Having to make the decision to leave your wet pets behind to face the elements alone is a very difficult and sad thing to have to do, because in all likelihood during extreme weather situations the power will go out, which means if you are unable to remain at home to tend to your aquarium livestock's needs, or in the worse case scenario the house gets badly damaged or even completely demolished, all can be lost.
For some people their decision has been made one way or the other, but for those that are not sure of what to do, consider the following questions when deciding on whether or not to pack-up your wet pets and go.
- How much "time" to do you have to get ready to evacuate?
- Do you have all emergency supplies and essential personal items for the family and none-aquarium household pets packed and ready to go?
- How much "room" do you have for transporting your family, and necessities, and none-aquarium pets?
- How much aquarium livestock do you have to move?
- Is there enough room to include all or at least some of them?
(If you have a substantially sized saltwater tank or full-blown reef system, undoubtedly you will NOT be able to take it ALL with you. You will have to decide what you want to take, and/or have space for. When it comes to corals, stony or SPS/LPS corals have demanding lighting requirements, therefore these species will most likely not fair well during this stressful time. For this reason soft corals as the best choice, and if space is limited, just take some coral frags or cuttings instead.) - Do you have or can you get the items needed to pack-up and move your livestock in time?
- How far are you going to have to travel?
- How long will it take you to get there?
- How long do you think you will have to be away?
- Where are you going to stay?
- Would the place you will be staying allow or have space for setting up an emergency type QT, to store some supplies, as well as mix up saltwater solutions for making water changes during your stay?
- Will electricity be available?
Obviously if you are in a "GOTTA GO RIGHT NOW" situation, by all means don't hesitate, take only what you need and get out! For those of you that may have some time to work with, have weighed out these questions and come to the conclusion that it is "plausible" to take your aquarium pets with you, continue on to our "Checklist of Items Needed to Move Your Wet Pets Quickly".
