Moving is just generally regarded as a busy and relatively overwhelming process for pretty much anyone, but what happens when you add pets into the mix? And we’re not talking just a dog or cat that you can just put in a carrier or let jump in the back of your car to chill out on the ride to your new place. No, we’re talking fish! Though fish are a fairly low-maintenance pet to own, they’re a high-maintenance pet to move. Between making sure they’re removed from their tank and transported safely, to transporting their tank, to putting them back into their habitat safely, you’ll need to have a plan well in advance to make sure your fish are kept safe and are transported safely. Here are some tips on how to move a fish tank.
Fish are (mostly) pretty small animals, but that doesn’t mean the effort to move them to your new home is going to be small as well!
There’s a lot that goes into moving a fish tank then just unplugging it, dumping it out, and packing it up for transportation. Moving tanks can be a little challenging, and will need some preparation in order to make sure everything is kept safe.
Prior to moving day, make sure you have all of the supplies needed to remove your fish from your tank safely, as well as the supplies to clean your tank and to transport your fish and its home safely – especially over long distances. This might entail needing several buckets, a net, bubble wrap, or anything you’re going to need to transition your fish out of its tank and to package the tank itself.
After safely taking your fish out of the tank, unplug it and take out rocks, plants, or any decor you might have had in there for your fish. Clean everything and pack individually. Remove filters, lights, pumps, heaters, or any accessories you use with your tank, and clean and pack those individually as well. For your filter, you’re going to want to take a little extra care to keep it damp, and to store it in a sealed container away from everything else.
Drain your tank’s water by pouring it down the sink or by using a hose. Clean it and pack it with appropriate materials. Try to transport your tank in your vehicle with you and your fish to keep it away from other household items that could possibly damage it, or to keep it out of your moving truck. Though movers always take a lot of care with your items, tanks are extremely fragile – you’ll want to take steps to make sure it’s kept safe and is ready to be set up immediately upon your arrival.
Set up your tank as soon as you reach your new home, and check pH levels, temperatures, chlorine/ammonia levels in the water, and just generally monitor the tank’s function for a little while before adding your fish back in.
Now that you’re in the planning process for your move, make sure to use the movers with the best service, prices, and professionalism for your relocation. You need to be able to focus on moving you and your fish, after all – let Hollander Storage & Moving Co. take care of your household items!
Use this form to request a call back, or call us at 866-754-0907
The driver was the head of the crew, and he was on top of everything. He made the experience working with Hollander Moving a pleasure. We have used others before but it was our first time using Hollander. Everything turned out great.
-Eric Y..
Every employee I worked with was courteous, professional, and exceedingly competent. I was nervous about the packing and long distance move (from Illinois to New Mexico, October 2009) and Hollander helped make the move as smooth as possible. Not a thing was damaged or broken
-Kay S..
I would recommend Hollander to any company thinking about switching vendors, and any family making a move. A Hollander rep even stopped by my new place when they were unloading just to check on things.
Wonderful service – first class!
-Julia C..
Everything Hollander has done was over the top. It was courteous people, polite, caring. Their friendliness was over the top. There was one member of the crew who’d been a friend for 30 years, and the rest was family. I couldn’t say enough about them.
-Jerry M..
I recently moved from Chicago to Tampa and expected a few road bumps along the way but was pleasantly surprised when everything from loading to delivery was flawless. Everyone I came in contact with was very professional and knowledgable. I highly recommend Hollander Moving and Storage as they are a class act.
-Sandy C..
This move envolved packing and delivery to four different destinations. Attention to detail and coordination were vital and effectively executed by Tony R driver and his crew. Ardene did a great job coordinating everything. The entire group were both extremely pleasant and efficient.
-Gary T..