Step 6: How To Pack-Up and Move Aquarium Pets

Step 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Once the water in the transport container has been prepared, and just prior to when you are ready to get under way, it's time to put your aquarium pets into the transport container for the move.

Important Packing Tips

• Unless you have a small quantity of animals to move, and believe what you have can be combined safely, DO NOT MIX OR PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER IN ONE TRANSPORT CONTAINER!! Use multiple containers along with common sense to group "similarly-natured" fish and invertebrates together, such as those that are compatible, less-aggressive VS aggressive, delicate VS less-sensitive or hardier, poisonous or venomous, carnivorous or predatory, and/or high-waste producing species.
  
  • View >> Similar-In-Nature Animal Groupings Chart
• The size of each animal being moved has to be considered. You don't want to put a bunch of large fish or crame too many animals into one container. It is best to split them up by placing one or two larger species with some medium and small ones, but still combined as "similar-in-nature" groupings.

• The help reduce the amount of waste that FISH can produce, which in turn can quickly foul up the transport water, you can get them to expel some of the waste in their intestinal tracts before placing them into a transport container by giving them a quick 2 to 3 minute "freshwater" dip or bath. This definately helps, and can easily be done as you take the fish out of the aquarium. If you have the time, cut back on the amount and number of feedings to once a day, or stop feeding altogether 2 days prior to the move to "clean them out".
  
  • Read >> Freshwater Dip/Bath Tips
• IDEALLY, each animal being moved should be placed into its own "individual" smaller container, which will then be placed into the larger transport container(s). By using this packing method:
  • It prevents harassment and fighting that can occur when animals are placed freely-swimming about together in a container, and therefore "compatiblity issues" are eliminated.
  • Allows for a few more animals to be added to a transport container, as well as some pieces of live rock to be placed flat and securely on the bottom, which in turn will act as a kind of mini-biological source. However, to avoid injury to animals in containers where they are free-swimming, DO NOT put in any kind of rocks, decorative, PVC or other shelter type items. Objects can topple, roll around, or become dangerous projectiles when a vehicle is moving.
  • The individual containers act as a "baffle" to help prevent water from sloshing back and forth and spilling out of the transport container when a vehicle is moving.
  • Instructions >> How To Separate Aquarium Pets During a Move

Next >> Take Care of the Transport Water and Container During Transit
Back << Oxygenate the Transport Water

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