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Are you ready to move? Are you stressing out about how you are going to get your shrimp or fish over to your new place? Do you know how to move the tank from one end of your house to the other? Have you decided to buy a new, better tank for your pets and want to make sure that they will actually still be living to appreciate the change? Well, I am here to give you guys the tips you need to successfully move tanks. Stick around and I will tell you everything about this process.
Actually, it is not as hard as you might think. Make a plan, dedicate specific time to do it and keep everything as wet as possible. Following these rules will keep your shrimp, fish, and beneficial bacteria alive.
It sounds quite simple and to make it even easier I will give you details about moving different tank set ups. Without further ado, let’s start.
Depending on the situation these things can help you out in the moving process (links to check the price on Amazon).
Of course, it does not mean that you need all this stuff because every situation is unique.
The most important piece of advice that I can give you is to make a plan. Try to make a plan and picture the entire move in your head exactly how it is going to be. Ask yourself such questions as:
Think about all of these things beforehand. Once you do that it is going to help you out a whole lot. You will know what you need to do before you even get started.
I would like to start off by saying that you need to dedicate some time exclusively to moving your tanks. Do not move your tanks with the rest of your stuff. This is very important! If you move your tanks with everything else more than likely you will definitely forget something or break something in a hurry. You will be lucky if your tank is not going to completely dry out.
Basically, it will be significantly easier to do it on a separate day. However, if you cannot commit an entire day to do that, I would advise you to move the tank the last and put it up first on arrival. In this case, your shrimp and/or fish will not have to suffer and it is going to be a lot less stress on you and more importantly on your shrimp and/or fish.
The preparation for the move starts a couple of days before you actually move.
Note: Do not do that if you have a shrimp tank. Shrimp do not like big and (or) frequent water changes. Actually, it is a recipe for disaster. You can read more about it in my article “Dwarf shrimp and Molting problems. The White Ring of Death”.
It is completely another story with the shrimp. If you are moving a shrimp tank, you do not need to fast them because they barely add any waste to the tank. However, when they are hungry it is easier to catch them. I will talk about it later.
Note: If you know that your shrimp, snails, and fish will not have to spend several hours in buckets or bags, you can skip this step.
Tip: When you break apart your tank, you want to zip tie all the wires. Get yourself a label maker and label all your wires and where they go (filter, heater, air stone, etc). So when you unplug something, wrap it up zip tie it. It will not take you more than five minutes. However, it will be a lot easier when you will have to reinstall everything back. Especially, if it is going to do somebody else.
If you have rocks and driftwood in your tank it is important to take them out because if they tip or fall over while you are carrying the tank the glass can break. Thus, this is definitely something you do not want to happen.
Note: Personally, I would never do it but some aquarist leave rocks and driftwood in the tank if they are not too heavy. If you are one of them I can still help you. There are some of the ways that you can support your hardscape. For example, you can use bags filled with air, expandable foam, or bubble wrap. Crumple it up and I pack it all around every part of your scape. It will prevent any of your hardscape from shifting and possibly damaging the aquarium or damaging your scape. In addition, it will prevent the water from sloshing around from the move.
However, that stuff is not safe for your critters until it is secure so you would want to make sure you have them all removed. Nonetheless, it is an option, especially for really complicated stone escapes.
Important: Do not place rocks or heavy objects in containers that will house fish or shrimp, as they may shift and injure your animals.
Drain your tank water almost all the way down into buckets. Here comes another extremely important detail. Are you going to leave the substrate in your tank or are you planning to remove it as well?
The point is that you need to keep all that beneficial bacteria safe. If you do not know but these bacteria do not reside primarily in the water column. They occupy various surfaces (the filter media, the substrate, etc). In order to keep beneficial bacteria safe, you have to keep them in the water (not just wet). Therefore,
Warning: Keep in mind that substrates that have not been stirred up or clean regularly or very fine particles can contain anoxic bacteria or organic matter that can be toxic if released into the water.
I will repeat it once again because this is a very important part. You want to keep everything as wet as possible so that you do not kill off that bacteria. You do not want to break down the ecosystem in your tank.
Tip: You can clean the glass while the water is draining. Just do not use any soap or chemicals! If need be, you can use vinegar. Just be sure to rinse the tank very well and then be sure to use a water conditioner when you fill it.
