Tropical fish owners who need to relocate their aquarium face the problem of how to transport their fish. Aquariums cannot be transported filled with water because they are heavy and could break easily. A safe method would be to transfer the fish to smaller containers, empty the aquarium and refill it in its new location. The fish can thus be transported for short distances that do not require a stay out of the aquarium for more than a few hours.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Preparing to Move Tropical Fish
Step 1. Change 20 percent of the water in the aquarium every day for 5 days
This way you can be sure that the tub is filled with clean, mature water.
Step 2. Clean the tank and ornaments with an algae remover sponge in the aquarium
There is no need to remove the ornaments to clean them or clean the substrate.
Step 3. Do not feed the fish within 24-48 hours prior to moving the aquarium
Your fish will be able to survive a couple of days without food but will not survive if the water in the bag is contaminated with excrement.
Part 2 of 4: Put the Fish in the Bags
Step 1. Remove the ornaments from the tank and place them in a bag filled with aquarium water
This will preserve the beneficial bacteria grown on the ornaments.
Step 2. Fill 1/3 of the bags with aquarium water
You can buy fish bags at pet stores or aquarium stores.
If you fill the bags more than 1/3 full there will not be enough air inside to keep the hydrogen peroxide and your fish will die
Step 3. Take the fish and place them in the bags
Step 4. Make sure there is as much air in the bags as possible
You can fill the air bags by blowing from the opening. However, you shouldn't put your mouth directly on the opening as you will contaminate the bag with carbon dioxide. Otherwise, keep your mouth 25-30cm away from the opening and blow the air inside
Step 5. Close the opening of the bags tightly with rubber bands
Step 6. Place the bags in a cooler bag and close it
The cooler will keep the water temperature constant during transport; the dark, on the other hand, will make the fish less active.
Shaking the cooler while traveling will help agitate the water and mix it with the air inside the bags
Step 7. Carefully arrange the bags inside the bag so they don't tip over, otherwise the fish may not have enough water to swim in
If you can't fill the cooler bag completely with bags add something else to fill in the gaps.
Step 8. Place fish that have spiny fins, or that might bite into the bag, in a clean plastic bucket
Fill the bucket 1/3 full with aquarium water and close it with an airtight lid.
Part 3 of 4: Disassemble and Reassemble the Aquarium
Step 1. Disassemble the aquarium as the last thing before moving
Put it back in its new location first, so the fish don't have to stay in the bags longer than necessary.
Step 2. Remove 80 percent of the water from the aquarium and store it
Remove the water from the surface; do not drain it from the bottom and leave 20 percent in the tank (the part most contaminated with waste). The water collected will be returned to the tank when it is in its new location, so that the fish have mature water in the aquarium.
Step 3. Empty the tank of residual water and substrate
Moving the aquarium with something inside could damage the joints in the tank and cause leaks.
This is a great time to wash the substrate
Step 4. Put the substrate and water you stored back into the tank when you have placed it in its new location
Place the ornaments inside and run the pump.
Part 4 of 4: Return the Tropical Fish to the Aquarium
Step 1. Pour the fish bucket into the tank or take the fish and transfer them to a net
Step 2. Let the bags float in the water until the temperature inside the bags matches that of the tub
Then turn the bags into the tub.
Step 3. Make sure you don't stress the fish for a few days
Monitor the quality of the water in the tank, feed the fish little and do not add new ones.
