How To Move A Fish Tank?

[PrairieSunflower]

We will be moving in just under a month.  I am selling my larger fish tank as I won't be able to move it safely without the risk of the bottom cracking.  But I have my betta tank left that I will be taking with me.  I don't know how to best pack it for the move.
 
We have a little Peugeot car and it will need to ride in the boot.  My tank is an Interpet Fishbox... how can I best pack it so it arrives safely?  Would I be best getting styrofoam from somewhere and constructing a shell for it?   Or should I have a hard bottom for the tank (I have the perfect pieces of old shelves) and rest that on top of pillows or such to absorb any shocks in the boot?  I have otherwise been planning to surround it with pillows and duvets to keep it from bumping around in the boot... but mostly I am worried about how to support the bottom of the tank.
 
 
Also... I have plants in a clay beads sort of substrate with gravel underneath.... is it possible for me to leave that intact and only drain the water?  It would be a big mess to remove and likely I'd have to entirely replace the substrate as the gravel and clay would mix up entirely.

 

[Gruntle]

I would say it depends on how big your tank is. I moved a 130l and a 200l about this time last year. I left the gravel in the 130l as it's a deep tank and would have caused me some pain to get the gravel out. Big mistake, as I then had to carry a quite heavy tank with an extra 20kg of gravel up a flight of stairs (for the trip home I removed the gravel).
 
For the 200l I learned my lesson and took the gravel out. Heavier tank, sore back from the 130l etc. I may be crazy but I ain't dumb.
 
If your tank is small enough you may not have to worry about removing the substrate, as long as the base is supported during the move.  As for supporting the base, it would be good if you could have a hard base (your shelves) that supports the tank in the same places as on its stand, so the tank shouldn't flex and potentially crack the seals.
 
As for moving the fish, may I suggest not feeding the fish for a couple of days prior. Less food = less waste = better water quality in the bag with the fish for the duration of the travel.
 
Keep your filter moist. Best of luck.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Thanks.  Yes, I could fully support and secure the tank to the old shelves if that is the best option.  My betta tank is about 10 gallons so not huge and almost a cube shape (rounded corners at the front).  We'd only have to carry it a short distance in and out of the car and not many steps.

The process itself should take about 2 1/2 hours from removing the fish to putting them back, so not too bad (I will be moving a betta, a few shrimp and a snail).  I've got a styrofoam box to keep their bags safe and the temperature more consistent... I don't plan to put in heat packs though as our car tends to be hot all the time.  I am also thinking it would be easiest to remove the filter media and keep that in a bag as well rather than the whole filter.

 

[RobRocksFishTank]

I can honestly say I've moved around hundreds of 10 gallon tanks some with water and substrate in. I wouldn't worry about supporting it, even with the substrate in it. There simply isn't enough weight to overcome the strength of the materials unless you start swinging it around your head. Just use reasonable care when carrying it, being careful not to bump into anything. A slight tap at just the right spot can crack the glass.
 
As to your larger tank, I'm curious. How big was it and why did you think you couldn't move it without breaking it? Was it defective in any way?
 
I'm assuming this is not an old steel frame, slate bottom tank. If it is, then nothing I said applies.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

That is reassuring.  I will be very careful.

My old tank was a three foot tank, quite old as I bought it secondhand originally too.  I has never leaked or anything but I just have the feeling about it that the glass just isn't as thick as it might be made today... like my 10 gallon tank feels a lot thicker to me.

 

[RobRocksFishTank]

For future reference and for anyone else that might be reading this:
 
I think you might be surprised to find out that even new larger glass tanks than are shipped without any packaging except for a cardboard wrap around the two small sides and the bottom. If I remember correctly, once you got above a 55 gal you might see some more cardboard around the top edge. As you can imagine, this little bit of cardboard was not for support but for protecting the glass. With the larger tanks, it was there to protect another tank if the moving one was to bang into another one as it was being moved. As long as the tank is empty, there really shouldn't be any problem with it supporting itself. They are designed to hold a lot of weight. Granted it's not moving when full but they can take some movement even when full. Unless you live in a single floor house built on slab, your floor probably moves even from walking on it.
 
(I say this from direct personal experience moving new tanks on a weekly basis as they came into the stores that I have worked at.)