Every home needs that one spot of tranquility. Many find that in aquariums. When the relocation time comes, knowing how to move a fish tank can prove indispensable for quicker settling in once you get to your destination. Stay with us for a short, but comprehensive guide.
Preparatory Steps for Moving an Aquarium
Be they furry or scaly, moving with pets requires special care in every step of the process. Make sure that both your fish and their habitat are well prepared and protected for the move. As ever, preparations should begin with adequate packing materials.
Get Buckets and Other Supplies
Supplies and packing materials for moving you’ll need are for one part much the same as for any packing. There should be boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, foam sheets, and duct tape. So far, so ordinary.
Then we come to the specific items. You should also have a siphon hose, a couple of 5-gallon buckets, plastic bags, and fishnets. Once you gather all those, you can move on to the next step.
Prepare the Fish for Moving
Your scaly friends are a lot more sensitive to the changes in their environment than cats or dogs. They require very careful handling if they are to reach the destination safely.
Begin the process by not feeding them for a day or two. Have no worries, for they can survive without food for quite a while. That’ll provide enough time for water to clear out for the trip.
How the animals themselves will travel depends on their size. Smaller specimens can go in plastic bags if the trip is very short. If the animals are bigger and trip longer, they should go in buckets. Whatever the mode of transport, it’s essential that they travel in water from their tank if they’re to avoid the shock that may kill them. If the bucket is the transportation container, it must be thoroughly cleaned and have no trace of any stronger chemical.
With three or four fish in one bucket, you can secure them with tape to prevent leaking, but have to ensure that air can come in.
Empty the Aquarium and Clean It
When the animals are out of the aquarium, siphon the water out. Give your best to keep as much water as possible. It’ll greatly reduce the stress for the fish once they’re back in the tank if they return to the chemically same habitat. Anyway, just hose it out and into the buckets, and secure the tops against leakages.

Aquarium Is Much More Than a Simple Water Storage – Use These Tips for Packing and Moving It
The best way to transport the aquarium is to place it in your car. But that’s possible only if you don’t use auto moving service since most companies don’t allow their clients to use their vehicles as a storage space. Here are some tips on how to pack up your aquarium.
Remove the Equipment
Before you pack the glass, you should remove everything within it. Unplug and wrap up the pump, lights, and heater. The filter should be removed too, and put in a container. Of course, the filter should be kept clean and damp at all times.
Dry Up the Accessories
Next comes the removal of plants, pebbles, and other accessories you may have inside. Make sure that all decorations are dried up for the trip to a new home. There should be no problem with moving them if you know how to use bubble wrap properly. Wrap each accessory in bubbles for maximum protection and place them in buckets. Plants, naturally, will travel in water, and sand and stones in plastic bags.
Tips for Wrapping the Aquarium Up
When it comes to the tank’s walls, it’s when the most moving mistakes are made. Luckily, with simple moving hacks, you can do it flawlessly. Firstly, remove the lid, and wrap it in bubble wrap, separate from the rest of the aquarium. The moving of the rest of the fish tank is, in a way, simple if you get the hang of how to pack glassware for moving. Put it in a large box and use the foam to fill the gaps around it, and so prevent the glass box from moving around. Inside should be filled with packing paper.
If you use professional movers’ services, make sure to put moving labels on everything, so that the moving crew can know that they’re handling highly fragile stuff.

Once You Know How to Move a Fish Tank, Only Thing Left is Putting It Back Together
The aquariums should be set up as soon as you reach your new home. When you place it, don’t put your pets back in until you’re sure that water temperature, levels of ammonia and chlorine, and PH balance are healthy for them. It is especially important if you’re using new water. If the fish traveled in plastic bags, put the entire bag in a tank for a while, and then release them.
No matter what are your reasons to move, having your pets with you can only make the whole thing better. They can even help you in making friends in a new city. To ensure that everything goes according to plan, consider hiring reliable long-distance moving services. However, if you insist on packing and doing all on your own, you can at least contact them and ask for useful moving tips.