Moving with pets is always a complicated task, especially since they usually find every environmental change very stressful. Fish are one of them. If you’re relocating soon, and you wonder how to pack and move a fish tank, follow our tips and move your beautiful pets safely to their new home. And if you’re relocating to Las Vegas with a fish tank, consider hiring professionals to help you.
Gather supplies to pack and move a fish tank
To pack and move a fish tank safely, you need to gather various supplies. The best way to relocate a fish tank is by hiring professionals, such as moving company North Las Vegas, but you can do it alone, too. Just make sure to gather the following supplies:
- plastic bags or transport containers for fish
- buckets for plants
- fishnet
- packing tape
- siphon hose
- others (air-filled plastic padding, packing paper, moving boxes, foam board insulation, etc)
Move fish and plants into transport containers
The most important thing you need to do before you pack and move a fish tank is to remove fish and plants from the tank. Place fish in a transport container. But because fish are prone to stress when moved outside their environment use water from their tank and fill the transport container with it. About 75% to 80% of the tank water is best.
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Fish transferring tips
First, you need to stop feeding your fish 24 hours prior to moving them into their transport container, to help keep the water clean during the move. If using fish bags, fill 1/3 with water and 2/3 air, or 50% water and 50% pure oxygen. Make sure to never blow into a fish bag to inflate it. To avoid issues, use double bags to prevent punctures, and lay bags on their sides to increase swimming space and surface exposure to the air or oxygen.
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Preparing an aquarium for relocation
Before preparing a tank, avoid moving a fish tank during extreme heat or cold. Two weeks before the move, clean the filter. And a day before the move, set up clean water at your new home. Then, let decorations dry and pack them in an air-filled plastic bag. Place the sand of the tank to a bucket. Dry the tank completely. Fish tank glass is fragile so wrap it in air-filled plastic padding and secure with packing tape. Use foam board insulation and cover it. Fill the tank with towels and place it into a moving box. Fill the gaps with packing paper to avoid shaking during transport. Label all the boxes to put a fish tank back together faster when you arrive at the new home.
Hire professionals to relocate your fish tank
How to move an aquarium depends on the size and kind of fish, but also on distance. If you’re moving abroad or on a long-distance, the safest way to move a fish tank is to hire professionals.
