Habitat - Indoor :: New Journey

[BabyNemo]

We finished the ATBA today, and I think it'll hold out for a few months then I'm making a plexi glass one.
This one is a black egg crate, meshed with the like... soft mesh. The top opening of it is covered with galvanized chicken wire, and the lights sit on top. THe ramp is temporary until I can think of something else, its chicken wire with soft mesh wrapped aroujnd it a few times so he can't get cut on it.

How long should I wait for him to use it and if he doesn't how long should I wait before I just switch back to his old one? Thanks

[steve]

Try leaving some food up there to see if he's going for it.

[BabyNemo]

Try leaving some food up there to see if he's going for it.

All right I'll put a trail or something in the morning!

[BabyNemo]

We're wanting to repaint my room. How do I go about moving a 55 gallon tank, with turtle and fish, out of my room, to paint?
Or how do I go about this?
A lot of guidance is needed

[steve]

Drain all the water and take everything out of the tank. Unplug the heaters about 10 minutes before you start draining. I'm not sure which filter you have, check to see if it has a "close" valve.

[BabyNemo]

What do I put Nemo and fish in? I don't have another tank to house them in while room is getting painted and the fumes are being settled.

Could I setup some kind of container outside for Nemo to get some natural light for the few hours?
How long does it take for paint fumes to get out of a room with two+ fans running to push it out the window?

Will the plants be okay with being out of the water for a few hours, or should I put them in a container with tank water in the sun for the time being?

I heard that if the paint is a certain kind, then putting plastic wrap or a sheet over would help to keep the fumes out.
But, I've also heard horror stories of someone doing that, painting a room, and fish everything else die within months.

And the filter doesn't have a close valve. It's the Zoo med Exoterra external canister filter FX-200.

Heaters off, filter off, what about sand?

Sorry for so many questions, I'm supposed to be painting in the next few weeks and I'm super nervous about all the animals.
Thanks.

Edit:: I just looked at the tank and we lost one of the new Cory Catfish, and one is missing.

[steve]

Do you have any clean buckets, like those homer buckets from Home Depot? Interior paint fumes clear up pretty quickly, it should only take a few hours. Leave the plants with some tank water. Being in the sun should be fine. Sand you can leave in, though it will add weight to the tank so move it carefully. Any type of decorations, figures need to be out of the tank.

[BabyNemo]

Do you have any clean buckets, like those homer buckets from Home Depot? Interior paint fumes clear up pretty quickly, it should only take a few hours. Leave the plants with some tank water. Being in the sun should be fine. Sand you can leave in, though it will add weight to the tank so move it carefully. Any type of decorations, figures need to be out of the tank.

I was going to pick up some buckets, I have one that I use for tank cleaning to haul water. I could put fish in there. For Nemo, I will come up with something like a kiddy pool on our back screened in patio for him to bask in natural sun for a while.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to think of something to move the tank. I know they make those... Rolly cart thingies for moving heavy objects like that?

I've got my dad who is strong, but he's the only one that would be there to help

[BabyNemo]

Nemo still hasn't been using his ATBA. Should I start basking him myself? How long will he be okay to go without basking?

[steve]

A 55 gallon is not too bad, what's the stand like?

[BabyNemo]

A 55 gallon is not too bad, what's the stand like?

The stand is a black metal frame, it took me and a grown man to move it into my room.

[steve]

Try to entice him with some treats or food up on the basking platform.

[BabyNemo]

Try to entice him with some treats or food up on the basking platform.

I gave up, the tank is still filled up about 4 inches from the top, but I DIYed a mesh cover over his regular plastic basking platform until We're done remodeling my room, and until he's bigger. Then we're going to build a plexiglass/wood ATBA for him. Now he's back up basking all the time.

[BabyNemo]

The tank moving is two days away and I'm still not sure what I'm going to put Nemo in. I'm worrired about the temperature of the water dropping too low, the temporary change schocking him, and just over all what to put him in. My mom suggests a 5 gallon bucket but then he couldn't bask, I was thinking maybe a see through tuppleware container?

[steve]

How long will tank moving take? How long do you think you need to get it ready from start to finish?