moving day: should I do WC before or after?

[Rudustin]

Need some opinions. I have five tanks and eighteen discus in various sizes. I need to move the discus to appropriate tanks according to their size so that feeding and water changes become more compatible to the age and size of the various ones I have. Tomorrow is moving day for all of them. My question is should I change water in all the tanks first or move them and do water changes in all the tanks after? The water tests exactly the same in all tanks. My gut feeling is to move all of them first before the water change let them get settled for a day and then do water changes after they have been moved. I feel like it will be less stressful that way. Looking forward to your opinions. Thanks. Rufus

[Second Hand Pat]

Rufus, I tend to move fish during a WC.

[Rudustin]

Sorry Pat but I still don't understand. You move them while you are doing a water change?

[Rudustin]

I know I sound a bit stupid in that last post! LOL! I just wanted to clarify. I have a lot of moving to do. I just recounted and I actually have over twenty five discus. Mostly Juvies and six adults and two sub adults. I've needed to do this for some time.

[Keith Perkins]

Yes, pull your water levels down to where you normally do during a WC putting some of it into 5 gallon buckets. Pull the fish you want out and put them in the bucket while you're working on the subsequent tanks. I tend to add the fish back when the tank is half to three quarters full to help prevent the fish being added freaking, jumping and ending up on the floor.

[Second Hand Pat]

Yes Rufus in the receiving tank. For you this may not be possible. Just move them, do the WCs and leave for a day to settle.

[Rudustin]

Thanks for the advise! Have a lot to do. Take care. Best regards. Rufus

[Second Hand Pat]

Be prepared to get wet Rufus.

[Rudustin]

Pat, LOL! If you are keeping Discus you need a wet suit. It's okay I was snorkeling for ten days in French Polynesia so I don't mind getting wet!

[Second Hand Pat]

Rufus, I have a wet suit. I love to snorkel and go scuba diving. However I do not wear the wet suit for catching discus. :) A long handled net and a couple towels work...or for moving fish cross country in the house...I will set the fish, net and all, in a clean empty bucket for the trek to its destination tank.

[Rudustin]

Pat, you would have loved Tahiti! I snorkeled every day on every reef of every island we went to. Amazing fish and so unafraid of humans. I even found a stone fish, one of the most deadly creatures in the sea if you touch it or step on it. It was in an eco-lagoon that I was allowed to snorkel in. It wasn't supposed to be there so I was asked if I could net it from the keepers. It got in to the lagoon and they had been tracking it for about a week but it kept alluding them. I got him and they put him back into the open sea. This particular eco-lagoon actually raises aquarium fish without having to pull them out from the wild. They get fed constantly with live cubes of tuna. So I fed them quite a bit. They were so cool! No worries about me transporting fish in my 1600 sq. foot apartment. Asphalt floors, no carpeting since I started keeping fish so no worries about how wet they get nor me. Best regards. Rufus

[Keith Perkins]

That's a cool story about being asked to net the stone fish...well done.

[ericatdallas]

I just match temperatures and plop them in... I suck :(

[a volar]

Either way will work.

[Rudustin]

Cool! I will do the moving tomorrow and take everyones opinion and consider it all and then do it my way! LOL! Just kidding. Thanks for the input. Really appreciate it. Yeah the Stone fish was really freaky looking!

[OC Discus]

Seems it would be less stressful to do the water changes before moving them, in the tanks they are already in. Then, when you move them, the stressful part is over. Just keep lights off for an hour or so. Then feed their favorite food. I suppose it would be easier to net them with tanks half full. This must be what Pat is talking about.

Rufus, do you work with fish for a living? Snorkeling in Tahiti sounds like a dream vacation. Have you also caught your own wild discus?

[Tazalanche]

We do the move during a water change too. Drain some of the water into a 5 gallon bucket & transfer from tank to bucket to tank.

