# Driving cross country...what to do with my bettas?



## OMB (Nov 6, 2011)

I'm moving at the end of the next month, driving cross country from AZ to MD. I'm in a dilemma - should I bring my bettas with me? I have an older VT and a young CT. 
Do you think they could make it in a 2000+ mile car ride? I could also try shipping them? I'm concerned a bit since my VT is a bit older (got him from craigslist and he came to me with bad finrot - he looks great now, almost a year later but I can tell he had a hard life prior) and has been slowly getting less and less active, seemingly weighed down more by his tail now. 
Any advice would be great including HOW i should either ship or bring them with me. I think I'll be driving for at least 3 days with stops here and there. I've also thought about giving them up...but that kind of scares me too ..as I want to make sure they are taken care of the way they deserve to be.... help! (thanks in advance!)


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## Purple (Jun 25, 2012)

How long will your trip be? Bettas can survive 3 weeks without food, probably more.


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## OMB (Nov 6, 2011)

the trip will take at least 3 days of driving.... 
what about the jostling around with the movement of the car? will it cause a lot of stress?


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## Purple (Jun 25, 2012)

You could keep them in jars/bags in a cooler with newspaper or bubble wrap wrapped around them. Heat packs are a must. Make sure to use tank water, not fresh water. They're less likely to be stressed that way. Whichever you use, make sure to only fill it 1/2 of the way. This way they have room to breathe. Some people say that you shouldn't feed your fish during your journey or a few days before to reduce the risk of constipation or SBD.

Sorry about my first post, I thought you were just going on vacation.  Don't give your fish away just because you're moving. People ship fish across the country with absolutely no supervision with success all the time. You might want to call a LPS and ask how they ship their fish.


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## OMB (Nov 6, 2011)

thank you so much for your advice! I'm more concerned about my older VT's stress level. I think shipping might be difficult because I think I'd have to send them overnight - but I won't be at the destination until at least 3 days later. 
If it's a 3day trip - should I change out the water (with tank water) every day to get rid of ammonia build up?


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## Purple (Jun 25, 2012)

You should probably keep them with you on the trip there, not send them, unless you have someone to send them to. I think you would be better off not doing that. You want to keep it as stress-free as possible. Since they won't be pooping/eating it might not be that bad.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

Yes, they can make the trip. I took mine from Alaska to New York - which was 10 days of driving and only 3 hotel stops. The most important thing is tempature. Since my trip was in the dead of winter and during an extreme cold spell - I kept them under 3 blankets with the heat on full blast ALL THE TIME. We're talking -40F temps for 1/2 of the trip. Sadly 20/24 died in the yukon due to an open window and my fish were under the damn window :evil:. The survivors moved into my lap for the next 8 days. I had all my fish supplies within easy reach so I could do water changes at the hotels and I had a 2G storage container that i let them swim in for a bit in the hotel before putting them back into their cup. 

If they can survive the alaska highway, they can take any road in the country - just keep the window shut.

This is what the survivors were in, and under like 5 flannel blankets.









Fish chillin in a hotel someplace in canada









Dog not happy to be sharing his mommy's lap with fish









did i mention that I also had a dog and chinchilla on this journey >.<

SInce your trip is from AZ to MD and its summer, I'm not sure heat packs would be a good idea.

I wasn't the driver but if you are doing the driving, I would put them into a cup - maybe a coffee cup with a lid so you dont have to worry about bags and getting fresh air. Secure the cup into a small cooler or something. I originally had petco cups taped into a cooler but since the number went from 24 to 4, i moved them into the little rodent carrier since I wasn't using it.


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## OMB (Nov 6, 2011)

Tikibirds : I read some of your story when I did a search on these forums on this subject. So sad! Will the jostling of the water be okay? Not too stressful for my elderly VT? I'll make sure to only fill their containers halfway full so the water won't spill out but I know there will be A LOT of bumps along the way the route we're going. Should I just use like mason jars with a lot of holes poked in the top - and change the water during our overnight stops? I'll make sure to keep them warm in our a/c car with some of those hand warmer pads. I was thinking of putting the jars inside a box to keep them dark during the majority of the drive. Is that helpful?


