How do you move a fishtank?

Question

If I want to move a fishtank to somewhere else in my home, how do I do it? It's very heavy even though it's only a 10 Gallon, and it obviously can't be carried. Also, how would one move a fishtank to a new home? I was thinking of purchasing fish that last for a while, but I don't think I'll be in the same house for 15 years.

A bucket won't hold that much water. ShoudlI put as much fits in the bucket, and dump out the rest? Isn't it a bad idea to get rid of so much water that they're used to?

Answer 1

I buy a 20 liter jug of water at the local grocery store. Use it to do a partial water change, dump out the remaining water and use the empty container to store the fish tank water. I leave a few inches of water in the fish tank to keep the substrate and plants wet. I once moved my tank to the cottage (2 hour drive) and left about four inches of water in the tank with the fish still in.

Answer 2

personally what i would do if i had a 10 gallon tank is siphon the water into 2 5 gallon water jugs that i use to do my water changes while keeping the fish in a water filled container (bucket,bag ect.) and move the tank. if you dont have anything that will hold 10 gallons then you can wait untill a water change and only have to transfer 5 gallons of old water to the new location . as for moving to a new house a ten gallon tank set up shouldnt be too hard unless the trip is going to take more than a day. you could get a 5 gallon paint bucket wash it very well so that no paint res is left or (im assuming the fish wont be very large considering its a 10 gallon tank) a five gallon water jug but make sure to keep the lid. when you get home you can cut the top off the jug and dump the fish right into the tank or if some other things are more pressing you can use an air compressor to get some oxygen flowing into the water untill you have time to get your tank set up....just some ideas

Answer 3

Try to save as much of the water as you can... go to a discount store of some sort and get a few cheap buckets. You really don't want to a huge water change and shock the fish. I had to move my 10 gallon tank years ago, and I only emptied it half way and had two people move it to the next room. I didn't even take the fish out. It was fine. We were just VERY careful not to jostle the fish around. But for larger tanks, you can't do that.

For moving to a new home, there are methods for transporting fish. You can move the water in Rubbermaid tubs or similar, and the fish as well. You don't feed them for a day, then double or triple bag them with some of their own tank water inside styrofoam coolers, and trap some air in the empty space and seal them up. I had to transport a 55 gallon that I was selling and that's what I did. It worked fine.

Answer 4

We just moved our 55. That was fun! no...it was heavy.

Save as much of the water as you possibly can. We had 3 five gallon buckets. We also used water pitchers, vases, anything we had laying around. (BE sure it is clean- no soap, chemicals...)

I wouldn't leave your fish in the tank when you move it we put ours in one of the buckets. We even had eggs in a log. Mama protected them even in the bucket (Cichlids).

Empty out most of the water, we left an inch or so above the substrate.

Most people sell their fish back to a store when they move out. We moved a year and a half ago. We moved my x-large ornamental goldfish who have been with me for a while. Ms. Dempsey also came- she's our baby girl. The rest of the fish were traded in. This also allows your tanks to re-cycle a bit with less of a bio-load.

When you move them some people use coolers others use buckets. They also sell battery operated filters and air stones for the car trip.

Answer 5

I personally went through this same dilemma, but I was moving a 29 gal. I would go to walmart and get another 10 gal tank for like 10 bucks, that way you could save the water. You could set on a bathroom counter and put all your fish in it while moving the tank. Then put back half the water in the tank once you've moved it then put the fish back in, then the rest of the water. As for moving put the water in a big tub or a lot of smaller ones then bag the fish like they do at the pet store and you're ready to move!

Answer 6

HOW TO MOVE AN AQUARIUM
Tips on how to move your aquatic friends.
The best word on moving fish (and in this discussion, fish includes all aquarium animal life)
beyond very short distances, is DON'T. Travel is very stressful on fish, and even with the best
precautions, you should expect to lose several. Given this is true, you may want to seriously
consider selling off your stock and getting new fish at your destination.
If, given the above, you still want to try to move fish, then the following may help to minimize the
pain and loss of fish.
The task of moving fish basically splits into two tasks: moving the tank, and then (later) moving
the fish. Do not attempt to move the fish in their tank.
Moving the tank
The main problem in moving the tank is the filtration system. After a very few hours (less than a
day) without a flow of oxygen-laden water, aerobic bacteria start to die. This means that if you are
moving a short distance (an hour drive or so), it may be possible to preserve your bacteria colony.
But beyond that, you'll need to restart the bacteria. (No, bacteria don't die after an hour, but you
need to account for tear down, packing, unpacking and setup time — totaling only a few hours.)
This leads to the following process:
1. Put your fish in a holding container.
2. Drain your tank. If the move is going to be short, preserve some of the water to help
preserve the bacteria colony.
3. Disassemble your tank. Aquarium plants will survive a fair amount of time if their roots
are kept wet, so it should be possible to bag them with some water and set them aside
for hand-moving. If the move is going to be short, put your filter medium in a sealed
container (preferably a never-used pail or other chemical-free hard-sided container)
without cleaning it. For long moves, either clean or discard your filter media. Pumps,
heaters, etc. can be packed like any fragile appliance.
4. Move your tank. Don't use a moving company or professional packers unless you have
absolutely no choice AND you can supervise them packing the tank and loading it in the
truck. It's far better to move it yourself.
5. Reassemble your tank at your destination. If you're doing a short move, you should have
enough dechlorinated/treated water available on arrival to fill your tank and get water
moving through your filter. If you're doing a long move, then set your tank up as if it were
a new tank, including a week-long delay before putting fish in the tank. Initially, put in a
few hardy fish to get the nitrate cycle established. After the tank is stable, put the fish
from your old home back in.

Answer 7

I just bought a 55gal with some big fish in it from a private party. We removed all the rock and decor, put the smaller fish in a covered bucket of water from the tank and drained all but about 5 inches of water out of the tank. When transporting the tank, they slopped around a bit and jumped pretty high, but they all survived. They were in stressful conditions for about 2 hours before I got the tank completely moved and set up but they all survived so far and it's been about a week.

Answer 8

have the fish tank be the last thing you break down and move and have it be the first thing you set up and do when you get to your new home. just drain the water half way and you'll need someone to help you carry it. if not put some of the water in a bucket with the fish and drain the tank completly andmove it. when you get tothe new home put freash water in the tank use anti chlorine drops to help purifie the water. the fish should be fine for about 3-4 hrs tops be gentle with them so that you don't stress them out too much.

Answer 9

empty the fish tank completely or you risk stress cracks
put fish in bucket with tank water, move, when you arrive at new location, set up the aquarium, add fresh water and treat it for
chlorine, etc let it run for a little while and then add your fish
you can get battery operated air stones to keep in the bucket of fish if they will be in there for a length of time or if the weather is too warm Good Luck

Answer 10

I had and bred fish for years i was renting so moved all the time.I would have a spare tank with just a filter and heater,empty their normal tank right out except for about 4 inches on the bottom to leave the bacteria so it can grow in the clean water. Set up spare tank and get water right before u take them out of normal tank to put in tempory one Clean the tank that is now empty,take to new house set it up and get your water same as before shifted the fish.Then put them in it is that easy.