How do you move an aquarium?

How to move an aquarium step by step?

1. 1

   Step 1: Plan to transport the fish yourself. Live animals are not included in the removal company's task according to Bohag 2010, unless you have agreed on it.

2. 2

   Step 2: Have bags, outer containers and oxygen or a tank with air pump ready before you start emptying. our advice

3. 3

   Step 3: Catch the fish and put them in double plastic bags with one-third water and two-thirds oxygen or well-oxygenated air, in an outer container.

4. 4

   Step 4: Put the filter material in a bucket of aquarium water so it does not dry out. our tip

5. 5

   Step 5: Completely empty the aquarium of water and lift out the bottom material and decorations. Never carry it full.

6. 6

   Step 6: Pour the water into a flower bed or on the ground far from the nearest lake or watercourse, never in natural water.

7. 7

   Step 7: Place the aquarium on a flat surface that can withstand the weight when it is filled, fill it and start the filter before the fish are released into it.

Source: Bohag 2010: General moving rules for consumers (pdf, published by Cityflytt), Jordbruksverket: Aquatic animals for companionship or decoration, Juwel: Instruction manual Primo 110 (pdf, English), Havs- och vattenmyndigheten: Do not spread alien species. The steps marked as our advice are the editorial staff's own.

How do you transport aquarium fish?

The Swedish Board of Agriculture describes two methods. One is double plastic bags filled to one third with water and two thirds with oxygen or well-oxygenated air, and placed in a suitable outer container. The other is a water tank where the water is oxygenated. The temperature and oxygenation should suit the species you are moving, and for longer transports you should change the water to prevent the carbon dioxide level from rising.

Put the bags in a cooler or foam box and let the fish ride last in the car and first out. That's our advice. If you're unsure what your species can tolerate, you can ask a pet store, as the Swedish Board of Agriculture suggests for questions about the health of the fish.

Source: Jordbruksverket: Aquatic animals for companionship or decoration. The advice on cool bags and loading is ours.

Do you have to empty the aquarium before the move?

Yes. Juwel states in the instructions for their aquariums that the aquarium should not be transported when it is filled. Remove the fish first, then the plants and decorations, then the water and finally the substrate.

Save some of the old water in clean containers if the journey is short, and put the plants in a bag with water. That is our advice.

Source: Juwel: Primo 110 user manual (pdf, English). The order and advice on drums and plants are ours.

How to keep the bacteria in the filter?

The filter is not just mechanical. Juwel writes that it takes about 14 days before the filter sponges have built up the bacterial culture that purifies the water biologically, and that the sponges should not be cleaned or replaced at the same time as it affects the bacteria. Therefore, let the filter material lie in the aquarium water during the move, so it doesn't dry out, and start the filter as soon as the aquarium is filled again. That's our advice.

Source: Juwel: User manual Primo 110 (pdf, English).

Where should the aquarium be placed in the new home?

Juwel states that the aquarium should be placed on a level and flat surface that can support the weight of the filled aquarium, preferably on a table or cabinet made for it, and not in direct daylight as it creates more algae. The Swedish Board of Agriculture states that at least one side of the aquarium should be shielded from view, so that the fish can seek shelter. Decide on the location before moving day, so that the aquarium can be placed directly where it will stand. That is our advice.

Source: Juwel: Handbook Primo 110 (pdf, English), Agriculture: Water animals for company or ornamentation.

What to do with the water and plants?

Aquarium water must not be poured into or near streams, lakes and other waterways, as it can spread infection and foreign species. The Marine and Water Authority states that the water can be poured into a flower bed or on the plot far from the nearest water. If you want to get rid of aquarium plants, throw them away as residual waste, and fish must never be released into the wild.

Source: Jordbruksverket: Aquatic animals for companionship or decoration, Havs- och vattenmyndigheten: Do not spread alien species.

Can the removal company take the aquarium?

The fish are not included, as living animals according to Bohag 2010 are not part of the assignment unless you have agreed to it. The empty aquarium, on the other hand, is furniture like other furniture. Glass is considered fragile in the regulations, so mention the aquarium when you book and write it down in the list of fragile items. More about what is not included in the moving load can be found in the post what the removal company cannot move, and how the day goes in step 5, moving day. If you are moving when it is cold, read moving in winter and plan for the fish in Your moving plan.

Source: Bohag 2010: General moving rules for consumers (pdf, published by Cityflytt). Point 2 g and 4 in Bohag 2010.