Call Us
Pay OnlineHow to Move a Fish Tank
Posted on: October 15, 2018 | by: admin
While fish can be extremely low maintenance pets, moving a fish tank is no easy task. The only thing more fragile than the glass aquarium filled with rocks and plants are the fish inside. And while moving can be stressful on you, it can also be stressful on your fish. In order to reduce the amount of stress your scaly friends experience, it is important to properly move the fish and the aquarium. Find out how below!
How to Move a Fish Tank Short Distance
- Slowly Change the Water: Five days before your move, change out about 20% of the water in the tank. Repeat this everyday leading up to your move until the water is clean.
- Use Buckets and Lids to Move Water: In order to make it easier for your fish to acclimate to the water, keep the water from your old aquarium. Buy 5-gallon buckets to transport the water from your old home to your new home. Put all of the aquarium rocks from your tank in a separate bucket.
- Keep Sponges and Filters Immersed in Water: Avoid disrupting the bacteria colonies in the filters and sponges by keeping them immersed in water during your move.
- Keep Plants Submerged: Always keep the plants submerged in aquarium water.
How to Transport Fish when Moving
In order to minimize the stress on your fish, your fish tank should be the last thing you pack the day of your move.
- Let the Fish Fast: Two days before your move, quit feeding your fish. This will not only help to keep them as stress-free as possible, it will also help to keep the water in the tank clean.
- Bag the Fish: Each fish should be placed inside of its own bag. Fill the plastic bag one-third of the way full with aquarium water. Rubber band the top of the bag to keep the water and fish inside.
- Decide if You Need Oxygen: Depending on the length of the move, you may need to put pure oxygen inside of the bag. If you’re moving further than an hour away, visit your local pet store and ask them to add pure oxygen into the bag.
- Unpack Your Fish First: Once you get to your new home, plan to unpack and set up your fish tank first.
Store Your Fish Tank with us Today!
Look, as we stated earlier, moving your fish can be an extremely stressful experience for them. If you are moving far across the country or have fish that are more fragile, you may decide that moving your them just isn’t worth the stress on both you and the fish. There are many good ways to find a new good home for your fish. Many mom and pop pet stores will gladly take orphaned fish, or you can sell your fish to another fish fanatic.
If you decide to move to your new place and leave your aquatic friends in the care of someone else, you may be looking for a location to store your fish tank or aquarium until you can add new fish. A storage unit is a great solution for storing a fish tank because it allows you to keep your tank close to your home and in a secure location.
Lighthouse Self Storage has traditional and climate controlled storage units in Whittier, CA, Westminster, CA, Carson, CA, Homestead, FL, Fort Lauderdale, FL and West Palm Beach, FL. We also opened a new self-storage facility in Cooper City, FL.
Reserve a 5×5 storage unit for storing a fish tank or aquarium today!
Contact Us