Interior design can translate to a plethora of ideas, depending on the individual you are asking. It is as subjective as it is unique, and everyone’s household will, hopefully, have a décor that matches their interests. From the furniture, to the potential paintings, there are a great many things that can make a space more vibrant. Sometimes, you may even want a pet to complement the overall space. If you don’t want to resort to a dog or a cat, perhaps it would be wise to invest in some fish. As such, you’ll need an aquarium to house them.
Since moving an aquarium is different than moving other pieces of furniture, it can seem daunting at first. Patience, however, will be your strong suit here. As long as you take the proper precautions, your fish will be in their new home as safely as possible.
If you plan to move an aquarium into another house, you will most likely need the help of professional movers. Alternatively, you may choose to move your aquarium simply into another room. In this case, follow the guide on how to move an aquarium to another location:
1. Moving Supplies
As with most things in life, a good amount of preparation can save you from doing unnecessary amounts of work. The same idea applies to moving an aquarium. In this light, collecting a few materials will be necessary. Moving the fish tank is one thing, but keeping all supplementary components nearby is another.
For starters, you will most likely require a fishnet, plastic bags, and some large gallon buckets. The other supplies necessary for the job will include some duct tape and a siphon hose. As for the purpose of these items, this will become much clearer during the actual process.
2. Prepare The Fish
Preparation is essential when you want to move an aquarium. This begins by preparing the fish for the move. Since you are essentially moving their entire livelihood from one area to another, your fish will have to be physically prepared. Make sure that you refrain from feeding them for one or two days. Fish are famous for being able to survive for a week without sustenance, so do not worry about their nurturing for the immediate job.
Depending on the size of the fish involved, you can go about this part of the procedure in one of two ways. Smaller fish can be placed into plastic bags, if the actual move is rather short. For larger fish make sure to place them in buckets, which have been cleaned thoroughly. Both the bags and buckets must be sealed properly, to prevent spillages.
3. Tank Cleaning
With regards to the actual fish tank, it doesn’t hurt to give it a thorough cleaning before actually moving it. Unplug the tank from all respective components, and then remove the plants and accessories contained within. You’ll want to make sure that you don’t just toss these aside; store them safely, in a nearby area.
Then, remove the interior equipment such as the lights and heater. The filter should be packed in a sealed container, and must be kept relatively damp. These components should remain in close vicinity as well, prior to moving the tank.
4. Draining
Draining the water is one of the easiest parts of the overall moving procedure. All that is required to remove the water inside is a siphon hose. Once the water has been removed, don’t rush to throw it down a drain. Since the fish are most comfortable inside this water, you should store it, so that you can refill the tank later on. This minimizes risks to their health, as well!
5. Moving The Tank
After you have successfully packed the actual tank in a large enough box, now comes the fun part. If you are just moving your aquarium to another part of your house, for example, get an extra pair of hands to help you out. Otherwise, use a large enough vehicle to store and transport the tank. If you require it, moving services are always able to assist.
6. Setting Up
In order to set your aquarium back up in its prior form, you’ll most likely need to conduct the previous steps in reverse order. Make sure that the tank water that you have stored is immediately placed back into the tank. Afterwards, inspect the temperature, chlorine level and PH balance. These all have to be satisfied, before placing your fish back inside.
You can essentially ignore this, however, if the move was relatively short. For longer trips, it will take some time and patience in order to set up the tank, and make sure everything is in working order. You want your fish to be at the same level going in, as they were going out.
7. Put The Fish Back Inside
Now comes perhaps the easiest part of the entire moving process. When all is said and done, simply add your fish back into the aquarium in a delicate manner. As long as you are gentle with how you place them into the tank, you minimize risk that can be done to them.
