# Moving an aquarium long distance



## TallDragon (2 Feb 2015)

I need to move a full aquarium 200 kms between two cities and I need to know step by step what to do, so the ecosystem survives the 2-3 hours. Planned move: this coming weekend.
I have purchased a 1 year old full kit from someone leaving the hobby. 60cm wide 64l tank, fully mature filter, substrate, plants, livestock, cabinet.
We need to take it apart, then get it running again.
My assumptions: 
Tank, take out almost all the water, to just about the top of the substrate, to keep substrate and plants moist.
Filter, leave water in (?) - how can I get the bacteria to stay alive for 3 hours?

If someone has successfully done anything like this, or knows a good link to instructions, please share.


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## ian_m (2 Feb 2015)

1. Empty tank completely including substrate, you will either not be able to lift it or crack the tank lifting it if you leave the substrate in.
2. Use loads of large plastic boxes with lids to store carry things.
3. Place tank in transport vehicle on a piece of board, tape/hold tank to board to stop it moving.
4. I have transported fish 120 miles in a smallish dustbin type container, with lid, in front foot well no problem. Put some plastic plants in the water to give places for fish to hide.
5. I have transported fish in large plastic boxes sitting on and wrapped in blankets as water did slosh about and leak slightly.
6. Filter and bacteria will survive for days, no worry.
7.Plants will be fine in another plastic tub, bit of water and covered in kitchen towel to stop drying out.
8. When you reassemble the substrate you will of course disturbed all the bacteria etc. So when I reassembled my tank after a long move I put 1/2 the substrate back in and washed the other half before putting on top.
9. Put plants, water and fish in.
10. Used Amquel+ everyday to both dechlorinate initially and remove and ammonia that might have occurred  due to substrate being rearranged.
11. Some of the fish lasted about 7 years after the move...


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## TallDragon (2 Feb 2015)

ian_m said:


> 1. Empty tank completely including substrate, you will either not be able to lift it or crack the tank lifting it if you leave the substrate in.
> 2. Use loads of large plastic boxes with lids to store carry things.
> 3. Place tank in transport vehicle on a piece of board, tape/hold tank to board to stop it moving.
> 4. I have transported fish 120 miles in a smallish dustbin type container, with lid, in front foot well no problem. Put some plastic plants in the water to give places for fish to hide.
> ...


Thanks Ian. Do you really think that a 60cm tank cannot handle 9-11kg of substrate in?


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## Rich Jackson (2 Feb 2015)

No,  I agree with Ian. Empty tank completely. The tank is not designed to be lifted with weight in.


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## TallDragon (2 Feb 2015)

ian_m said:


> 6. Filter and bacteria will survive for days, no worry.


Ian, do I transport the Filter DRY or with water? - I would assume WITH water. - it's an Eheim 2071.



Rich Jackson said:


> No,  I agree with Ian. Empty tank completely. The tank is not designed to be lifted with weight in.


Thanks for 2nd-ing the advice. I will then need to take a trip this week to IKEA to get some plastic lid boxes.

Rich, 
Is there anything that I should buy in advance to make sure that the restart works well? (e.g. Bacteria on the bottom)
It is presently a substrate with JBL AquaBasis plus at the bottom, and ADA Amazonia on top - I doubt the prior owner put anything else at the bottom.
I guess, if I take it out, and box it up, it will all be mixed up. Any recommendation and advice on how to put it all back together?
As I am doing the move on Saturday and aquarist stores close in my neighborhood at midday, I need to buy all stuff this week, if I need anything.

All advice appreciated.


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## Rich Jackson (2 Feb 2015)

When I moved my tank, all be it to another room. I completely emptied it and replaced all the substrate. I felt that it would just churn it up to much to put back in. As for your filter if you can transport it wet I feel that's best option but as long as it stays damp it shouldn't be an issue.
And personally I'd transport as much or the water as you can.


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## alto (2 Feb 2015)

If you want to try transporting the tank with substrate in place (I  have a number of times), the issue is the torque that is placed on the tank as it's lifted/moved - if you can slide the tank onto a sheet of plywood & have decent assistants, you'll be fine. If you're on your own, I'd just scoop out as much of the ADA as possible.

