Changing the place of residence is not only hard for you- but it is also hard for your pet. Of course, it is much easier if you have a dog or a cat since you can pack their little houses and bring them with you. To the animals, the trip itself will not be a big deal. On the other hand, if you have a fish as a pet, this cannot be applied to it. Fish are more delicate and you need to take special attention when relocating them. This means that you should think ahead and provide not only them with proper care but also their home. So, in order to properly prepare an aquarium for relocation, here are some pieces of advice.
If you are not moving far, preserve the water
Before packing the tank itself, you need to take everything out and to clean it. First of all, remove all the grass, gravel and all the other decorations from it. If you would like to keep them, make sure you pack them properly. This will certainly prevent them from being damaged or broken. Then, you should save as much water from the aquarium as you can. By reusing it, you will cut the cycling time considerably when you restart the system. Plus, the likelihood of a toxic ammonia spike will decrease. The easiest way to transport the water is to pour it into 5-gallon buckets. Under no circumstances should you transport the aquarium filled with water. In this way, you will only damage other items in the moving truck.
In case you are planning a long distance move, discard the water completely
First of all, it will be much safer to remove the water when you need to prepare an aquarium for relocation. You will prevent other items from being damaged and the aquarium itself will remain in one piece. Also, it is advisable to clean or even discard your filter media. You can pack the heaters, pumps and all the other items just like any other fragile piece of furniture. In case you lack packing material, you can always use the things you are going to bring with you, such as towels, sheets or even pillowcases. On the other hand, if there are plants in your aquarium, it is advisable not to transport them. They can survive only a short amount of time without water
When you prepare an aquarium for relocation, take care of the equipment
As we have already stated, it is of great importance to take out all the equipment from your aquarium. In addition to this, you should also know the proper way to transport them. Therefore, you should keep the sponges and filter media immersed in the aquarium water. This should be done in order to minimize disruption of the bacteria colonies within them. It is needless to say that you should inform your moving company if you have an aquarium and you want to transport it. They will take good care of it and will make sure everything remains in the same condition. Movers Pittsboro NC are qualified and you can rely on them to perform this task with success.
Make sure the filter media arrives safely to your new home
If you have had fish for a long period of time, you must have enriched your aquarium with many different items. Some of them are in there only for a decorative purpose, such as grass, shells, starfish, etc. On the other hand, here can be also found items that help your fish live in a clean environment. Filter media plays quite an important role here. This means that you should properly clean and discard it when you prepare an aquarium for relocation. Also, you should remember that, when you start up the system in your new home, you will have to treat it as new. Since complete cycling is necessary, bear in mind that not many species of fish can handle it. So, until the aquarium is ready for them, make temporary arrangements for your fish.
Once you arrive at your new home take measures immediately
It does not matter whether you are moving across the state or just changing the city(for example, moving to Wilmington NC from Jacksonville), you should take good care of your aquarium. Once you have moved into your new home, now is a fine time to get your aquarium operating again. In order to do this, you should fill it with the old water- pour in it as much as you were able to save. After that, top off with fresh water or salt water that you have mixed beforehand. Then, get your heaters, filters and all the other equipment running and, in the end, add a bacterial additive- this will help accelerate cycling. In case you have some plants and decorations put them also inside and check the water parameters. In case they are acceptable, you can feel free to put your fish back into their aquarium.
Moving out of the place where you have been living for a long period of time and moving into a completely new one can be challenging. Luckily, there are certain things we can do in order to prepare ourselves well for the relocation. In case you have fish, you should also think about what you need to do to prepare an aquarium for relocation. It may seem at first that it is not demanding, but when you start, you will realize it is quite the opposite. Therefore, start with the whole moving process on time and you will be able to take good care of your aquarium. If you do this properly, there will be no need for you to worry whether it will arrive at its destination in one piece or not.