[Rudustin]

Yes, that is exactly what I'm planning to do. Have to go hardware store for some buckets and sanitize them correctly. No I do not work with fish professionally. I love to snorkel and I was on my dream vacation in French Polynesia for fourteen days. Wish me luck today the moving day!
Seems it would be less stressful to do the water changes before moving them, in the tanks they are already in. Then, when you move them, the stressful part is over. Just keep lights off for an hour or so. Then feed their favorite food. I suppose it would be easier to net them with tanks half full. This must be what Pat is talking about.

Rufus, do you work with fish for a living? Snorkeling in Tahiti sounds like a dream vacation. Have you also caught your own wild discus?

[Rudustin]

Thanks to all of the suggestions on how to move my fish to different tanks on this thread. I took everyone's suggestions including your's Pat. Did lower the water levels in all the tanks. I had cleaned all the tanks the day before and did partial water changes and one major big wc for a juvie tank and now all are settling into their various tanks. The easiest part was netting them. I bought several large nets so I wouldn't have to chase them so much. Thanks again to all. Rufus

[Second Hand Pat]

Sounds like it when smooth Rufus and glad all are settling in their new homes. Pictures after everyone settles. :D

[Keith Perkins]

Sounds like it when smooth Rufus and glad all are settling in their new homes. Pictures after everyone settles. :D

Indeed.

Glad everyone moved smoothly. I often think it's a lot more stress for us moving fish from tank to tank than it is for the fish.

[Rudustin]

<a href="http://s1332.photobucket.com/user/Rudustin/media/IMG_1140_zps33e7542d.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w615/Rudustin/IMG_1140_zps33e7542d.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_1140_zps33e7542d.jpg"/></ahttp://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w615/Rudustin/IMG_1144_zpsb1f488e6.http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w615/Rudustin/IMG_1114_zpsb5c7f165.jpg (http://s1332.photobucket.com/user/Rudustin/media/IMG_1114_zpsb5c7f165.jpg.html)

[Rudustin]

http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w615/Rudustin/tankchange1_zpsc3c965eb.jpg (http://s1332.photobucket.com/user/Rudustin/media/tankchange1_zpsc3c965eb.jpg.html)

[Rudustin]

http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w615/Rudustin/IMG_1114_zpsb5c7f165.jpg (http://s1332.photobucket.com/user/Rudustin/media/IMG_1114_zpsb5c7f165.jpg.html)

[Rudustin]

Some of the discus moved. I'm still terrible taking pics. Sorry but you get the drift.

[Nick Klimkowski]

Your pics look fine, glad they are settling.

[OC Discus]

Nice Blue Diamonds. What is the secret to that dark blue?

[Tazalanche]

Nice Blue Diamonds. What is the secret to that dark blue?Genetics, care & lighting?

[Rudustin]

Nice Blue Diamonds. What is the secret to that dark blue?

I must admit that they came to me that way from Hans. The one on the right is nearly as big as the Jumbo Dark Angel and the Blue Pigeon.

[Rudustin]

Here is some more pic from moving day.http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w615/Rudustin/IMG_0083_zpsd4bed87f.jpg[/URL[URL=http://s1332.photobucket.com/user/Rudustin/media/IMG_0074_zps25dc8579.jpg.html]http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w615/Rudustin/IMG_0074_zps25dc8579.jpg[/URL[URL=http://s1332.photobucket.com/user/Rudustin/media/IMG_0065_zpsf26e3ae5.jpg.html]http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w615/Rudustin/IMG_0065_zpsf26e3ae5.jpg[/URL[URL=http://s1332.photobucket.com/user/Rudustin/media/IMG_1154_zps42621cd1.jpg.html]http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w615/Rudustin/IMG_1154_zps42621cd1.jpg (http://s1332.photobucket.com/user/Rudustin/media/IMG_0083_zpsd4bed87f.jpg.html)

[Tvd/Tlc]

Hi there great pics! You have beautiful fish. So have you tried to pair up any yet?

[Gixxert]

Wow Rufus, Your fish look great. You are obviously taking great care of them. I may be a little bias but I love the Stendker adults and Jumbo's.