Moving to a new home requires a lot of planning and preparation. Not only do you have to pack up everything you own, but you have to ensure it arrives at the destination in one piece. Boxes with soft items can hardly get damaged in transport, but fragile items are a completely different story. These include, but are not limited to: your mirrors, paintings, antiques, plates, mugs, lamps and chandeliers, and so much more. Preparing these for the upcoming move is a bit more tricky. Especially if you’re moving internationally – in this case, it’s always better to look into possible overseas shipping companies you can hire. If you have the help of moving professionals, they can handle moving a fish tank with no problems at all. Let’s discuss how this particular moving task can go as smoothly as possible!

Moving a fish tank seems tricky, but it really isn’t

After all, moving with any animal can be problematic if you don’t prepare ahead of time. Cats and dogs are fairly easy to relocate, as they might already be used to driving in the car. They only have their bed, toys, and a food bowl and that’s about it. However, when you have fish and you need to move a big tank to your new home, it’ll take a bit more work. It’s not like you’re dealing with project cargo, but it’s a bigger task nevertheless.

First things first, you need to gather all the necessary documents if you are moving to a new country or a new state. Every country has its own regulations regarding what you can bring and what you cannot. If you’re not sure what you need to get, ask a local vet – they will have the information you need. International relocation is no joke, and you have to deal with customs clearance as well. Your moving company can help out with these tasks as well!

Gather the necessary packing materials

As we already mentioned, moving a fish tank is one of those tasks that’ll need some time to prepare for. No matter if you have a small tank or a 100 liter one, it still needs to be protected in transport. Glass tanks are so fragile and they can crack even with the smallest bump. So, it’s time to go shopping and get all the packing materials you’ll need! Some of them are:

• Moving boxes (plastic or cardboard, but make sure that the entire tank can easily fit inside. However, there shouldn’t be much free space around it in the box!)
• Padding and packing paper. You’ll need to securely wrap the empty fish tank, and make sure you put some paper or packing peanuts in the rest of the box as well. When you fill the box with these papers, the tank can’t move around and the risk of it getting damaged is minimal.
• Plastic buckets. You’ll need smaller ones, for the plants, and bigger ones, for the fish. Make sure to get the ones with lids, so that the water can’t spill out.
• Fishnet, so you can safely get the fish from the tank and into the buckets.
• Siphon hose, so you can easily empty the water from the fish tank before moving it.

Now it’s time to move the fish and the plants to the transport containers

There is one important fact you have to keep in mind before moving your fish tank. That is, fish are very prone to stress, and being out of their tank is not going to be easy for them. So, try to make this time as short as possible! KSE Moving recommends transferring the fish to their transport containers only when you are ready to empty out the rest of the tank. That way, the fish will be in their transport containers for a short amount of time, and only when it is absolutely necessary.

Moreover, it is a good idea to stop feeding your fish 24h prior to moving them out of the tank. This is done to ensure the water you are transporting them stays as clean as possible. You don’t have to worry about them being in the buckets without food – they’ll be just fine during the transport! 

Finally, you have to take the plants and rocks out of the fish tank. Plants should be submerged into buckets with water for transport. If you can, you can use the same water that was already in the tank. This minimizes the “shock” for both the plants and the fish. Any remaining water from the tank should go in a separate bucket. You should try to use as much of the “original” water as possible when moving a fish tank.

When moving a fish tank, ensure the equipment and the tank itself is properly wrapped

In the end, it’s time to secure the filters and all the equipment you had in the tank. Make sure they are clean and completely dry before wrapping them into protective material. This goes the same for your tank – if any water remains in the tank, it can smell really bad once you unpack it. Once everything is wrapped, pack it in a moving box and label it as fragile. This is done to ensure the movers don’t put anything on top of this box, no matter what type of transportation services you choose. Once you finish all these steps, your fish tank is ready to be relocated safely to your new home!