OTOH depending on the plants, as you remove them there may be considerable mixing of the substrate & then you might as well pull the substrate, it's just easier/safer.
Depending on the type of plants, they may transport better submerged in water -re physical damage/bruising of softer leaves.

Fish - you want 1/3 water to 2/3 air whether they are in bags or bins; if you have a battery air pump, use that in the bin BUT realize that in a closed system, there is still limited oxygen.
Depending on the fish types, I prefer to bag  - if your local shop has the breathable bags, I'd use those (but you need to be careful with stacking).
When setting up for transport, I do a "water change" - this may be a bit more involved as it's not currently your tank, be prepared to add ammonia adsorbing chips to the bags/bins (not sure how available there are in your area) as well as Prime (I prefer this over Amquel ... back when, Seachem had data available for using up to 10X amounts of Prime & effects on ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, fish; having never seen similar studies from the manufacturers of Amquel, Prime was an easy choice for me).

Filter - give media a quick rinse in treated water (no need to use tank water) to remove debris, then just transport damp in filter with a couple cm's of water at the bottom & filter closed as normal: in this state, filter bacteria are stable for days/weeks/months ... as the time extends, the bacteria will go into a "lag" phase but will quickly come back.
When re-setting the tank I always do daily water changes, this will remove organics from any plant damage, from the substrate disturbance, from fish stress, limit ammonia/nitrites etc in case of unexpected filter disturbance.
Rinse/scrub hoses clean before re-setting the tank.

If it's a long day or you want to take your time rescaping, just run the filter on a large bin with fishes once you get them home - as long as they are in the dim & in a quiet corner (some fish are very stressed by vibrations re movement near/over the tank), fish will be fine.

In terms of fish health, external parasites which are part of the normal "flora" of fish, will increase significantly with fish stress, so you might consider adding a treatment for external parasites to the holding bin once you have the filter up & running; note that any of these remedies will sequester oxygen & will have some affect on filter bacteria, so this is always a consideration.
It's also essential to be able to observe fish activity/behavior whenever using any treatments, so unless your bin is translucent, I'd not use any medications.

During transport, you want the fish on the cool side rather than the hot, water will have more available oxygen, bacteria are slowed (re that normal "flora").

I don't worry about transporting tank water, but you should know how your tap water compares to the current water or if tank is run with RO etc.

Don't feed fish for at least 24 hours before and after transport, if you can't resist feeding, then be very stingy with the amount.

Depending on the state of the ADA substrate, you may want to gently rinse as you place back in the tank or do some gentle siphon cleaning if you decide to leave in place.
Don't add the fish back in until you're ready to be out of the tank.

When netting the fish for travel etc, use the slow technique rather than any "chase" - again have your bags/bins ready with the mix of tank/tap water before you start netting fish.
Dropping the tank water level before netting helps with "capture", if there are lots of stem plants, just trim these at the base & remove before starting your fish campaign.


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## TallDragon (2 Feb 2015)

alto said:


> Filter - give media a quick rinse in treated water (no need to use tank water) to remove debris, then just transport damp in filter with a couple cm's of water at the bottom & filter closed as normal: in this state, filter bacteria are stable for days/weeks/months ... as the time extends, the bacteria will go into a "lag" phase but will quickly come back.



Thanks alto for the super detailed writeup, I will look for a piece of plywood, and if possible will try that method - and avoid messing with the substrate move.
With regards to the filter - even if I 'can' transport it full of water, should I instead empty it out except for the few centimeters as you recommend and have the media just damp?
For the livestock I planned to use a large 30L big water drum, about 1/3 full as you recommend. I fear thought that running the Eheim 2071 with that drum would just have huge flow, no?
If the livestock is fish and CRS shrimps, It is OK to move them together in the drum with a few stem plants pulled from the tank, right?


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## alto (2 Feb 2015)

Any idea on the fish species?

I'd tend to separate as many shrimp as possible as most fish will predate shrimp, in the tank, shrimp have cover & confidence to "smack" the fish with antennae, but shrimp in transport will often try the "I'm a  bit of grunge stuck on this stem/moss" & will only move when the fish nibble which may then trigger fish prey instinct ... much depends on the sort of fish & how comfortable they get while travelling.