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## OMB (Nov 6, 2011)

Woah - those pics weren't there when i was typing that up! thank you - that's helpful! So putting them back in their plastic cups and filling it only halfway should be okay. Do you think I should add anything to their water to help with stress relief? I wont feed them a day or two prior to the drive. 
The car will be blasting with air conditioning most of the time...so maybe I'll just bring some of those heat packs along and see how it goes. Maybe if I keep them in the back far enough from the a/c they wont need them. 

thanks for the pics and advice! really helps and I'm feeling much better about not having to give up my babies.


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## OMB (Nov 6, 2011)

and cute Eskie!! definitely does not look happy to have to share your warm lap! lol !


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## LizzyP (Jun 21, 2012)

Welcome to MD!

Keep in mind, it is hot here these days, probably not as hot as AZ, but the temps today are in the 100s. You'll be wanting the AC in the car, but make sure bettas stay warm. The hand warmers sound like a good idea, just make sure you replace them when they stop working.


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## OMB (Nov 6, 2011)

LizzyP: Thank you! Funny, everyone on the east coast or near to MD have been warning and/or apologizing to me about the weather once I tell them I'm moving there. It must be really bad! I've been there twice - but none were during the dead of the summer (early May and late Aug - right during the last hurricane). 100s here in AZ aren't as bad because there's very little humidity. You just realize it's really hot once your skin is searing!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'm going to have the same dilemma this time next year. I'm hoping to be able to take my bettas with me but if we end up flying then I won't be able to take them.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

make sure you have gallons of the water with you. I am using aged water for my bettas ,so you can just put water conditioner in a gall and take it with you in case you need it. I would think if you transfer them in those little cups you will need to change the water every day. Also you can have them in side of the styrofoam box and put bubble wrap or newspaper, or clothes around their cups.


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## LizzyP (Jun 21, 2012)

OMB said:


> LizzyP: Thank you! Funny, everyone on the east coast or near to MD have been warning and/or apologizing to me about the weather once I tell them I'm moving there. It must be really bad! I've been there twice - but none were during the dead of the summer (early May and late Aug - right during the last hurricane). 100s here in AZ aren't as bad because there's very little humidity. You just realize it's really hot once your skin is searing!


It is hot and humid, making it even more miserable. But like everyone has said, if you pack them well, I don't think they'll move around too much. I would set out multiple gallons of water to move them in, plus take a small container to get them out at hotels to swim, maybe a large Tupperware container? I think a lot of hotels use city water, which might be rough on bettas, so take gallons of "home" water with you.


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## puppyrjjkm (Aug 2, 2009)

I just did a trip like this in May from Montana to North Carolina. I put my 5 boys in 1/2 gallon mini tanks and set them behind the front seat of the car on the floor. Only fill the tanks half full, to prevent sloshing. My oldest VT was put in a 3 gal kritter keeper, also half full, with 3 african dwarf frogs. At night, I brought them into the hotel and plugged heaters in overnight. Fed in the mornings. It took us 3 nights and 4 days in the car, didn't do any water changes mainly because we didn't get to the hotels till 10-11 at nights and left by 8 in the mornings, but I was shocked how well they did. I wouldn't use the cups they are sold in, too small of a space and if keeping warm is a concern they can't move around much. But they all survived!! Best of luck!


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## vaw103 (May 21, 2012)

How big are their tanks? I move my boys back and forth my college; I have a 5 gallon and a 3 gallon. It's only 3 1/2 hours of driving, but same idea 

I take out half of the water from the tanks, and I have an adapter that lets me plug heaters into the car. So even with the air on, they're nice at toasty with a constant temperature 

Here's a link to show you the adapters that I'm talking about:
http://www.walmart.com/browse/auto-...&fromPageCatId=3947&ic=48_0&ref_values=126098

Some of them are expensive, but there's a handful of them under $20:-D


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## OMB (Nov 6, 2011)

So DO or DON'T use the cups they came in? It'd be much easier if I could use it...but I can also see if it is too small of a space. I could probably use mason jars with holes in the lids then, right? Another thing is I don't have much space in my little car with the stuff I'm already packing it with. 

