I Need To Dry Store My Aquarium

[Jules H-T]

I need to dismantle my 700L tank (if you're near Bristol UK check out my ad for fish), but I want to keep it and all the accessories because it won't be forever. It is likely to be dry for at least 9 months though.

I am concerned that I seem to recall reading somewhere that the seals could dry out and fail on tanks left to stand empty for too long. I can't find any references to that though, either here or on Google.

Can anyone advise? Is there any best practise for storing an empty aquarium?

Cheers,

Jules.

 

[Colin_T]

Silicon shouldn't be a problem if it is left to dry. I have had empty tanks sitting around for years and refilled them with no problems.

Do lots of gravel cleans or wash the gravel out and drain the tank. Rinse the tank out well and remove any algae and gunk from it. The cleaner it is when you pack it away, the easier it will be to clean later on.

Wash the filter out.

Once it is clean, put it somewhere safe and cover it in plastic. You might need to let it dry for a few days before you cover it in plastic. The plastic is used to stop dust collecting on everything in the tank. If it is going to be kept in a clean room without dust you don’t have to cover it.

 

[Jules H-T]

Thanks for the guidance. Broadly in line with what I had planned. Cheers!