Health & Fitness
Moving Aquariums - and 22 of the Coolest Aquariums Ever!
A professional mover teams up with an aquarium expert to outline what you'll need and how to move your aquarium. Bonus: Slideshow of 22 Cool and Unusual Aquariums.
A fish out of water? Hopefully not. Every so often, we get questions about moving aquariums. While it may not be an easy piece of “furniture” to move, the right preparation will help get these aquatic members of the family to their new home with minimal disruption.
We combined our expertise in moving with advice from aquarium expert Eric Carroll of Refined Reefs – a local aquarium care specialist in the Sarasota Bradenton area.
The key is just that – minimizing stress on the fish. You want to duplicate “home” conditions as much as possible –water, plants, rocks etc. – and take the least amount of time possible in the move. This means take the aquarium apart last and set it up first if possible.
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Here’s what you’ll need:
- Net (soak in the water 10 minutes prior to use – will soften netting and make it easier to use)
- Towels to absorb any spillage
- Clean siphon for transferring water
- Holding container for fish
- Holding container for water (a clean 5 gallon bucket works well)
- Holding container for gravel, filter and other aquarium pieces
Here are the steps to follow:
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- Put net, siphon and holding containers in place
- Siphon some of the water into container for fish
- Transfer plants to fish container
- Catch fish and transfer to container with plants
- Disconnect all filters, heater, lights etc. and carefully clean, wrap and box
- Siphon remaining water into bucket to be used in new home
- Scoop out gravel and transfer to holding container
From here you are ready to move. We recommend using professional movers to move actual tank – it minimizes risk of damage to glass or sealants. Of course your tank may require additional steps or materials if it is a salt water tank for example. Consult with pet store or an expert like Eric if you’re not sure how to handle the task yourself.
With the “business” part of this article out of the way, here is a fun break:
“22 Unusual and Creative Aquariums”
And, yes, we could move the sofa-aquarium if you needed us to!
Eric Carroll can be reached at (941) 545-5716 or refinedreefs@gmail.com
