Fish are one of the most difficult pets to move as you’re not just moving your little buddy, you have to move their whole world too! There are some very important rules that you must stick to ensure that their environment remains constant and reduces the amount of stress they experience. But don’t worry, we’ve laid out some simple steps and if you follow these you’ll find it’s not as complicated as you first thought.
Stop feeding your fish 2-3 days before leaving
This is the first step to moving fish and ensures that they don’t produce too much urine during the move as the ammonia can cause a toxic environment for your fish.
Heat up the water
If you have tropical fish, they will be accustomed to a warm environment and this temperature is going to drop slightly in transit, so it’s important to let the heater run for a couple hours before moving your fish. The water from their tank will be the water you use for your bags, so they’ll be kept nice and snuggly during the move.
Bags
Make sure you buy proper fish moving bags as they come with square bottoms to increase stability and are reinforced to prevent any leakages, which could be fatal. Fill the bag half way up using the water from the tank and half way with air. It is crucial that you do not use fresh water to make sure their environment is kept consistent. Also be careful not to overcrowd the bags. If you have a lot of fish, be sure to buy lots of bags instead of bunching them together.
Give Them Something to Read
Only joking, but wrapping the bags in newspaper is the perfect way to convince your fish it’s night time. This way they will sleep through the journey which will dramatically reduce their stress levels.
Boxes
Once you’ve wrapped the bags in newspaper, put them into boxes to keep them extra stable during the move. And as with all your moving boxes, make sure it’s well labelled!
Filters
Transport any filters in the water from the tank to ensure that the bacteria from your tank is kept alive and healthy.
Keep them company
Lastly, make sure you put the boxes in the car with you and not in the removals van so that you can keep an eye on them in case any emergencies require your attention.
On Arrival
As with all aspects of moving fish, use the old water from the start of the move to keep conditions at their most optimum and familiar. Fill the tank up with the old water and add all of the tank ornaments, filter and heater. Bring the tank water up to temperature and then float the sealed bags in the water for an hour or so for the temperatures to equalise before then tipping the fish into the tank. Hey presto their home is restored!
For more advice and tips take a look at our moving tips page or have a browse through the rest of our blog where you’ll find lots of useful ways to make your house move as easy as possible. At Intransit we specialise in giving a smooth and professional removal service, so if you’re on the lookout for a trusted removals company in Wiltshire get in contact for a quote.
