Moving to a new home is a challenging enough experience on its own. When you have a pet, things can get even more difficult. That is because you will need to prepare the animal or animals for the move and find a way to do that by yourself as home removal companies do not deal with pets. Your moving experience can be even more stressful if you need to move an aquarium full of fish. There are so many ways in which this particular part of the relocation can go wrong. That is why there are a number of things you need to carefully consider when moving our fish like:
- The weather and outdoor temperature
- The distance you will need to travel
- Feeding schedule of the fish
Moving your fish
Rule number one when it comes to relocating with a tank filled with fish – do not leave the fish in the aquarium. Otherwise, the water may spill out of the tank, destroying the other items in the vehicle and making the fish feel extremely stressed. What is more, if the trip is bumpy your pets may end up outside the aquarium. Therefore, take the fish out of their tank and place them in polystyrene container which can be purchased from many pet or aquarium shops. To make the transportation safer, you can put the fish in a specialised polyethene bag and then place the bag into the container. However, make sure that it is clean and durable. Don’t forget to leave an air pocket in the bag before you seal it. Last, but not least, stop feeding your pet fish a day before the relocation. That may sound like a barbaric thing to do but, in reality, it may save your pets lives. When fish spend too much time in a water filled with waste that is not filtered by a special pump, they may easily fall sick or feel stressed.
Moving the aquarium and other equipment
Prepare the tank for relocation on the day of the move by taking out the fish and the plants. To transport your aquarium plants, rely on the same strategy you used for your pet fish – place them in containers. Turn off all the equipment and leave it to cool down before you pack it with bubble wrap and paper. Next, reduce the level of water in the tank. Secure the aquarium by wrapping it in a blanket or a lot of bubble wrap. It is always advisable to move the tank with your personal vehicle instead of a moving truck. That is because you will need to set everything up and put the fish back into its usual environment as soon as you reach your new home.
Move quickly
Remember that your fish can safely remain in a bag or a container without a water filter or a pump for about 12 hours. So, if you are planning to move across the country, you must get a portable filter and air pump for your pets and transport them in a new and clean bucket or a bigger container. Do not expose your fish to extreme heat or low temperatures if you don’t want to lose them.