Moving your aquarium can be a difficult task, but with a little planning, the correct handling, and the proper supplies your fish will make it to your new how with minimal upset. The tips which we have provided you within the article below should help you get through the process mentally and help alert you to any precautions that you need to take to ensure your move goes smoothly.
Moving the Fish and other Inhabitants
When moving the aquarium around inside your own home, net your fish and place them in a clean five-gallon bucket with plenty of aquarium water, carefully scoop out any invertebrates if you have them and place them in a small clear plastic container before you put them in the bucket.
When moving less than an hours distance from your home, bag your specimens individually the same way that your local pet store does. Once bagged keep the fish in the dark to reduce any anxiety that they might be feeling.
If moving a distance one to six hours away, you should bag the fish individually again, but this time you will need to add pure oxygen to the bags, These you can get at your local fish store. Make sure that you call ahead to see if there are any available and agree upon a time. Live plants can also be transported in bags, with some of the original aquarium water, wrap leaves in wet newspaper to keep them from drying out, or make sure that the plants are completely submerged. Preserve water temperature for your fish and other specimens by placing them, in their sealed bags, inside a seated cooler. Make sure that you test your aquarium water parameters after you move as there have been many unseen changes which you can only accurately spot by testing the water.
Preparation
Stop feeding your fish two days before the move. Establish a checklist of items that you will need at your new home, such as premixed saltwater or an ammonia-removing product. Make sure to get several clean 5 gallon buckets that have not contained chemicals or detergents. Designate a space close to the doors of your moving truck so you can have easy access to your aquarium and equipment. Your aquarium should be the last item you pack and the first thing you unpack. Make sure you move your fish separately from the aquarium.
Moving the aquarium
When taking down the aquarium make sure that you save as much of the water that you can. Use five gallon buckets to alleviate the stress on the aquarium seams resulting from the bumps and bounces that it will receive during transport. Keep your sponges and filter media immersed in some of the aquarium water, to minimise the disruption of the bacteria colonies that are inside them.
When you are moving for more than six hours, take out your gravel or substrate and bag it with some aquarium water, either clean or discard your filter media but please remember that if you choose to do this, you will have to treat your system as a new system when you start it back up. Make arrangements for your fish as you will have to cycle the aquarium and only a few hardy fish will be able to handle the cycling process.
If you want any more tips and tricks about moving, or you wish to schedule a date for your move, contact East Coast West Coast Express.
