How to Move A Fish Tank

Moving on Monday

There are some items in your house that need special handling during a move.  A piano and grandfather clock are two of these items.  Another is a fish tank or aquarium.  These are risky because the fish need to be transported alive, but can't travel in the tank itself.  The movers can't move an aquarium full of water.

Unlike dogs and cats that be placed into a crate, fish need to stay in their environment.  The closer your new home, the easier the trip.  But you still need to take precautions. The aquarium should be one of the last things emptied in the old home, and one of the first items to set up in the new house.

Ideally, you will want to take as much water with you as possible to lessen the stress on the fish.  Use clean five-gallon buckets with lids.  Use these buckets to hold the fish and plants as well as the water during transport.

Remove as much water as possible from the tank.  You may need to remove some of the gravel, depending on the size and weight of the tank.

Once you arrive at your new home, set up the tank as quickly as possible.  Start by attaching all the equipment, but don't turn on the heater or pumps yet.  Place the gravel into the tank, then the plants and other decorations.  Start replacing the water from the buckets, leaving enough for the fish.  If you don't have enough water to fill the tank, add de-chlorinated tap water. 

Finally, place the fish into the aquarium.  Let the tank sit for 30 minutes before turning on the pumps or heater.  Over the course of the next several weeks, replace 10-15% of the old water with water from your new home so the fish can slowly get used to the new water.