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How to Move an Aquarium Across the State or Country | The Beginners Reef

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Skip to contentHaving to move an aquarium over a long distance is bar far one of the most labor-intensive moves you can do with an aquarium. Not only do you have the task of moving the house but you also have to move the aquarium, each of which is a mammoth task in itself!Moving the aquarium can be done and is done often but the way you plan and execute it will mean the difference between success and stress!Moving an aquarium long distance can be done in 3 ways: Sell all the livestock &amp; move only the tank and equipment. Ship all the livestock to a holding facility and move only the tank &amp; equipment. Breakdown, transport &amp; reassemble the whole tank &amp; livestock in one journey with the house belongings.This article is part of an ‘Aquarium Moving’ series:* If you are looking to move an aquarium temporarily or within your home –&nbsp;CLICK HERE* If you are looking to move an aquarium across Town – CLICK HEREUsing my experience of moving many aquariums safely I wanted to create this series to help you make a plan for when you next need to move your pride and joy!All links to products in this article take you to Amazon.comBefore we get too deep there are three common methods to think about that will help make the move easier:Selling all your livestock and only transporting the aquarium and equipmentShipping all your livestock to a holding facility until you have moved, installed, and matured the aquarium then have them shipped back to youDriving all the tank, equipment, and livestock across the countryTo give you the very best resource we are going to discuss each method so you can see which one may best fit your needs when it comes to moving time.To most aquarists this is by far the easiest and most convenient way as the stress of moving house, especially with a cross-country move is right up there towards the top of life’s most stressful times.No matter if your aquarium is just a goldfish tank or a full coral reef, the easiest option is to break it down many weeks or months ahead of the move and save the money from the sales of your livestock to buy new.This is especially so when we are talking about a mature coral reef aquarium! Selling frags or colonies of beautiful corals can soon turn that bank balance into a fat piggy bank if you have the market around you to sell them to.If this method is the one you wish to pursue, get fragging your corals and selling them months before the move. DO NOT leave it until the last week before the move unless you really want to get stressed!This method is by far my best recommendation!Mainly because it allows you to start off with a clean slate when you get to your new home and it removes the risk of livestock fatalities during the move.You may wish to try a different aquascape, a different type of coral, heck you could even get a new, bigger aquarium because we are always wanting to upgrade. This method will also prevent you from having to move a potentially large, heavy, and fragile aquarium!If you just cannot part with your livestock then please read on…If you already have all of the livestock and/or corals you could ever want and you can’t bear to part with them, then shipping them ahead to a holding facility or leaving them at a holding facility where you currently live are great options!Shipping your livestock to and from a holding facility can be done fairly easily, but it’s going to need to be planned months in advance and it could cost you quite a bit of money.if this sounds like a viable option I highly recommend you do this a week or two before moving your house and then have them shipped to you a week or two after the house is moved. Trying to do this on the same day or even a few days before moving your whole house is just pure insanity!The first thing is you need to find someone to ship them to who you trust and who has the husbandry standards you are happy with. There are several ways to find a holding facility:Call some of the local (New Home), reputable fish stores in the area and talk to them about renting tank space. Even better is to go and visit them, inspect them, see what they can offer you, for how much and how longReach out to the aquarium forums and see if any local aquarists may be able to help you. I have seen it many a time when fellow aquarists are able to help each other outIf you have any aquatic friends where you currently live, see if they can hold your livestock for you, then ship it to you a few weeks after the moveEach scenario is going to be different so you will have to reach out and see what options are available to you. If you are unable to find a holding facility then you will have to look into Method #1 or Method #3.If you are able to find a holding facility then be sure to call around to get some quotes for shipping your livestock. There are going to be many insulated boxes and potentially dozens, to hundreds of pounds of live rock, especially if you have a larger aquarium. A bill of $1000 in shipping could make Method #1 very tempting!Once you have confirmed the location of the holding facility and agreed on a shipping date you are going to need to get enough packing supplies to move your livestock to the holding facility and provide them with enough supplies (and beer/wine/scotch) for them to ship them to you when required.Here is a list of recommended packing &amp; shipping supplies:If you are shipping your livestock to a holding facility close to your new home you need to look into the following steps to ensure your overnight livestock shipments don’t get left behind!If you are leaving your livestock behind and a friend or store owner is going to ship them to you I recommend you do all these before you leave and have them accompany you or give them all the details to relieve their stress of shipping YOUR livestock!Once all the livestock have been shipped I highly recommend you break down all of the aquarium and equipment, give it a really good clean with vinegar and hot water.Packing up the house is a big enough task so having all the aquarium and associated equipment and parts already cleaned, ready to be unpacked, and installed at the new location will dramatically reduce your stress!Once you have finally arrived at your new home it’s time to get the room ready for setting up the aquarium. There is not so much of a rush to do this but must be completed within the next week or two.To Calculate how much substrate you will need use Bulk Reef Supply’s Handy Calculator – HereOnce Home:Because your livestock have been