Important Tips to Move the Tank Successfully1. Do not use tap water to keep things wet! 2. Use the air stone. 3. Understand the risks. 4. Do not use any containers that have held chemicals in the past since chemicals can leech into the plastic, and may poison your shrimp and/or fish. 5. Completely sealing off the containers can deplete the oxygen and suffocate your shrimp and/or fish in it. 6. If it is possible, put the driftwood and stones into a separate bucket with the tank water. 7. Although it is quite possible to move the small tank with some water in it, I would not recommend doing it anyway. 8. Do not leave a tank with dark painted background in the sun. |
There are several options here.
Actually, it is very easy to move a planted tank.
Next, we need to move your filters. Once again, the most important rule here is to keep your filters as wet as you possibly can. You want to make sure that the filter media does not get exposed to air for long and that it stays in the tank water.
Remember, if beneficial bacteria dry out they will die off and you are going to have to recycle the tank (read my article about fishless cycling). So whatever you can, keep it submerged in aquarium water.
If you are using hang on the back filters, disconnect the intake tube, lift the filter off the back of the tank and just keep all of the water that you possibly can in it. Do not dump it out! I know this is difficult to transport but you can put it in a big Rubbermaid tote. This way if it tips over it is not going to flood your car.
Another way is to take all of the media out and stick it into the buckets or fish bags with some tank water.
Basically, it is the same. Just unplug it and disconnect the hoses. Do not drain the water out of it. Carry it completely full of water over to the new place. Again, this way you can plug it back in fire it up and you are good to go.
Be careful because the water can slosh out and make a mess in the back of your car.
This is the simplest. Remove the sponges from the filter and put them in the bucket with the old water from your tank. Keep them submerged in aquarium water.
The main problem with moving shrimp is that there can be loads of shrimplets everywhere. Therefore, it is going to take forever trying to catch and pick all of them. Frankly saying, you are probably going to miss loads of them anyway.
If your tank is not too heavy and the trip will not take much time, probably the best way will be to leave your shrimp in the tank:
If your tank is too heavy and the trip will take some time (2 and more hours), packing them into plastic bags or fish bags would be the best option. You can put about 20 shrimp per bag. Do not forget to put something (for example, the moss) in the bags for them to hold onto and double bag them (just in case). If using fish bags, fill 1/3 with water and 2/3 air, or 50% water and 50% air.
As for trying to catch them, do not feed them for a few days. Put some food into a net on the substrate. The shrimp will group onto the food and then you can slowly lift it out.
Tip: if you have an active substrate, you might want to remove your shrimp. Lowering the level of water can significantly change your water parameters. Therefore, if there is something wrong that you can address it before adding the shrimp back to the tank.
I have already mentioned that substrates that have not been stirred up or clean regularly or very fine particles can have toxic gas pockets (Hydrogen Sulfide). You can read about it my article “Benefits of Snails for a Shrimp Aquarium”. Can you imagine what will happen if the toxic gases are released in such a small volume of water?
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to leave the fish in the tank during the trip unless:
In all other cases, you will need to secure your fish:
Note: Add an air stone so they do not suffocate. How do you plug an air stone inside a car? Battery operated. Purchase lots of batteries, depending on the length. Add bags of activated carbon in each bucket. Check fish and temperature at each rest stop. Carry ice and plastic heat pads in case you need them. If you are using fish bags, fill 1/3 with water and 2/3 air, or 50% water and 50% air. It would be better to double bag to prevent any punctures.
Tip: Do not keep your fish, shrimp, and snails near the doors. Especially, when it is cold outside and you are in and out all the time. Make sure you are going to put them in something that they can be in for a while where you are not going to have to worry about them.
There are some tips which I can share with you.
Frankly saying, if you have a fish tank, in this case, using old tank water is not needed, or even recommended. Consider it as a big water change. New, clean and conditioned water is the best choice.
It is more complicated if you have a shrimp tank. They do not like changes and the most important thing for shrimp is consistency. Therefore, I would use at least ½ – 2/3 of the original tank water.
Nobody likes to move the tanks. It takes a lot of planning, but with the right tools and tips, it is possible to do it safely and without any mishaps. However, if you have done the way that I have been telling you to do it, with keeping everything as wet as possible you should not have any problems.