Re shrimp, if you have some moss, this is an excellent way to transport the shrimp, a bit of sponge or polywool type media from the filter is good as well - all of these will have a decent N-bacteria population.
(note that N-bacteria are "sticky" bacteria, they like to adhere & are stabilized by that interaction, saving old tank water for the sake of the few bacteria free-floating is not worth the bother, saving tank water for other reasons is negotiable  )

Filters always transport/store best damp rather than flooded - there are some studies from N-bacteria isolated from aquaria (sorry I've no idea where you might find these nowadays) that looked at stability & conditions - in summary, you rinse to remove debris (competing bacteria etc) & optimize oxygen while maintaining damp/humidity.
I always rinse filters with treated water to maintain any of the filter "bugs" which may take up residence - you might see them as moving specs in the bottom of the filter.

For the Eheim 2071, just toggle back on the flow, also direct the spray bar against the walls of the drum & above the water level to dissipate some of the current; pay attention to the "head" needed to operate the pump without issue. 

Stem plants in with the fish will certainly make them feel "better" & will help maintain water quality (re bacteria "stuck" to plants) - don't overload with the plants though re possible oxygen sequestration.


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## TallDragon (2 Feb 2015)

Green neon tetras, and a botia loach - I don't think the tetras could cause harm to the CRS.


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## alto (3 Feb 2015)

TallDragon said:


> *Green neon tetras*, and a botia loach - I don't think the tetras could cause harm to the CRS.



You mean these delightful fish aka the "The Ravenous Horde"
I moved them out of the tank and have 2, possible 3 out of 16 yellow Sakura shrimp remaining ...
I intended the green neons as peaceful shoalers to inspire confidence in the shy checkerboard cichlids ... which were shy alright, until I removed the "RH" (they naturally were looking somewhat obese while the occasional checkerboard sighting revealed a rather hollow-eyed (OK bellied) young fish).
Now it's the checkboard "horde" except they are unfailingly polite compared to the previous holders of that title.

(Note I'd intended to run this tank with light - got Kessils! - & CO2 ... turns out that Dicrossus filamentosus is extremely sensitive to CO2 )


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## TallDragon (5 Feb 2015)

Thanks for all the good advice. I'll be doing the move this Saturday, so keep your fingers crossed.


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## alto (5 Feb 2015)

I don't know what your weather's like, but if fish get cold during transport, take your time & warm them gradually ... depending on the health of the fish at this time, they may react more or less to the stress of transport etc.
Just take your time & it'll all come through.


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## Martin in Holland (5 Feb 2015)

Didn't read all replies ....yet

Here (in China) they are more daring. Moving a tank goes as followed; 1. empty the tank and filter of water. 2. get lots of newspaper on plants, rocks, substrate and make them moist/wet. 3. make sure that you cover everything, so it doesn't move, as much as possible. 4. move the tank carefully. 5. refill tank and filter with water after reached you destination.
Crazy guys those Chinese, but it seems to work.


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## TallDragon (5 Feb 2015)

Martin in China said:


> Didn't read all replies ....yet
> 
> Here (in China) they are more daring. Moving a tank goes as followed; 1. empty the tank and filter of water. 2. get lots of newspaper on plants, rocks, substrate and make them moist/wet. 3. make sure that you cover everything, so it doesn't move, as much as possible. 4. move the tank carefully. 5. refill tank and filter with water after reached you destination.
> Crazy guys those Chinese, but it seems to work.


Right... With an optiwhite tank with 6mm thick glass I am not as daring


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## ian_m (5 Feb 2015)

In fact you can of course remove the fish into a "dustbin" days before you move the tank.

When we had a wooden floor fitted in the tank room lounge I took the fish out into a small plastic dustbin. Reduced feeding a couple of days before, added a few plastic plants so they could hide, hung a heater from a piece of wood so it didn't touch the side and aerated with an air stone for about 3 days. Having an empty tank on the stand was obviously a lot easier to move whilst floor was fitted.

When finished put all back, fish all fine, including in those days my monster plec's.