traveling for some time I highly suggest you acclimate them just like you did when you bought them home for the first time.If you need any tips on fish acclimation check out this article. It works for freshwater too, just leave out the salt parts:How To Acclimate Saltwater FishOne Tip is that your aquarium is going to go through a mini nitrogen cycle. Make sure you begin to test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate daily for the next few weeks or so to monitor any spikes.Well if you wanted a challenge, you certainly have one if you have to pick this method, but it can be done! I can tell you now that it is going to get stressful and packing up day, moving, and unpacking day are going to be some of the longest days in your life, but if your livestock just has to go with you, then Buckle up for some more readin’!When moving the house and a mature aquarium at the same time it needs some careful planning and almost two teams of people:One team to pack up the house andOne team to pack up the aquariumIt’s going to get busy!If you are moving a freshwater aquarium then the job is ALOT easier, but if you are moving a mature saltwater aquarium teeming with corals, Live Rock, invertebrates, and fish, then the job is going to be a lot more involved!To ship your livestock this way, the only this can really work is if you drive the aquarium stuff yourself, while the house and the rest of the family go via a moving company and driving/flying etc.Depending on the size of the aquarium, you may have to rent a Uhaul van or something similar as you could have a dozen or more bins and totes containing all the livestock plus all the aquarium and equipment.Try to Avoid Doing This Move in the Middle of Summer or the Middle of Winter!To transport fish, coral, and rock long distances they need to be bagged and packed into insulated shipping boxes, placed into totes, bins, and buckets with lids, heaters, and air pumps to maintain temperature during the journey. If traveling by road taking many days, small water changes can be made.Another option is to create some simple, but very effective Livestock Transport Containers. To help you better understand please watch this video I created to show you how to easily make one:The number of containers you may need will vary but each one will need to be heated and have air. You can run several containers of a single air pump using a manifold like this one at Amazon.com, just remember the more air outlets you run off a single pump, the bigger the air pump will need to be.Also, for a selection of suitable heaters from Amazon.com here is what you will need based on water volume for each container:One Tip is that even empty aquariums are heavy – Make sure you have enough bodies to carry the aquarium!75G Glass Tank = 100lbs Rough Empty Weight120G Glass Tank = 190lbs Rough Empty Weight210G Glass Tank = 350lbs Rough Empty WeightYou can rent suction cups and dollies from most Tool Rental StoresTo Calculate how much sand you will need to use Bulk Reef Supply’s Handy Calculator – HereDon’t Rush, Take Your Time, Be Methodical, Be Efficient!One Tip is to ensure there is a person on each end of the hose! Hoses pop out of containers very easily!Here is how I recommend splitting up your livestock ready for transport with some of the old aquarium water:If you have a coral and Live Rock:Moving across a country the size of the US can take days, especially in a rattly, diesel rental moving van but providing your life support systems are working then you should have no problems.Here are a few great tips to think about when driving long distances with an aquarium:The key here is to ensure the livestock is healthy before moving onto aquarium installationOne Tip is to pour your old tank water through a filter sock as it goes back into the aquarium. This will help remove any sediment from when it was first removed.Because your livestock have been traveling for some time I highly suggest you acclimate them just like you did when you bought them home for the first time.If you need any tips on fish acclimation check out this article. It works for freshwater too, just leave out the salt parts:How To Acclimate Saltwater FishOne Tip is that your aquarium is going to go through a mini nitrogen cycle. Make sure you begin to test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate daily for the next few weeks or so to monitor any spikes.Hopefully, your aquarium move will have gone smoothly without too much stress and loss of livestock! Moving a mature and healthy aquarium across the country is no easy feat and you must expect a few fatalities.With you thinking about moving an aquarium you may find these articles helpful too:Moving house is said to be one of the 'Top 5 Most Stressful Times' in our life! Now if you have an aquarium, especially an established saltwater aquarium this now sends that stress toward the very...Continue ReadingThere may be several reasons why you wish to move an aquarium in your home and no matter the reason, the task can be daunting. Whether you are temporarily moving the aquarium to allow for new...Continue ReadingMy name is Richard and I have been an avid aquarist for over 30 years. My journey began, like many others, with the introduction of two goldfish and a small aquarium. I was hooked!It took me years of searching to help find all the best information to help me become successful with a Saltwater Aquarium.This site is designed to put all that helpful information in one easy-to-find place.Click Here For GuidesTheBeginnersReef.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Aquarium Specialty Associates Program, Flex Offers, PepperJam Network, Affiliatly, and other affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn small commission fees. By advertising and linking to these websites TheBeginnersReef.com is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies and it helps to pay for the running costs of this website.

Skip to contentHaving to move an aquarium over a long distance is bar far one of the most labor-intensive moves you can do with an aquarium. Not only do you have the task of moving the house but you also have to move the aquarium, each of which is a mammoth task in itself!Moving the aquarium can be done and is done often but the way you plan and execute it will mean the difference between success and stress!Moving an aquarium long distance can be done in 3 ways: Sell all the livestock &amp; move only the tank and equipment. Ship all the livestock to a holding facility and move only the tank...

How to Move an Aquarium Across the State or Country | The Beginners Reef

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