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HOW DO I MOVE MY AQUARIUM SAFELY?

How to move a fish tank safely from one place to another to ensure that its inhabitants survive the move and the aquarium itself will not be damaged? Most important rule: it is impossible and dangerous to move an aquarium full of water. First, a full tank is very heavy. Secondly, during the move, water splashes from side to side and presses the walls of the trunk, the glass can explode under this pressure, and aquarium plants, along with fish, will suffer.

Before you pack your aquarium for transportation you need to:

• dismantle the aquarium
• turn off all equipment
• remove decorative elements (stones, sand, castles, etc.) and pack them separately

If the aquarium is not empty and contains inhabitants and plants, it is especially important to plan the precise time of your trip. Preparation of the inhabitants begins shortly before departure, so fish spend as little time as possible under stress and at risk of oxygen lack. Therefore, first prepare all materials for the future packaging of the aquarium tank, equipment, and inhabitants. Discuss all details with the moving company if you are planning transportation by professionals or plan a specific time for your individual trip.

How to transport an aquarium with plants?

First, you must clean the volumetric capacity. Keep the roots of algae and other plants moist, take it in bags with some level of water. If the moving is not long, place (without rinsing) the filter media in a hard, clean, sealed container. Keep the filter media wet, but do not dip it whole in water to keep the bacteria alive and avoid acidification without oxygen circulation. Heaters, pumps, and other items must be carefully packed.

Before moving the aquarium, it must be packed into a separate cardboard box of the appropriate size. It is necessary to protect the walls of the tank with heavy-duty cardboard and secure everything with tape. Small bowls can be filled with paper and wrapped in bubble wrap to provide additional wall protection.

How do I pack a large aquarium for moving?

Moving large aquariums of more than 300 liters require specialized knowledge and experience.

• possible to carry a large tank with a volume of up to 500 liters by holding it at the bottom
• highly undesirable to touch the walls of aquaria
• unlikely to find a box for such a volume. Use cardboard sheets and tape them over the walls by creating a crate with multiple fragments.
• better to entrust such work to professionals.

What to do with fish during moving?

When thinking about how to move to a large aquarium, you should also think about how to transport the inhabitants safely. Most recommended are transparent containers that do not have sharp corners: it is more convenient to monitor their condition in it.

Cold-water fish withstand migration better in winter and warm-water fish – in summer. In any case, the water temperature should not exceed the optimum for the fish varieties:

• 12-18 degrees Celsius – for cold-water fish
• 23-29 degrees Celsius – for warm-water fish
• Carrying density per 1 liter – up to 10 fish + up to 2 cm long

Fish are much easier to survive if moving in the dark, thus cover the transparent containers with a thick wrap. Such conditions can reduce fish metabolism and oxygen consumption.

Helpful tips:

• Stop feeding the fish a day before moving (do not feed them during the move as well) 2-3 hours before the move, place them in freshwater, the temperature of which is 2-3 degrees lower than usual – this increases peristalsis and accelerates bowel movement.
• Place fish in containers or bags just before shipping.
• The volume of air in the bag should be 2 times the volume of water.
• Calculate the travel time correctly as the oxygen supply lasts only about 3 hours.
• Special antistress solutions for fish also can be added to the water.
• If the move occurs in the winter, protect the containers, or place them into a heat-protective bag.
• Do not put plants and fish in the same bag!! Plants emit carbon dioxide in the dark; in a small bag capacity, this can be a critical drawback.

What to do after moving?

Now you know how to move an aquarium. However, it is important to place the item in the correct position at the new location. It is necessary to wash the tank thoroughly and fill it halfway with “old” water, and then add fresh water to the required volume.

Place the soil, install the equipment, and carefully plant the plants (if you move it correctly, the soil should be wet), add water from the bags to the aquarium.

Place the wet filler media in the aquarium, plug it in, and when the water in the aquarium is at least half full, put the filter into operation.

Plants and fish are having a hard time getting into the water with a different chemical composition, so first, empty the contents of the water bags from your aquarium that we recommended you prepare. Then add portion-wise settled water at room temperature.

Take your time transplanting the fish. Pour settled water into the bags for transportation in small portions every 15-20 minutes. After an hour of such procedures, the fish will slowly adjust themselves for a new ‘’home’’

After releasing the fish in the aquarium, do not feed them during the day. It will take 2-3 days for PH and carbonate hardness to be balanced.

For a successful aquarium move Contact our company.

We have special equipment and skills for moving aquariums of different sizes.