How to move a fish tank safely?

Shifting a fish tank to new place is a difficult task that all fish keepers definetly face once they decde to move. Due to multiple reasons, it has become common to relocate to a new place. People plan to shift their household randomly, but you can’t make a sudden move with fish tanks. Transferring an aquarium demands a lot of care and patience. It’s not as simple as ordering your Fish. You can’t compromise with its care; otherwise, your established undersea ecology can be destroyed. Take all the precautions to keep them healthy and alive and to survive during the trip, whether it is long or short.

You need to understand the step-by-step process of moving or rearranging your fish tank. Many get confused about whether they should make this shift all by themseves or hire a professional. Numerous questions are associated with fish tank moving. Here, you will get detailed information regarding how to move a fish tank safely, what are the steps for it as well as tips to make a systematic and stress-free move.

Is it better to employ an expert or do it yourself?

Transferring a fish tank is not an easy task as we need to pay attention to a wide range of thing. If you are new and have recently brought a fish tank to your house and now have to move it to a new place, it is strongly recommended that you take expert advice. This is because there used to be multiple things to keep in mind while moving a fish tank to make a safe shifting of Fish. If you are well aware of how to move a fish tank safely, then you can take the chance to do it yourself.

However, you can hire a moving company that moves fish tanks with all care. To guarantee safe transit, professional movers will utilize specialized tools, including boxes, harnesses, and cushioning, that will complete an expert moving. When you get your initial estimate, always clarify to them what you’re relocating because several packers and movers have different policies for live animals. Also, discuss the charges and estimate each time. When you decide to do it yourself, read out guiding instructions and information related to moving a fish tank carefully.

Gather the Essential Equipment Prior to Moving

When going to make a Fish tank move, it’s crucial to gather all the essential equipment you’ll need to complete a smooth and efficient process. When you make early preparations and keep the essential equipment you make, ensure the safety and security of your aquatic pets. From sturdy containers to specialized materials, gathering the necessary equipment before moving your fish tank is an integral part of successful fish relocation. Check out the necessary items that are required for the fish tank moving and gather them one week before the day of the relocation.

1. Fish nets
2. Siphon hose
3. Container to transport water, bowls or bag
4. Wire strainer or colander
5. Water conditioner
6. Slime coat replacer
7. Battery-operated aerator
8. Air pump
9. Appropriate floor protection
10. Bubble wrap, Blankets, or other padding
11. Dry/Wet Vacuum
12. Hand cart or dolly
13. Leveling shims

Step-by-Step Guidance to Move a Fish Tank Safely

After having assembled and prepared all of your equipment, you can start moving your fish tank with a lot of care and time. The essential things that you should keep for Fish moving are lots of time and health assistance, as relocating an aquarium requires more than one person, regardless of how tiny the tank is. Moving a fish tank is a labor-intensive task that takes time to complete. It demands paying attention to tasks such as, from carefully removing the Fish into bucket water and all the décor equipment, and it isn’t finished until everything is back in place and functioning correctly.

Step 1: Do not feed your Fish

It is essential to keep in mind that you should wait 24 hours to feed your Fish before removing them from their aquarium. This will minimize the fish waste and will help healthy moving. Without a filter, this is low in their transient habitat.

Step 2: Turn off the tank and remove the equipment

The next step is to switch off and remove all the equipment from the fish tank, for instance, heaters, pumps, or filters, before starting the process of transferring it. Make sure that you remove these items with all care and protection by following the expert advice in transit procedure. Every aquarium contains these 3 types of equipment that require proper guidance in removal.

1. Heaters
2. Filter
3. Pumps

Step 4: Syphon water into containers

After that, you will need to fetch your water containers and syphon water from your tank into plastic buckets or boxes. Remember to transfer between 75 and 80 per cent of the tank water into your storage containers. Save some water for the time when you will transfer your Fish and plants into other containers. When relocating your tank to a new place, you can reduce the number of water changes by conserving it.

Step 5: Shift Fish to Transit Zar

Use your aquarium fish net to carefully grab and lift the Fish out of the water . Transfer the Fish from the fish tank and put them into a transit container for short time. However, it is always advised to remove Fish from the tank first before touching any other items because this may not be possible with large décor items like pirate ships, rock formations, or anything in between.

