Best way to move a Tank?

[CrazyCory42]

Hey everyone, I’m hopefully going to be moving into my own home for the first time in the new year. I know it’s a fair way off, but I’m having reoccurring nightmares about my fish tank.

I have a 100L tropical community tank with 14ish fish, a dozen amano shrimp, a couple of snails and about 20 billion cherry shrimp, plus a jungle of plants.

I’ve never moved a tank before and honestly don’t know the best way to approach it. I keep having nightmares that I’m going to kill all my fish, or break the tank, or crash the cycle or all the above 😫

The tanks about 4 years old now, here’s a more in depth stocking - it’s a bit rag tag because I keep inheriting other people’s left overs:

3 harlequin Rasboras
3 cloud minnows
3 false julii corys
3 bronze corys
1 unknown cory
200 something RCS
6 amano shrimp
2 nerite snails
(I think 2 assassin snails although I go months at a time without seeing them before they finally pop back up again.)

 

[Maf 2500]

How far are you moving? It would affect your options...

 

[ElleDee]

How far are you moving from where you live now?If you are reasonably close, you can move the livestock in buckets and drain the tank as low as possible and move it full of plants and substrate. If you have rocks, take those out and move them separately because they are heavy. I would consider leaving the cherry shrimp in the tank with a little bit of water, because catching them all is difficult. Trust me, I just broke a tank down and had to move all of mine and it took days. 😬 Mist the plants that are above water so they don't dry out. Keep your filter media damp. Once you get to the new place, set up the tank right away. If your water is different in your new place you will want to plan for that as well. If you give yourself enough time to do it carefully and get another person to help you it should be pretty doable to get it all done in one day. Don't try to cram it in with a bunch of other moving tasks - that's when mistakes and accidents happen.

If you have further to go, you might consider a teardown. I know you can hire some fish stores to ship your fish to the new place.

 

[Maf 2500]

In addition to what @ElleDee said, if it is a local move consider taking the majority of the old tank water in buckets, trugs etc.

 

[tam]

Brewer buckets, 20l ones hold a lot but as still moveable. They come with clip on lids so very good for transport (don't get the ones where they've drilled the side/top for taps.

You can try and drain and transport, but keep in mind even drained to the substrate the sand/remaining water does add a lot of weight. Your stand will make it more tricky too as it looks like you'll need to lift it up and out rather than just being able to slide.

If you empty it then split the plants across a couple of buckets and pop the fish in with them. Substrate another, keep your filter media in water in another. You can transport a good portion of water too - particularly helpful if you are changing water areas.

You can also run heaters, even a filter on the buckets so you can pre-catch if your move needs to happen in one go.

How long do you have both locations? The other option... is to take the opportunity to treat yourself to new tank, get that setup and then move the livestock/plants/filter media into it. Only if you've been considering a bigger/different setup anyway.

 

[louis_last]

I had to move during covid lockdowns with just a rented van and the tanks were an absolute nightmare to move.
I'd suggest getting polystyrene corners for all eight on the tank, it's so easy to chip or crack them with the slightest knock when you're carrying. I transported all of the fish in bags and also saved about 50% of the tank water.
If I was doing it again I would be much more careful to drain every single drop of water I could from the tank and especially the substrate. I was in a rush and I only really drained it to the substrate level and it sloshed around in the van to an extent I don't think it would have if I'd managed to take out more water.

 

[CrazyCory42]

How far are you moving? It would affect your options...

Only local, about 20min drive from where I am now.

 

[CrazyCory42]

How far are you moving from where you live now?If you are reasonably close, you can move the livestock in buckets and drain the tank as low as possible and move it full of plants and substrate. If you have rocks, take those out and move them separately because they are heavy. I would consider leaving the cherry shrimp in the tank with a little bit of water, because catching them all is difficult. Trust me, I just broke a tank down and had to move all of mine and it took days. 😬 Mist the plants that are above water so they don't dry out. Keep your filter media damp. Once you get to the new place, set up the tank right away. If your water is different in your new place you will want to plan for that as well. If you give yourself enough time to do it carefully and get another person to help you it should be pretty doable to get it all done in one day. Don't try to cram it in with a bunch of other moving tasks - that's when mistakes and accidents happen.

If you have further to go, you might consider a teardown. I know you can hire some fish stores to ship your fish to the new place.

Thankfully the new place is only a 20mins drive from here. And I’m moving out of my parents house so they’ve said they’re happy to keep the tank until I’m set up and ready so I don’t need to fret about moving it on the day.

 

[Maf 2500]

Your stand will make it more tricky too as it looks like you'll need to lift it up and out rather than just being able to slide.

Valid concern, but it is only a 100 litre tank - glass plus substrate plus a couple of inches of water is likely to be in the region of 45-60 kg, a couple of reasonably strong people should have no problem lifting that directly upwards.

Most of the other concerns, such as sloshing around in the van, or needing heaters and filters for the fish buckets, only become an issue for longer distance journeys. For a short trip it is much easier to drive slowly and carefully thus leaving most of the hardscape and planting in place.

Only local, about 20min drive from where I am now.

Just seen this before posting, for that length of journey ElleDee's advice would be sound. Just pack loads of cushions round the tank in the boot, or seatbelt it into the back seats if they are reasonably flat, and drive slowly and carefully.

 

[Atragene]

Providing you have the muscle to help I would drain all but the last few cms of water. Keep as much as you can, Cover whole tank fish, shrimps, plants the lots with a thick damp cloth Any easily removed heavy stones should be removed if possible.
This will protect all for short journey then top up with saved water.
Top up with water very slowly from your usual source.
Did this on two hour journey and it worked. The only option rather than going pillion on my bike in mid winter. !

 

[Bradders]

 

[ianmianmianm]

Just another perspective on this.

You could grab a second hand tank off Facebook or ebay and get it set up and running as a basic holding tank at your current place. That allows you a bit of time to move the main tank without worrying about the livestockm who you will have already put into the holding tank. Also less pressure to catch everything in one go, you can catch as you see them and get them into the holding tank. Some of your plants would be able to go in there loose as they are epiphytes. Meanwhile your new place the tank is settling etc.

I did something similar when I moved from Manchester to Sussex - I didn't have lots of more general stuff to move so did it in 4 people carrier trips as I was going back and forth anyway, bringing the original tank down on the first trip, setting it up and "re"cycling it, and then bringing the livestock down on the second and third trips.

The main trick of course is to re-sell the holding tank quickly before it turns into a project..... of course I didn't get round to selling the holding tank up north and it ended up coming down with me on the last run and then, well it was sitting there looking at me with all cycled media and things.....
.