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## TallDragon (5 Feb 2015)

ian_m said:


> In fact you can of course remove the fish into a "dustbin" days before you move the tank.
> When we had a wooden floor fitted in the tank room lounge I took the fish out into a small plastic dustbin. Reduced feeding a couple of days before, added a few plastic plants so they could hide, hung a heater from a piece of wood so it didn't touch the side and aerated with an air stone for about 3 days. Having an empty tank on the stand was obviously a lot easier to move whilst floor was fitted.
> When finished put all back, fish all fine, including in those days my monster plec's.



Well, I do now have a 30L closable little plastic water barrel (in addition to boxes with lids for the rest of the kit). As the water will be moving around in the car I have been advised by the local store to put the fish into bags, separately, so the fish do not get injured if the water movement pushes them against the wall of the barrel. Only 1,5 days to go. Pretty excited now about the move.


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## alto (5 Feb 2015)

Good update re fish in bags, I had begun wondering if you were intending to move the fish in the actual barrel ... there is a study somewhere, fish stress as a function of bin color
blue>black>green>yellow>red (I always forget the order of red/yellow), I don't recall light levels though 

Edited for clarity!
The > is meant to reflect better color NOT more stress, so list is *blue=best*


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## Martin in Holland (6 Feb 2015)

TallDragon said:


> Right... With an optiwhite tank with 6mm thick glass I am not as daring


I'm not sure I would do it this way either, I would probably take the chance to rescape the tank.


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## TallDragon (8 Feb 2015)

Completed move yesterday. Thanks for all the useful advice. I took many many boxes and brought back everything. While I took my time rebuilding the tank, the fish were in another temporary tank, with the running filter. It was a long long day.
Conclusion: Marsilea hirsuta - with all its runners-- is an invasive weed in by book, especially how it weaves itself into the substrate. That is the only plant, that I knowingly did not replant.
I know have some empty spots in my tank, and I would appreciate advice on 'easy' plants (especially stems) which would allow me to add to the biomass. When I have some time, I will post some pics of the move, if anyone cares.


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## alto (8 Feb 2015)

TallDragon said:


> When I have some time, I will post some pics of the move, *if anyone cares*.


been waiting


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## Martin in Holland (8 Feb 2015)

Rotala, wisteria are 2 of my favorites under the easy stem plant category.


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## TallDragon (8 Feb 2015)

alto said:


> been waiting





Martin in China said:


> Rotala, wisteria ...





ian_m said:


> In fact you can of course remove the fish into a "dustbin" days before you move the tank.



Hi alto, and all others, here are pics of the move.
My day started at 6am, and ran till midnight.
I was armed with plastic boxes, and buckets, plus a near perfect paper box + wife's yoga mat.
While I was rebuilding tank, fish were in 'bin' with filter running, for nearly 5-6 hours, before I moved them into their new home.

I killed off some of the biomass, as I decided that I did not like marsilea hirsuta, it is too invasive. Also I did not put in the ridiculously algea infested rocks. (By the way, what is a good method to totally sanitize rocks of algea?)

Due to the biomass reduction, I disconnected one of the T5 tubes. I may be doing some crazy stuff, but I decided to not run the 64l tank with two 24W T5-s for 7,5 hours a day like previous owner, but to experiement with what works. Presently have timer set to 8-10AM, 4 hour break, then 2pm-8:30pm. I also reduced flow of the Eheim 2071 to app. 60-70%.

Before





After (today)


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## Martin in Holland (9 Feb 2015)

TallDragon said:


> what is a good method to totally sanitize rocks of algea?


If you have them out of your tank....bleach and scrub them


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## TallDragon (10 Feb 2015)

I've opened a Journal for my tank. Thanks for the many useful advice.

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/two-rocks-balanced-64l-low-tech.36129/


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## TigerBarb (28 Feb 2017)

This was a helpful post, as I will be moving my whole setup in about a months time, travelling for about 4 hour drive. 
I always thought that bacteria in the filter could only survive for a few hours without the filter running? Its reassuring to hear thats not the case, hopefully shouldnt encounter any other troubles.

I will document the move and post about it


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