How do I move a five gallon tank from one place to another?

Question

The two places are not that far from each other. I have two Black Tetras, one blue tetra and one white tetra. How am I suppose to move the tank??

Answer 1

1. Remove the fish
2. Empty water saving some in a large bucket
3. Move tank
4. Fill tank with saved water and new water
5. Treat water
6. Replace fish

Answer 2

Well, it depends on how far is a "not far from each other." You do need to remove most (but not all) of the water. Water weighs about 8lbs per gallon so your 5g tank would weight about 40 pounds of moving water which can stress your tank causing the glass or acrylic to crack or break, maybe making the caulking shift so the water starts leaking. So empty about 3/4 of the water out (and the fish, put the fish into a temporary holding bucket or jar or something and put a lid of some sort of in so the fish don't jump out, use the tank water in the bucket/jar). Keep the filter and gravel and decorations and stuff in the tank so the beneficial bacteria don't die. Then pick up the tank from the bottom (support the bottom). Then after you've moved it, refill either with the same tank water you removed earlier (if the tank wasn't ready for a cleaning yet), or with clean water, restart the filter and heater, make sure everything is still working correctly, heater is keeping a steady temp, etc. Float the fish in the tank to equalize the water temps, release the fish. If you're moving somewhere that entails packing it up in a car/truck, then put your fish in fish shipping bags or in a bucket or something you can easily carry that has a secure cover. The bags will insure that your fish don't get bruised (the fish in the bucket or container can slam against the sides).

Answer 3

Empty half of the water out of the tank but leave the fish in. You can do this like you would be doing a water change so you might as well vacuum the gravel etc., then make sure all equipment is unplugged and removed if neccessary so as not to trip on any cords, and just pick up the half full tank, fish and all, and place it in its new spot. Then fill with half new water to complete a water change in the proccess, or just add back the original water as long as you save it in a clean bucket or gallon jugs when you siphon it.

I have a 5gal tank myself that I have moved a couple times while it was half full of water and fish. If you are very careful and don't slosh the water around in transport, your fish shouldn't get too stressed or will recover quickly as soon as the tank is full again. They are not too heavy to lift and carry a few feet or across a room and the bottom glass is tempered and will not crack under this weight. If you are uncomfortable with this weight, then take a little more than 50% of the water out and save some to add back in. Or get some help from someone a little stronger if available. Make sure, of course that your fish are completely covered in water with some to spare and that you start filling it back up ASAP! This is important to reduce stress. Do not waste any uneccessary time!

Answer 4

The safest way would be to put the fish in another temporary container, empty about 1/2 to 3/4 of the water (so there's less weight in the tank) move the tank, fill with new water, and put the fish back. Consider doing a good gravel vacuuming while you're removing the water, and consider this your water change for the week.

Just be sure to keep enough water to keep the gravel and filter media wet, so you don't disrupt the beneficial bacteria in the tank.

Answer 5

Move the fish to a large bag or clean bucket with the same water from their tank, drain the tank until you can carry it, set it back up, check the temperature of the bucket and bowl to make sure they're the same and if so, put your fish back in. If the new spot is in a cooler part of the house, float them in a bag for 10 minutes or so beforehand.

Answer 6

Put some of the water in strong polythene bags..put the fish in the bags and blow air into them and tie the tops up then put them some where safe. You will need 2-3 plastic buckets then tip the rest of the tank water in them. You should be able to move the tank to its new place...but be careful..

Answer 7

Put the fish in a temporary container while quickly emptying the tank, move it and fill it while activating the pumps. . . . .then add the inhabitants. Make sure the temp is the same and the water purity is maintained in the new location.

Answer 8

So you are moving to a new city?


It's very possible to move your fish.



What you'll need for the move:

Styrofoam boxes
Large plastic bags
Small rubber bands
5 gallon buckets with lids.




Packing up the fish.

First you'll want to go to your local fish store and ask them for styrofoam boxes. Often they are very happy to get rid of them. You could ask them if you could have a supply of plastic bags as well. You'll want 2 bags for each animal, and a few spares. Most stores will give you some bags, but some will ask you to pay for them. The price is nominal and normally around $.05 - $.10 per bag.

Next you'll want to get a bag or box of very small rubber bands. Some stores use these and will be happy to give you some as well.

To prep the fish for moving you'll want to stop feeding 1-2 days before the move. This will clean out their systems of food and waste. This is very important as you want to minimize the ammonia that they will release during the move.

On the day of the move you will want to save the tank tear down for last. You'll want to take as much water with you as you can, so user the 5 gallon buckets with tight fitting lids and fill them with water from the tank. This will drop the water level in the tank. Ideally you will want to take about 1/2 of the water from the tank with you. The more you can take the better you will be.

Now for your fish. You'll want to take a plastic bag and put enough water to cover the fish into the bag. Do not fill the bag, you want a minimal amount of water and lots of air. Now catch one fish and put it into the bag. If you are moving small fish such as tetras you can put in more than one into the bag.

You'll need to seal the bag to hold as much air as possible. To do this you "fluff" the bag and then grab the very top of the bag and twist it. The result should be a balloon like bag. Now rubber band the bag very tighly and slowly turn it upside down to ensure that they water will stay in. Now insert the bag rubber banded end first into another plastic bag and seal that bag with a rubber band. This is called double bagging and is the safest for your fish.

Place the bag vertically into the styrofoam box. Repeat for all animals in the tank. Once the boxes are full close them up tightly and cover with a blanket/towels. You want to keep the fish warm for their trip, but not hot. If it is very cold during the move you can put some chemical "hand warmers" into the boxes to help keep them warm.

Now finish emptying the tank. Place all rocks and gravel into buckets to take with you.

Typically well packed fish can survive 12-24 hours in the bag, but obviously it's best to keep it as short as possible.

Pack everything and hit the road.



Unpacking your fish.

When you get to your new house you'll want to make sure you set up the fish tank first and fill it with the water you took with you from the old house. Fill the rest of the tank with tap water and treat with the appropriate water treatments for chlorine/chloramine. Install the heater and filtration and let the tank run while you unpack your other items.

Once the tank temperature gets to the correct temperature you can start to release your fish from their bags. How you release your fish is up to your personal preference. Typically I will float the fish in the tank for about 15 minutes to let the water temps equalize and then I simply open the bag and empty out the water and fish into the tank. You don't have to worry about emptying the water from the bags into the tank because this water came from your tank originally.

Now keep an eye on your fish to ensure that they are acclimating to the tank and finding hiding spots. Once you feel the fish are settled in you can resume feeding them their normal diet.

Answer 9

You pick it up at point A carry to point B and put it down again.

Answer 10

empty most of it