How to Move a Fish Tank
Moving a Saltwater Aquarium
Perhaps one of the most painful and difficult decisions for any aquarist is to move their saltwater fish tank. Some hobbyists take the opportunity to sell the aquarium and start fresh and incorporate the things they would have done differently. For those who want to keep their existing setup, moving a saltwater aquarium or large reef tank will be a full day project and will require careful planning. Ideally, the you would have a new tank set up and running and livestock could be transferred in stages, but that is not always the case for most people.
1. Start moving the aquarium early in the morning. This will give you plenty of time to visit the hardware and fish store in case of an emergency.
2. You will need plenty of containers, buckets, bags and towels.
3. Begin by turning off the power to the aquarium, with exception to the Lights.
4. If you have a Sump, drain the sump and remove all the equipment as quickly as possible. Don’t worry about cleaning the equipment at this time. You may clean the equipment prior to or after the move.
5. Remove all the corals from the aquarium and place them into bags with a bit of pre-washed Carbon to prevent toxic build up. You may place the corals in a Styrofoam container or cooler with heat or cold packs to maintain temperature.
6. Next remove as much Live Rock as possible. Be careful not to trap fish and invertebrates inside of caves. You may wrap the live rock with newspaper to keep it moist and then place it into a container. It won’t need to be submerged in water. Live rock is shipped dry to most fish stores, so a few hours out of the water won’t hurt it.
7. Remove all Pumps, Heaters and other equipment from inside the aquarium.
8. Start Siphoning water out of the aquarium into containers and buckets. Stop siphoning when you run out of containers or the water becomes overly cloudy with debris.
9. As the water level drops begin catching fish and placing them into a bucket with an Airstone and heater. To reduce stress, place a cover on the bucket. If you happen to have an oxygen tank, you may choose to bag your fish instead.
10. By now, you should have an almost empty aquarium and sump. In a small aquarium you may choose to keep your substrate, but with a large aquarium you should discard the substrate and start with new. Once the substrate is disturbed, it will release nitrate and debris which can harm fish in a new aquarium. The substrate should be removed in large aquariums as the added weight will put pressure on the seams and make it more difficult to move. Use a wet/dry vacuum to quickly remove substrate.
11. Disconnect any plumbing from the aquarium to the sump. You may have to re-plumb the aquarium at its new location.
12. Remove the aquarium, stand, light, sump and any remaining equipment and load it into the vehicle with all the livestock. Use blankets, tie downs and foam board to prevent the aquarium from sliding and scratching.
13. At the new location, place the stand, aquarium and sump in your desired location. Remember to level the stand.
14. Install and turn on the light fixture.
15. Place the new pre-washed Substrate in the aquarium.
16. Aquascape your live rock.
17. Refill the aquarium as much as possible.
18. Connect heaters and circulation pumps in the main aquarium.
19. Turn off the aquarium lights.
20. Float the fish, corals and invertebrates. When the proper temperature is reached, release them into the aquarium. Keep the lights off to reduce stress.
21. You should have a semi-operational display aquarium. This is a good time to take a break.
22. Now it is time to reconnect the sump. You may need to re-plumb the return and drain line, but take your time.
23. Once the sump is re-plumbed, connect your return pump, Filtration and other equipment.
24. Add water to the return pump chamber and test for leaks by starting the return pump.
25. Add water into the overflow and test for leaks in the drain line.
26. Mix fresh saltwater and add it to the sump and aquarium until it is at a normal operating level.
27. Turn on the return pump and move the heater and other equipment from the display tank back into the sump.
28. Set up any other equipment.
29. Continue to Test the aquarium’s water parameters. With the new substrate, your aquarium may have a small cycle. Perform water changes if necessary.