpens the chasing and fin-nipping these barbs are famous for. Keep the school together so their energy stays within the group, fast them beforehand, and travel dark…
Move serpae tetras as one intact school, split across roomy bags of their own tank water so no bag is crowded enough to trigger the nipping this species is known for when confined. Fast them beforehand, keep the bags dark and at a stable temperature in the car cabin, and float and acclimate them promptly at the new…
Transport scissortail rasboras as a complete school in strong fish bags filled with their own tank water, sealed with plenty of air and kept dark, level, and at a steady temperature. These active rasboras are keen jumpers, so every bag and holding tub needs a secure lid, even for the short wait while the tank is…
Rummy nose tetras travel safely as a tight school in darkened bags of their own tank water, handled as the most water-sensitive tetras you own. Their famous red noses blanch when water deteriorates or the fish are shocked, which makes them a live gauge of how the move is going. Fast them beforehand, protect their…
Rosy barbs travel safely in generous containers of tank water that respect their size and energy, because an adult school is big, fast, and restless in confinement. Move the whole school together but split it across more than one container rather than crowding it into one, keep the water on the cooler side, and never…
Peppered corydoras are sturdy travellers that still deserve a planned move: transport the shoal together in tank water, leave air space for their habit of gulping at the surface, and do not let their toughness talk you into a long, fouling ride. They handle cooler water better than most corys, which helps on a cold…
Panda corydoras travel safely as an intact group in smooth-sided containers of tank water, because this small, social cory is stressed by isolation and its whisker-like barbels are easily damaged by rough surfaces and coarse nets. Fast them beforehand, keep their water scrupulously clean — pandas are less forgiving of…
Leopard danios are the easiest fish on your list to keep alive on moving day and the easiest to lose through a lid gap, because this spotted sprinter jumps at every opportunity. Transport them in a firmly lidded container or securely knotted bags of tank water, fasted a day ahead, and never leave their holding water…
Lemon tetras travel safely as a complete school in darkened bags of their own tank water, moved promptly and acclimated without shortcuts. Their lemon-yellow colour and black-edged fins fade when the school is split or the water swings, so keep numbers together, fast them a day ahead, and let saved tank water anchor…
A honey gourami travels safely in a dim, gently handled bag with plenty of air above the water, because this shy labyrinth fish breathes at the surface and startles at rough movement. Bag honey gouramis singly or in a calm pair rather than with boisterous tankmates, keep the bag upright and cushioned, and add floating…
A hillstream loach travels safely only when its transport water stays cool and richly oxygenated, because this flattened river fish is built for fast, airy currents and struggles in warm, still water. Use a wide, lidded container rather than a narrow bag, add a battery-powered air stone for any journey beyond the…
Can't find your question? Ask it here. We answer reader questions in KinsLe Answers — and we'll email you when yours is published.
KinsLe is launching soon — and the waitlist hears the date first. Join for launch updates and first access when the app opens.
We email you about the launch. Unsubscribe anytime.