Many of us wonder what to do with our tanks, or how best to move our aquatic pets whenever we move house. Before you do anything, spend some time in planning the activities. I have here attempted to jot a few helpful pointers to consider while planning.

How far (long) are you moving? Without additional oxygen & filtration your fish can survive in a bucket /container only for few hours, so it is very important to understand how long you need to keep them in transit.

Where will you place your tank at your new home? It is advisable to decide the location of your tank at the new location. Please consider the fact you need electrical points, access to water (entry/exit) and get the best view of the aquarium. For more details on the location choice you may read the article on Select your aquarium location

Do you have a large bucket/container to carry your fish? You can minimise the stress by carrying maximum water with your fish. So the bigger the container is better for your fish. You can carry your fish either in open top containers or in plastic bags.

Option 1 (open top container): For smaller duration/distance, I will recommend a plastic storage box or dust bin with cover/lid (15 gallon or more). In the UK you get them in most retail stores and costs about £5 (GBP) but I am sure you will get something similar at any other place. I prefer this option because your fish can breath from the top and also when you reach the new location just plug-in the electrical equipments and your fishes will be safe for few days and you don’t have to hurry up to release them to the tank.

Note: Although I recommend to use new (or used only for fish) containers for transportation, you can use your existing containers. Please make sure you wash them without any soap or detergent and don’t have any dirt on it.

The number and size of buckets are completely dependent on size of fish, number of fish and how long you need to keep them in a bucket.

Option 2 (Plastic bags): If you want to use plastic bags then approach your local fish stores (LFS) and ask for transportation bags and rubber bands. If you are travelling a long distance you should pack your fish with extra oxygen. For this the LFS may charge you some money but would be highly recommended for long distances.

As option 1 is my preferred method, I will describe this method. Most of it will remain applicable for option 2 as well.

On the day of move:
--> Ensure your transportation container is washed with fresh water only (no soap/chemicals).
--> Fill up the container with aquarium water up to 30%.
--> Move your plants (if any) to the container, this will give hiding place to your fish
--> Move some aquarium gravels into it.
--> Move the power filter, air pump and the heater to the container and keep them running
--> If the water in your tank gets dirty in the process of removing plants and gravel then leave it for sometime to settle down.
--> Now without any plants, it’s easy to catch your fish and transfer them to the container. Make sure you cover the container with lid/cover because some fish will try to jump. Since you are using the same aquarium water, you can add your fish directly to the container.
--> Now you can fill up the container up to 50% but consider the fact that you need to lift and load the container on a truck so fill it up accordingly.
--> Store & carry as much as aquarium water in separate containers
--> Now transfer the gravels in a separate container and add some aquarium water so that gravels are immersed in water otherwise the gravels will get dry and kill the useful bacteria.
--> Now you are ready to move but your fish are safe with filter/heater & air

While transporting:
--> Just before moving the tank, disconnect and remove all electrical connections. You can leave the electrical equipment inside the container
--> Carefully load the container and fish to the transport vehicle.
--> Please be aware of the outside temperature can be very hot or cold. So keep an eye on the time that you are taking to load your other stuff.
--> If your journey is more than 2 hours, take a break and lift the lid to allow fresh air and then cover it.

At your destination:
--> Once you have decided where to keep your fish container, take the container and if you have carried extra water in a separate container then, add them to the fish container and reconnect all the electrical appliances.
--> Now your fish are again safe and can stay in that container for a few more days.
--> Setup your Aquarium with gravels and add any extra water from the old place.
--> You may take some water from the container to reach a minimum level.
--> Transfer the plants to tank
--> Transfer the electrical and allow them to run for 30 minutes so the water gets filtered & the tank temperature reaches the desired level.
--> You can directly introduce the fishes to your new tank once the temperature difference between your tank & container water becomes negligible, otherwise follow the standard procedure for adding fish by matching temperature.
--> If your tank is not filled up to the minimum level then add tap water till it reaches the minimum level.
--> In next few days you can top up your tank by adding fresh water. That way your fishes wouldn’t be stressed too much.

Here are few Dos/Don’ts to remember:

Do’s
--> Carry your substrates or filter materials submerged in the tank water, when you introduce them to the new tank add the same water (don’t worry if they look dirty, because all you need are the bacteria)
--> Add some floating plants on the carrying container which will provide hiding space for fish and reduce stress
--> If you have lot of plants then carry them in separate tank or plastic bag. This will prevent or minimise the damage to your plants

Don’ts
--> Do not use any container used for chemical or construction work. They may have harmful residual and may harm/kill your fishes
--> Don’t allow your internal filter or gravel to dry up, this will kill the useful bacteria and you may have to recycle your tank
--> Don’t carry all the fish in a single container especially if they don’t get along very well. You may find one is injured by the time you reach your new location.

You can follow the same above procedure in case of accidents like crack in the tank or just moving the tank inside your house. Remember one thing, lesser the stress, healthier your fishes will be.

Hope you will find this article useful

Good Luck

Deepak
We Love Our Fish Tank