How to Move Your Aquarium

A fish tank can be one of the more difficult parts of your move. It is hard work to keep the balance of life working in your tank. Moving it improperly can upset that balance.

Not only is moving the lives in the tank tricky, aquariums are generally difficult to move due to being heavy and easily broken. Here are some tips to successfully move your aquarium to your new home.

Prepare the Temporary Tank

In order to move your fish and plant life, you are going to need a temporary home for them during the transport. Moving fish can be a shock their system, so you want to try to keep their temporary home as close to their current environment as possible. This means you want to use water from the current tank. You will want to move the fish as quickly as possible to get them back to their home.

Make sure to select a container that will be big enough to house all of your fish. Once you have their temporary home selected, you are going to want to make sure that it is clean and chemical free.

Once your move tank is clean, start by syphoning off some of the current tank water and placing it in the temporary home. You might also want to take some free stems from any plant life you have in your tank and place it into the transport container.

Move Your Fish

Once there is enough water in your moving tank, very carefully move the fish into the new tank. Make sure to use a fish net that has been soaked in your tank water to move them. The idea is to not shock the fish’s system too harshly, so take your time and take care.

Drain the Tank

Once your fish are moved, you want to syphon off the rest of the water in your tank. If your tank contains plant life you may need to uproot it. This is not necessary if you have a fresh water tank.

Carefully syphon off the water until you have just enough left in the tank to keep your gravel in place. You don’t want to drain the tank completely. In order to preserve as much of the fish’s environment as possible, you may want to save the water and transport it with you. If this is not possible, you will have to recondition your water once you get to your destination.

Move the Tank

Now it is time to move. Remember, the seals on an aquarium are delicate. Be sure to have enough people to handle the weight and move the tank gently. Make sure that it is loaded and secure in the moving truck. Be sensitive to temperature. You do not want to change the temperature of either of your tanks too much, or you risk killing your fish.

Rebuild your Tank at your new Destination

Once you arrive at your destination, place your tank where you would like it to stay. If you saved the water from its old location, carefully refill your tank using it.

Remember to go slow and do not disturb the gravel. If you need to use new water, remember to condition it before placing your fish in their new home.

Long term moves of a fish tank may require a professional’s assistance. In the Creston area, contact Kootenai movers for any assistance you might need in moving your fish tank!