6 Tips for Moving With an Aquarium or Terrarium

Fish and reptiles can make incredible pets but are also a handful. Maintaining their environment is one of the most significant challenges of having fish or reptiles. While cleaning and managing your aquarium or terrarium can be enjoyable, what happens when you need to move to a new house?

Before moving, plan to ensure you have all the details worked out. Making advance plans is essential to reduce the time your pets and fish spend outside their carefully monitored habitat. Your fish and pets should be the last item you pack before moving and the first item you unpack when you get to your new place.

Professional movers can’t move live animals, pets, or fish. But fortunately, the stress of moving your pets doesn't have to be overwhelming. By following these tips and tricks, the transition should be relatively smooth and straightforward to do yourself.

Step One: Prepare Your Pets

If you only move the aquarium from one room to the next, your pet will only be in a temporary container for a short time. However, moving from one house to another means extended stays in a bag, bucket, or small terrarium. Even a few hours can be long enough for the container to get dirty, particularly from your pet's waste.

So, to help alleviate this problem, refrain from feeding your pet for about 12 to 24 hours before the move (depending on the species). This way, there's less chance of contamination, meaning your pet will arrive happy and healthy.

Step Two: Remove the Water

Keep as much of the original water when moving an aquarium as possible. Since your pets are already acclimated to it, you don't want to start with fresh water and add stress to the move. Siphon water into large buckets, but make sure they're not too heavy to move once full.

Take out about 75 percent of the water from the tank. Leave enough for your fish to have enough room to swim freely.

Step Three: Remove Pets

Have your temporary containers ready to go so you can transfer your pets quickly. If you have aggressive animals, you'll need to keep them separate during the move. Otherwise, just ensure the container is large enough for the number of animals it will hold.

Use the fish net to move your fish into the buckets carefully. Depending on how many fish you have, fill the container with as much water as needed, leaving plenty of air at the top.

Step Four: Remove Decor, Grave, Sand

Remove the remaining items once you have safely removed the pets and fish from the tank. Use a fishnet to remove large rocks or decor; take these items out, dry them, and pack them separately.

If you have things like coral or live plants, these require special care so they don’t die during transportation. Once the tank is cleared beside the live items, remove the coral and plants and put them into their bucket filled with fish tank water. At this point, remove the gravel or sand remaining in the tank. 

.Step Five: Pack Everything Securely

The tank is fragile, so you must ensure it won't break in transit. Wrap the sides with bubble wrap or cardboard to prevent cracks and punctures during the move. If you have fragile decor items or plants, pack them as securely and gently as possible.

Packing your tank into a larger box is ideal. Place the tank in the box and fill any gaps around it with insulating foam or packing paper to prevent it from shifting. Put paper or foam inside the tank to protect it from damage. Mark the box as fragile.

Step Six: Monitor Your Pets During the Move

Ideally, other people can handle the physical side of the move, so you can focus on keeping your pets healthy and stress-free. Pay attention to their waste levels and ensure they get enough food and water during the trip. The more comfortable you make their journey, the easier it is to acclimate to the new location.

Pro Tip: Since traveling long distances with fish is challenging, consider rehoming your fish with trusted friends or relatives if your relocation is a great distance.

Get Moving Help

Although our team can't help you with your pets directly, we can help move everything you use to keep them in your home. We take great care of your belongings so you can feel confident that the transition will go as smoothly as possible. Contact us today to find out more.