What do you think about feeding? Should I stop before the trip (how long before) or do I feed each day at the stops? I think the trip will be about 4 days, 3 nights. 

Everyone is recommending bringing gallons of water with me. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to fit all that in my car for the trip. Is it really important that they get out and have swim time? Even if they are in a slightly bigger jar than their cups (mason jar-ish)?


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## OMB (Nov 6, 2011)

vaw103 said:


> How big are their tanks? I move my boys back and forth my college; I have a 5 gallon and a 3 gallon. It's only 3 1/2 hours of driving, but same idea
> 
> I take out half of the water from the tanks, and I have an adapter that lets me plug heaters into the car. So even with the air on, they're nice at toasty with a constant temperature
> 
> ...


 

thanks for the car adapter links..that's a good idea. but I think I'm going to try for something smaller for the trip so think the heater would be too strong. they currently live in a divided 6.6gal glass tank.


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## puppyrjjkm (Aug 2, 2009)

I would not use the cups. Mason jars with lids would be bettr if you don't want to buy separate tanks. I didn't take any bottled water with me, seemed like too much of a hassle. I would place the mason jars inside the empty 6.6 gal tank then just place some towels/blankets on top and around the jars so it's dark so they are less stressed. I fed my boys like normal leading up to and during the trip. Maybe just 2 pellets while on the road just to have less waste in the jars. I didn't give the fish separate swim time. Personally if their water isn't cold I don't see any need for it. Seems like it would just stress them more moving them around.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

It's really up to you if you want to use their cups or mason jars. I used their cups and it was a ten day journey.

I had 2 gallon jugs with pre-treated water but it froze in the backseat, so I just used Canadian hotel water for the changes. Just make sure you can easily access their supplies. Also, if you can get a syringe or turkey baster, you can use that to get poop out of the cups without water changes. I also had their tank theomoters with them so I knew how cold/hot it was. I think I only feed them in hotel stops so they only got fed 3 times in 10 days. Or maybe I fed them 1 pellet a day. I don't remember. 



> Is it really important that they get out and have swim time? Even if they are in a slightly bigger jar than their cups (mason jar-ish)?


 I had their stuff in a 2 gallon storage container, so I let them each have like 1.5 hours at each hotel to swim free. I don't think it's necessary though. 

Also, you will be on paved roads, I was on the Alaska Highways for like a week - which was nothing but snow and ice for like 2000 miles. VERY bumpy. I'm sure they did not like the sloshing around, but they survived. I don;t think it would be much different them shipping them via plane with turbulance and whatnot. 

The biggest concerns would be:
1) tempature
2) water quality

water changes are easy at hotels but keeping the temp good for them might be a challenge. Even in the backseat it can get too hot or too cold.



> Tikibirds : I read some of your story when I did a search on these forums on this subject. So sad!


 I was very sad when I found most were frozen . However, I was able to save some here from pretty dire conditions since I had the extra space and that made me happy. I just wish my fav guy had survived


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## OMB (Nov 6, 2011)

thanks everyone for your advice - so very helpful! I've decided to bring them with me in mason jars and will pack them in their empty tank along with those hand warmer things and towels/bubble wrap. 

ok now how do I bring the driftwood I have with the live plant attached? Do you think a water soaked hand towel wrapped around the roots would be enough?


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## puppyrjjkm (Aug 2, 2009)

That sounds like a good idea for the plant/driftwood. When we received live plants at petsmart attached to driftwood they were just in a sealed bag with very little water. Can't guarentee it will survive for sure but it is better than nothing. In my kritter keeper with one of my bettas I floated all my live plants and they survived.


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