Moving an entire aquarium to your new house

If you are an owner of pet fish and relocating soon, you may be worried about moving your entire aquarium. Moving fish, in a large amount of water over a turbulent road, is something not many people fancy doing. But as expert movers with moving over hundreds of glass wonderlands, we can tell you it's not as hard as it seems.

Even if you are not hiring professionals to move, with proper planning it’s a task you can do on your own. Following this strategy will help you keep your fish and aquarium safe before you set them again in the new house. So follow this guide to help you through the process.

Moving an aquarium

To move an aquarium there will be some tools and essentials you will need. Some of them you may have laying around in the house, including:

• Some nets
• Insulated polystyrene fish transporting box
• Dechlorinator
• Containers to transport water
• Containers to transport decor
• Battery-powered air pump
• A scoop or plastic measuring jug
• Bubble wrap/old towels/old blankets

When planning on moving your entire aquarium you should set aside a whole day for the process. Since this is a task that will need your attention throughout. It can be stressful for you and your fish if you combine other tasks on the same day. The trick is to be calm and collected and to concentrate your full attention on the task.

1: Pack and wrap

Now you won’t be able to pack the entire aquarium just like that. The fish, decoration, and tank each need their separate packing for transport.

On the day of the move, don’t feed your fish. Next, remove the heating from the aquarium as well as the filters. After that, you need to remove all the decorations from the aquarium including all plants, stones, shells, and other decorative items.

Now lower the level of water in the tank because it will help you to catch the fish more easily. Using the nets, gently catch the fish and scoop them out of the water and into the insulated polystyrene fish transporting box, one by one.

After all your fish is safely inside these boxes, you can give them some feed to calm them and set them aside. Now that all your aquarium parts are separated, give everything a good clean before wrapping them up. For all delicate items such as the glass of the aquarium use bubble wrap. Pack the decorative items separately and label the box.

2. Transport

Place the insulated polystyrene fish transporting boxes gently in your transporting vehicle. We recommend not to place them in the trunk if the journey is long. Instead, place them inside the car and adjust the temperature of the vehicle.

Drive at a slow pace and avoid turbulence.

3. Put together

Now that you have successfully reached your destination, you will have to put together the aquarium so that you release the fish back into it. Place the aquarium and decoration and fill it up with water, keeping the water at the desired temperature.

Next, fix the filters and the heaters and use the de-chlorinator. After an hour, when the temperature is right for the fish gently scoop them back into the aquarium. You should feed them once they are settled in.

If you are busy, or just can’t get the hang of the process, contact professional removals to do the job for you. With years of experience, they will move your entire aquarium seamlessly.