[annc]

I am driving across country this summer--will take me 5 days. I'm taking my goldfish with me. They are currently outside in a 100 gallon tank with a biological filter, which obviously won't fit in my car. There are about 10-12 of them. I'm planning to put them in a 2 gallon tank with lid on the floor of the car, out of direct sunlight. At night I'll hook them up to a pump in the hotel to reoxygenate the water.
Is there anything else I can do to make sure they survive the trip?
Thanks for any advice.
A

[shazamataz]

Probably not the best idea sorry...

Even with a lid on the tank the water will slosh around and most likely stress out your fish over the course of 5 days.
Is there any way you can leave them with a neighbour or friend who will be willing to feed them?

[annc]

Well, I'm moving permanently, not just taking the fish on vacation with me. I couldn't find anyone I trusted who wanted them, and I really like my fish. Do you think they'll survive? The fish store people said they would...

[shazamataz]

Oh, OK, sorry I misread that, I thought you were just taking them on holiday :o

It is a risk but if you are moving then it might be a necessity.
I have never moved fish that far sorry...
Hopefully someone else here knows more about transporting them...
If not try asking your local pet store or vets, they might have some transport ideas. :)

[KISS]

I'd get a small inverter that plugs into a lighter to run an air pump and filter.

A 50-100 W may be all you need: 1-1000 Watt Power Inverters

You can use it to charge your cell phone too. If you go to about 150 W, then you could use your laptop.

Two gallons seems awefully crowded.

I'd consider a 10 gallon tank in the trunk with lighting or multiple smaller tanks and oxygenate and filter while the car is moving.

The sloshing will be stressful. A small UPS combined with an inverter could also work. This would keep the tank running for some time when the car is off. In this case the size of the inverter would need to be larger.

Make sure the Lighter power is off when the car is parked.

[KISS]

Here is a Google Search:

Google

Looks like overcrowding for goldfish is a big issue.

[GZDZ]

There are battery run air pumps that are cheap. But you need at least 10 gal. and avoid feeding daily they can be feed every other day and do not over feed as this will pollute the water and cause death. Also, bring a tap water conditioner and make some water changes daily as you won't be using a filter. Keep in mind goldfish are cold water fish, so don't let them get hot, bring a thermometer.

I have used the large storage containers w/lids sold every to move large koi. This might be a solution to bringing a tank of glass.