I need tips on moving my 29 gal. aquarium

[SeaDana]

I'm moving to a new apartment in a week and need some suggestions on the best way to move my fish. The drive will be about 30-45 minutes. Any and all advice is appreciated. If I need to separate species for the move (put in different containers, etc.) please tell me.

 

[Guest]

It won't be as hard as you think. I had to move my 55 gallon about 8 months ago... so i can share with you what i did:

I used a large cat litter bucket that had been cleaned out with tank water because i was using it to do water changes... I put some tank water and the sponges from my filter in there and I put the fish in there.

I cleaned the tank and put all the extra gravel and stuff in other buckets... I found that scooping the gravel out with a Dustpan works really well And then i took the tank outside and we sprayed it down with the hose to clean all the rest of the gunk out.

We moved only about 15 minutes down the road, but we moved the tank with my truck and we put the fish buckets in the floorboard so they wouldn't topple over. We set everything up.. and i got to clean the gravel adn decorations as well, filled with water and added my dechlor.... I let the temperature stabilize for about an hour before i added the fish, and i dripped some of the new water into their bucket over the hour and then netted them in.

Your gravel and filter media should still have all the beneficial bacteria in it, so you shouldn't have any problems with your biological cycle... I hope this helped!! Good Luck

 

[FMJnaX]

Ashley's right. It's not that hard. I moved my 29 gal twice within the last year. Once was only about 50 feet (upstairs to downstairs). The other was about 800 miles. Both times I drained the water, keeping 5 gallons of it (5 gal bucket with lid). I took out between 1/2 and 3/4 of the gravel. For the real move, I bought an 8 quart cooler and filled it with tank water. That is where I floated the plants, filters, and gravel. The fish also rode along in it. They rode in the cooler for 3 days before I got their tank back up.. When I finally did get the tank back up, I put in the 5 gals of water I saved, and gravel, plants, and filters. Don't use the water from the cooler. Probably not very good water after more than 24 hours. I filled the rest of the tank, treated the water, and in went the fish. I never had a cycle, not even a mini one. I tested the water twice a day and ammonia/nitrite/nitrate read 0/0/15 respectively.

So in short, just separate as much as you can and make the move. You'll want to remove enough gravel and decorations to make moving the tank easy for two peeps. You want to carry the tank as level as possible to reduce stress on the joints. You'll also want to keep as much water from your tank as possible so that it will be closer to the existing tank conditions (in case your new tap water is different than your old tap). Of course, you're not moving 800 miles so not everything I stated will apply.

Good luck!

 

[DeFeKt]

I had to move my 55 gallon about 8 months ago

wish i only had a 55gal when i moved my 120gal on the weekend to my mates place. (45 minutes across state)
put all ur decor and fish into buckets. that way they at least still get air when the water splashes around.
I wouldn't bother seperating them they will be in shock anyway so they won't touch each other. throw them in an esky if your afraid the temp will change drastically, but as long as it goes down naturally there shouldn't be a problem.

I don't know if anyone has ever thought of this but the best way to move fish and aquariums, would probably be the same way you moved it into your house in the first place?

Matt.

 

[rich311k]

Only thing I can add to these fine posts is and have found it easier to move the tank with a board underneath for support, Just my thought.

 

[xIHaKIx]

My uncle had to move his tank, it was a 30gallon I believe, nothing hard about it when he did it. we drained half the water, 3 guys picked it up and moved it into the van, we drove to the new house w. a guy sitting in the back holding the fish tank from not slideing or w.e and when he arrived it was the first thing he set up and re added the water he drained from a few big buckets.

 

[FMJnaX]

I would NOT recommend what was stated above. Even at 1/2 full, that's about 120 lbs of water, plus the 20-50 lbs of substrate, plus whatever else you have in there. Even though 3 grown men may be able to transport it, the stress on the bottom of the tank is far to much. A piece of plywood MAY make it safer, but it would still add a lot of stress to the sides. I'm not saying it cannot be done, but it there's a better/safer way around it (which there is, as already mentioned), then take the time to do so. If you're pressed for time and/or resources, then just use caution.

 

[QTOFFER]

I agree with FMJnaX. whether you're moving a tank across the room, or across the country, the safe way to do it involves completely draining and emptying it. Good luck with the move!

 

[rich311k]

I agree do not move your tank with anything in it. I moved a 30 gallon back from college once with just the gravel in it and it started to leak several weeks later.

 

[SeaDana]

Thanks for all your stories and recommendations-- do you think it would be o.k. to leave the gravel in the tank with maybe an inch of water? Or, would that cause too much stress on the tank seals?
I've only had my aquarium for 6 months, so I don't need to completely clean it out like Ashley (although for an older tank, I can see where it would be a good opportunity). I'll probably end up going with the bucket idea (we already use a 5 gal. bucket for vacuuming). Luckily, I think this is a good time of year to move (in CA-high 70's) because the air temperature should stabilize the water temp. nicely once we move.

 

[FMJnaX]

As it's been mentioned, you want to get out as much as possible. Don't sacrifice time for safety. The gravel and 1" of water is still probably a good 30-60 lbs, depending on how much gravel you have.

It's an iffy situation, but I'll go out on a limb and say that if you get at least two people to help move it and place it on at least a 1/2" (maybe 1/4") sheet of plywood any time you move it, then you'll probably be ok. The key points is the keep the bottom supported and to keep the joints/tank as level as possible. Don't put more pressure on one side of the tank than the other.