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Moving tips

Falconwithaboxon

Fish Crazy
Joined
Sep 28, 2020
Messages
272
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Location
Michigan
I am moving into my first apartment and I was wondering if you guys had any tips for moving tanks. It's only a 15-minute drive but I am obviously still worried about my fish. I have a 45 gallon, 29 gallon, and 5 gallon. I am planning on just using a bunch of 5 gallon buckets. The 5 gallon tank will just have plastic wrap over the top since it is light enough to carry. From the 45 gallon, I am leaving out 10 gallons and doing a water change basically. The 29 gallon will be emptied while I work on tuening it into a pauldrium and the fish from that will be kept in the 45 gallon for the time being.
 
Moving house and having large fish tanks is a bit of a logistical nightmare, i have been through this process a couple of time and it does not really get any easier! :X

I find it best to plan well in advance and if possible ask if access to the property a day or two earlier will be allowed so that you can set up temporary tanks or even a few large clean plastic tubs or large containers with dechlorinated water, heater and a basic filters with media from established filters so that you can move the fish straightaway into those while you move and set up the large main tank/s. This would make things so much easier if access can be granted.

Or if you can have access to both properties, meaning not having to leave your old place striaghtaway then this will help greatly and give you much more time to do this move rather than trying to everything in one single day.

Moving the tanks themselves, well, there are a few ways of doing this, what I do is take some of the substrate into buckets, keep this substrate wet/damp so as to reserve as much BB as possible, and put some or all of the plants into fish bags with a little water and empty the tank as much as possible for the move itself.

If you try moving the tank with substrate and an inch or two of water, this CAN be done and I have done this before but done at your own peril (so stressful moving tanks in this manner tbh) as its so easy to crack the bottom pane of tank glass with the weight of substrate, plants and what little water is in the tank plus the fact the tank is heavy enough as it is when its empty, never mind trying to move tanks with the above in it!!

As we all know, setting up a tank is not a quick and easy job, so be prepared to put in a number of hours to set up the tank, but the fish should be fine for a day or two in the containers provided its heated and filtered. Don't feed them during this process btw, they will be fine without food for up to a week if nice and healthy.

An as for moving the fish themselves, I would advise purchasing or getting a number of varied sized fish bags from LFS or online and transport the fish in those, put in about one third water and a select few fish and fill up the remaining two thirds of the bag with air and tie off firmly and add a elastic band over the top of the knot, this helps ensure the bag remains inflated and no water to escape.

Put those bags into the buckets you have, cover with a towel or something as fish are less stressed in the dark rather than bright daylight.

There are a lot more to this but have tried to keep to the main points to keep it simple as possible.

Good luck with the move and do let us know how you get on.
 
I am moving into my first apartment and I was wondering if you guys had any tips for moving tanks. It's only a 15-minute drive but I am obviously still worried about my fish. I have a 45 gallon, 29 gallon, and 5 gallon. I am planning on just using a bunch of 5 gallon buckets. The 5 gallon tank will just have plastic wrap over the top since it is light enough to carry. From the 45 gallon, I am leaving out 10 gallons and doing a water change basically. The 29 gallon will be emptied while I work on tuening it into a pauldrium and the fish from that will be kept in the 45 gallon for the time being.
I helped a friend move a tank 40 miles across country and it all went without a hitch.

We bought a set of buckets with lids.
Beforehand, all moveable wood and rocks were removed and placed in a plastic box.
On the day of the move, as many fish as possible were caught and placed in the buckets, with water from the tank. (Water first, fish next, obviously :D ).

We manhandled the tank, with 25% water, plus some fish and plants, into the back of a van, onto a pile of blankets and buried the tank, under more blankets.
The buckets were secured next to the tank.

Steady journey, with tank carried into new abode.
Conditioned and warmed water slowly added to tank.
Fish in buckets added

No losses...all left to 'settle overnight.

Job done.
 
Moving house and having large fish tanks is a bit of a logistical nightmare, i have been through this process a couple of time and it does not really get any easier! :X

I find it best to plan well in advance and if possible ask if access to the property a day or two earlier will be allowed so that you can set up temporary tanks or even a few large clean plastic tubs or large containers with dechlorinated water, heater and a basic filters with media from established filters so that you can move the fish straightaway into those while you move and set up the large main tank/s. This would make things so much easier if access can be granted.

Or if you can have access to both properties, meaning not having to leave your old place striaghtaway then this will help greatly and give you much more time to do this move rather than trying to everything in one single day.

Moving the tanks themselves, well, there are a few ways of doing this, what I do is take some of the substrate into buckets, keep this substrate wet/damp so as to reserve as much BB as possible, and put some or all of the plants into fish bags with a little water and empty the tank as much as possible for the move itself.