Step 6: Clear Plants and Decor Items

When you remove Fish from the tank, in the next step, you can remove live plants and all décor items. Take out the live plants carefully and place them in bags or containers filled with water. Seal the container well to avoid water spills and avoid the possibility of the plants drying out.

After that, you can take out all decorations from your fish tank, like faux plants, pebbles, ornaments, and anything else. Remember to keep all these items in watertight containers so that no box gets too heavy to lift.

Step 7: Empty the fish tank from water

When you have completely removed everything from the fish tank, you need to syphon out all the remaining water as much as possible. This will make sure that you are making the most excellent start when relocating your aquarium because you won’t have to spend much time changing water and preparing new water.

Step 8: Take off the substrate or gravel

Always pay attention to your every step of the fish tank. People mostly avoid removing substrate and gravel as it takes a little more time, especially when they are shifting to a short distance. The most comfortable and easiest method to transfer a fish tank is to remove everything from it. It will reduce the weight of the tank and make it shift quickly.

To extract gravel from an aquarium, you can use a plastic scooper, jug, or clean dustpan. After that, transfer the gravel to the following watertight containers. The important note that you can’t ignore is do not make any rinsing or washing y of tank substrate after removal.

Step 9: Move your fish tank

Lastly, it is time to move your fish tank as you have removed all the substrate, Fish, plants, water, and equipment as well. Prepare your place before your fish tank reaches the new location to avoid any hassle.

You should take out pebbles, sand, accessories, gravel, and everything else to empty the aquarium. Pack the fish tank with a cardboard box and polystyrene, and wrap it up with bubble wrap and tape so that the entire aquarium glass can be saved during shifting. Shift it and make sure to take care of all the Fish while travelling. Once you reach the new place, assemble everything and enjoy your safe, alive, and excellent fish tank in a new location.

Set up your fish tank at the new place

Have you shifted your fish tank safely to its new location? The next task is to reassemble that aquarium. As this takes time, make sure to get started as soon as you can. When shifting to a new house, preparing the fish tank should be your first step. Follow the guidance for making your aquarium ready for your Fish.

Firstly, spread the aquarium substrate evenly around the base. After that, put any décor element at the top.

1. Set every piece of equipment, such as a heater, pump and filter in the aquarium, and switch it on after adjustment. Make sure the water reaches the proper temperature, especially for the heater. Take sufficient time to add the Fish.
2. You should prioritize your Fish to shift into the aquarium and put all the steps secondry. You can take another day to set your plants into the fish tank if you have a lot of plants, but it may take a lot of time.
3. The most crucial step is to reintroduce your Fish to their tank. Before releasing your Fish into the water, let them float on the water’s surface for about 45 minutes if they were shipped in bags. In order to reduce stress levels at this point, you can turn off lights for a few hours.
4. To make sure the tank is complete at the proper level, you need to top off the water as needed with dechlorinated water. You can take Tetra’s Aquasafe Dechlorinator if you don’t have one.
5. Notice your tank for about a month to check if the water quality is maintained and your Fish and plants are healthy.

Tips to complete a safe shifting of Fish

When we have to move to a new place with our fish tank, we have to prepare ahead. It is not just normal shifting; you will have to pay attention to extra care to make a safe and secure shifting with Fish. Here are some instructions to follow when thinking about the moving your fish tank safely and to keep your Fish happy and healthy during and after moving.

1. Make sure you plan and give yourself enough time to execute the move with proper planning and care.
2. Save proper time for shifting your tanks, which will help you to reduce stress and make a hassle-free move.
3. When you are shifting your house, remember to pack the fish tank in the last after completing all the packing, and when you reach your destination, make sure to unpack your fish tank first. This should be done at the very first.
4. In the week of moving, change partial water randomly to maintain the quality of water.
5. Also, add a bottle of bacterial starter to the tank to assist a bacterial population that was adapted after the move.

These are some tips that you should keep in mind while moving a fish tank to a new place. It is a big responsibility. You can’t take it lightly or plane suddenly. This can badly impact your Fish.

FAQs ( Frequently Asked Questions): How to move a fish tank safely?