Shifting an existing aquarium is not something you do lightly… It’s an ecological system with complex connections, including its delicate amount of bacteria which maintain the health of your fish. Knock over the applecart and result will be elevated levels of deadly ammonia which will kill your fish in twenty four hours.
You want to move the tank without disturbing biological cycle. That means keeping the biological engine running while you upend the physical tank. Most hobbyist worry about broken glass or spilled water, but the greatest risk is disrupting biological filter.
A sudden shift in conditions can shocks the nitrifying bacteria, killing them off or preventing them from converting toxic ammonia into relatively harmless nitrates. While you’re shifting the physical tank, keep the microbial engine purring. Before you pack, get some stability in your water parameters.
Step By Step Guide To Moving Your Aquarium
Preserving the Biological Filter
Limit food fed the day of transport to minimize waste generated. Next, partially exchange some water with dechlorinated water at the same temp as the tank. This will dilute what’s already present and provide the bacteria with a little buffer against transport related stress.
Not much…but when things is changing rapidly on transport, every little bit helps. Protect most critical element, the biological filter. This includes either a sponge or ceramic rings that house the colony of bacteria you must protect.
Gently remove the media and place it into bucket of tank water. Don’t put it in tap water as chlorine will kill your bacteria on contact. Maintain moisture at all times with porous elements like this as they destroys bacterial colonies immediately if allowed to dry out.
Store the media. Careful, careful. Getting the media from point A to point B needs to be done properly and patient.
Packing Filter Media Safely
For instance, place the media in a sealed container with some of the media that came from your tank. Keep the media fully submerged. This will preserve the oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor zones inside the media.
Do the same for your canister internals if you are using one. Some hobbyists bag the media, but a sturdy plastic tub with a lid is safer against leaks. I prefer a solid plastic tub with a lid.
That way there’s no worry about leaks. All you’re trying to do is prevent any kind of shock while preserving the aerobic and anaerobic zones inside the media. Minimize stress on the fish by handling it carefully.
Transporting Fish and Water
Use a net to grab them carefuly. Put them into a transport bag designed for this purpose or a strong bucket that is closed tightly with a lid. Both should contain some of the tank water.
Do not keep the fish in the initial tank water for an extended period as it’ll go bad fast within such a small container without any form of filter. Adding a basic water conditioner may reduces some of the fish’s stress hormones that are excreted from being transported. The less light, the better.
Cover the containers so the fish don’t panic. Panicking makes them breathe faster, which uses up oxygen more quickly. Moving it physically takes planning and muscle.
Moving the Physical Tank
Remove as much water as you can without leaving any that would dry out your gravel or plants. If you wrap the tank with moving blankets, this will dampen the vibrations while preventing scratches. Slow down and avoid sudden stops when driving so the vibration doesn’t shake loose what’s in your gravel and also confuse the fish.
A smooth ride is a quiet ecosystem. When you get there with your fish, unpack the tank (or whatever holding container). Fill it with the saved water and place the wet filter media directly back in your filter.
Switch everything on and allow the water to run until the temperature has settled down. Then, add the fish gradually. Float the transport containers in the tank for a few minutes to even out the temperatures.
Reassembling and Stabilizing
For the next couple of weeks, make sure to keep an eye on your water parameters. Daily testing with liquid test kits is recommended. Test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.
There should of be a slight spike because the bacteria are adjusting to their new surroundings. Feed lightly and be ready to perform some small water changes if the ammonia increase. If you treat it with respect, the cycle will hold.
Your fish will get used to things, your plants will pick up where they left off, and your tank will stabilize. You kept the engine running.