If you try moving the tank with substrate and an inch or two of water, this CAN be done and I have done this before but done at your own peril (so stressful moving tanks in this manner tbh) as its so easy to crack the bottom pane of tank glass with the weight of substrate, plants and what little water is in the tank plus the fact the tank is heavy enough as it is when its empty, never mind trying to move tanks with the above in it!!

As we all know, setting up a tank is not a quick and easy job, so be prepared to put in a number of hours to set up the tank, but the fish should be fine for a day or two in the containers provided its heated and filtered. Don't feed them during this process btw, they will be fine without food for up to a week if nice and healthy.

An as for moving the fish themselves, I would advise purchasing or getting a number of varied sized fish bags from LFS or online and transport the fish in those, put in about one third water and a select few fish and fill up the remaining two thirds of the bag with air and tie off firmly and add a elastic band over the top of the knot, this helps ensure the bag remains inflated and no water to escape.

Put those bags into the buckets you have, cover with a towel or something as fish are less stressed in the dark rather than bright daylight.

There are a lot more to this but have tried to keep to the main points to keep it simple as possible.

Good luck with the move and do let us know how you get on.
Wow, these sound like some very good tips, especially the bags since I can have a bucket of just fish at the end while the tank heats up enough. I plan on doing each species in a bucket on their own. I don't really have anything to keep them warm so the move will be slightly more stressful sadly.
 
I helped a friend move a tank 40 miles across country and it all went without a hitch.

We bought a set of buckets with lids.
Beforehand, all moveable wood and rocks were removed and placed in a plastic box.
On the day of the move, as many fish as possible were caught and placed in the buckets, with water from the tank. (Water first, fish next, obviously :D ).

We manhandled the tank, with 25% water, plus some fish and plants, into the back of a van, onto a pile of blankets and buried the tank, under more blankets.
The buckets were secured next to the tank.

Steady journey, with tank carried into new abode.
Conditioned and warmed water slowly added to tank.
Fish in buckets added

No losses...all left to 'settle overnight.

Job done.
Thanks for the advice. I will keep this in mind
 
I moved a 500l 125g about a year ago and it was a nightmare my only advise is , multiple bags and multiple storage tubs to keep them ,I rushed my move and had a few injured fish other than that it was a success, I moved less than a mile and water source was the same so easy to just fill the tank straight back up , honestly it never goes to plan so you just have to take things as they come , keep the new apartment heated so temp isn’t an issue while you move , I’d just try and create an environment that the fish can survive a few days in tubs . If anything fails like craked tank your good for a few days to recover
 
I would not transfer any tanks with water or decor. Drain tank water into 5g bucke(s), catch the fish and transfer them - any plants, substrate, and decor go in separate bucket(s). Empty tanks are moved and setup with old substrate/decor and fresh, clean water of appropriate temperature. Fish are added, and then it's beer thirty! :)
 
See post #2 on the following link.
 
I am moving into my first apartment and I was wondering if you guys had any tips for moving tanks. It's only a 15-minute drive but I am obviously still worried about my fish. I have a 45 gallon, 29 gallon, and 5 gallon. I am planning on just using a bunch of 5 gallon buckets. The 5 gallon tank will just have plastic wrap over the top since it is light enough to carry. From the 45 gallon, I am leaving out 10 gallons and doing a water change basically. The 29 gallon will be emptied while I work on tuening it into a pauldrium and the fish from that will be kept in the 45 gallon for the time being.
I recently moved two tanks from sellers on Craigslist. The 90 G tank had 20 fish, cichlids & catfish. The guy was an hour away. We transported the fish in one 12.5 G Coleman Cooler. We added battery operated bubblers. We took 45 G of the water. Used lidded 5 G buckets from Lowe’s & one cooler.

Bought 2 axotles from 3 hours away. The 30 G tank was on a nice stand. Used the same buckets for the axies, water & subrate. Used the bubblers. All went swimmingly! 🐟🐠🐟🐠🐟

We do have an open 4x8 trailer that hooks up to our car. tanks wrapped in blankets & padding between tank & trailer sides.
tanks were completely emptied. Decor filters etc went in a large enough bin..
 
I would not transfer any tanks with water or decor. Drain tank water into 5g bucke(s), catch the fish and transfer them - any plants, substrate, and decor go in separate bucket(s). Empty tanks are moved and setup with old substrate/decor and fresh, clean water of appropriate temperature. Fish are added, and then it's beer thirty! :)
Oh, yeah, forgot to say we completely emptied the tanks I told you about.
 

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