Transporting betta over long distances...

[Fenghuang]

I am going to college out of state in the fall and I am going to dorm. When the time comes, would it be safe to pack my bettas up and move them with me? How should I do it? The distance would take an entire day driving...a good 15-16 hours. Or more depending on weather conditions, stops, et cetera.

I don't trust anyone in my family with my bettas, especially after my parents said that it was wasteful to set a separate fish tank with a heater and filter for them and that it would have been just fine and a lot less expensive to house them in the same tank with our pet turtle.

[Sena Hansler]

If you can get them, heat packs are handy. Personally I'd bag them, and pack them much like I would if I were shipping them (styrofoam lined box). Fish during shipping last up to a week or longer so a day's drive may only have them stress a little, but they will be fine.

[dramaqueen]

That's what I'm planning to do if we end up driving to Texas. I'm going to buy shipping bags and pack them as if I was going to ship them.It will probably be more stressful for me than the fish. Lol

[Fenghuang]

So, you guys would recommend bags over, say, rigid containers like small plastic kritter keepers?

[Sena Hansler]

I find in a container it sloshes a lot more. Had bought fish, three were in bags the others were in cups and the ones in the cups were more distressed.

[Fenghuang]

Oh, okay, so just fill a plastic bag partially with the tank water and the betta and twist the top tightly shut? I'll do that, thank you.

[Sena Hansler]

Yes, you want enough water to allow the fish to move, but have the bag 1/3 air. Placing them with towels inbetween themselves if you have more than one, and placing in a box snuggly works :)

[MattsBettas]

What if you used a collet instead of a box?

[MattsBettas]

Sorry I meant cooler. Autocorrect fail!

[Sena Hansler]

Collet? it is technically a holding device... A cooler might work, just be warned of the temperature inside the cooler gets colder than the vehicle, it holds that temperature a little too well. But you'll probably check on them anyways