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How to Move an Aquarium Across the State or Country


Having to move an aquarium over a long distance is bar far one of the most labor-intensive moves you can do with an aquarium. Not only do you have the task of moving the house but you also have to move the aquarium, each of which is a mammoth task in itself!

Moving the aquarium can be done and is done often but the way you plan and execute it will mean the difference between success and stress!

Moving an aquarium long distance can be done in 3 ways: Sell all the livestock & move only the tank and equipment. Ship all the livestock to a holding facility and move only the tank & equipment. Breakdown, transport & reassemble the whole tank & livestock in one journey with the house belongings.


This article is part of an ‘Aquarium Moving’ series:
* If you are looking to move an aquarium temporarily or within your home – CLICK HERE
* If you are looking to move an aquarium across Town – CLICK HERE

Using my experience of moving many aquariums safely I wanted to create this series to help you make a plan for when you next need to move your pride and joy!

All links to products in this article take you to Amazon.com


Before we get too deep there are three common methods to think about that will help make the move easier:

Method #1:
Selling all your livestock and only transporting the aquarium and equipment

Method #2:
Shipping all your livestock to a holding facility until you have moved, installed, and matured the aquarium then have them shipped back to you

Method #3:
Driving all the tank, equipment, and livestock across the country

To give you the very best resource we are going to discuss each method so you can see which one may best fit your needs when it comes to moving time.

Method #1 – Selling the Livestock

To most aquarists this is by far the easiest and most convenient way as the stress of moving house, especially with a cross-country move is right up there towards the top of life’s most stressful times.

No matter if your aquarium is just a goldfish tank or a full coral reef, the easiest option is to break it down many weeks or months ahead of the move and save the money from the sales of your livestock to buy new.

Frag Rack
Lots of Coral Frags Can Fetch Big Bucks!

This is especially so when we are talking about a mature coral reef aquarium! Selling frags or colonies of beautiful corals can soon turn that bank balance into a fat piggy bank if you have the market around you to sell them to.

If this method is the one you wish to pursue, get fragging your corals and selling them months before the move. DO NOT leave it until the last week before the move unless you really want to get stressed!

This method is by far my best recommendation!
Mainly because it allows you to start off with a clean slate when you get to your new home and it removes the risk of livestock fatalities during the move.

You may wish to try a different aquascape, a different type of coral, heck you could even get a new, bigger aquarium because we are always wanting to upgrade. This method will also prevent you from having to move a potentially large, heavy, and fragile aquarium!

If you just cannot part with your livestock then please read on…

Method #2 – Holding Facility

If you already have all of the livestock and/or corals you could ever want and you can’t bear to part with them, then shipping them ahead to a holding facility or leaving them at a holding facility where you currently live are great options!

Shipping your livestock to and from a holding facility can be done fairly easily, but it’s going to need to be planned months in advance and it could cost you quite a bit of money.

One Tip if this sounds like a viable option I highly recommend you do this a week or two before moving your house and then have them shipped to you a week or two after the house is moved. Trying to do this on the same day or even a few days before moving your whole house is just pure insanity!

Bryopsis Nuisance Algae – Pick Your Holding Facility With Care!

Method #2:
Several Months Before Aquarium Moving Day

The first thing is you need to find someone to ship them to who you trust and who has the husbandry standards you are happy with. There are several ways to find a holding facility:

  1. Call some of the local (New Home), reputable fish stores in the area and talk to them about renting tank space. Even better is to go and visit them, inspect them, see what they can offer you, for how much and how long
  2. Reach out to the aquarium forums and see if any local aquarists may be able to help you. I have seen it many a time when fellow aquarists are able to help each other out
  3. If you have any aquatic friends where you currently live, see if they can hold your livestock for you, then ship it to you a few weeks after the move

Each scenario is going to be different so you will have to reach out and see what options are available to you. If you are unable to find a holding facility then you will have to look into Method #1 or Method #3.

If you are able to find a holding facility then be sure to call around to get some quotes for shipping your livestock. There are going to be many insulated boxes and potentially dozens, to hundreds of pounds of live rock, especially if you have a larger aquarium. A bill of $1000 in shipping could make Method #1 very tempting!

Method #2:
One Month Before Livestock Shipping Day

Once you have confirmed the location of the holding facility and agreed on a shipping date you are going to need to get enough packing supplies to move your livestock to the holding facility and provide them with enough supplies (and beer/wine/scotch) for them to ship them to you when required.

Here is a list of recommended packing & shipping supplies:

  • Various-sized bags or containers for your fish, invertebrates and coral frags – Double or triple bagging is a must! – You can find fish bags HERE
  • Rubber bands
  • Insulated livestock shipping boxes – View a large selection of sizes HERE
  • Clean cotton cloths for wrapping Live Rock
  • Aquarium Air Pump – Filling livestock bags with air will increase the survival rate
  • Newspaper for packing
  • Labels – For livestock bags
  • Sharpie Marker – For labels
  • Shipping Labels from Shiping Carrier
  • Packing Tape
  • Heat or Cool Packs – Climate Dependant – Taped to the inside of the lid, do not allow the pack to touch any bags! – Just get the small ones, large ones create too much heat!
    These are only needed if you are moving in the absolute extremes of summer or winter!
  • Get some big fish nets – Makes catching fish so much easier!

Method #2:
Two Weeks Before Livestock Shipping Day

If you are shipping your livestock to a holding facility close to your new home you need to look into the following steps to ensure your overnight livestock shipments don’t get left behind!

Finding Your Shipper Closed On Moving Day is Really Bad!
  • Be sure of Shipping company store opening times or a pickup/dropoff time is arranged
  • Estimated shipping cost so you can budget – Look at Same day or Next Day
  • The latest drop-off time at the shipping company for that shipping schedule – Plan to arrive at least 1 hour before
  • Timeline of how long it’s going to take to bag and pack every item to meet the shipping deadline. If the deadline is 10am and you have 5 hours of estimated bagging, packing and delivery it’s going to be a very early start!
  • Possibly arrange to drive directly to the airport to save a journey in the UPS van – Time how long that journey and booking in time will take – Go and speak with the cargo agent at the airport
  • Begin to reduce how much you feed your fish – Plan to completely stop feeding them 2-3 days before shipping
  • Get a few helpers lined up – It will make catching and bagging far easier!

If you are leaving your livestock behind and a friend or store owner is going to ship them to you I recommend you do all these before you leave and have them accompany you or give them all the details to relieve their stress of shipping YOUR livestock!

Method #2:
Two Days Before Livestock Shipping Day

  • Call the holding facility to confirm they are ready to accept your livestock
  • Cease feeding all the fish
  • Set up a long table next to the aquarium – This will help to set up a production line for bagging and boxing fish, invertebrates, and coral
  • Place down towels on the table – It will get very wet during the bagging process
  • Get all the packing supplies laid out in logical order:
    • Bags, rubber bands, sharpie marker, insulated boxes, newspaper, heat packs, packing tape, another sharpie marker
  • Get all the shipping labels filled out and ready – Keep away from the Wet Areas! ( Ensure you have spare labels!)
  • Re-check your timeline to ensure you leave enough time to catch, bag, box, and deliver the livestock to meet the shipper’s deadline if you are shipping them across the country – Confirm no road construction or detours have popped up!

Method #2:
The Day Before Livestock Shipping Day

  • Do a 25% water change to help remove any last traces of nitrates and ammonia
  • Have a good dinner and get a good night’s sleep! Tomorrow could be a stressful and long day!

Method #2:
On Livestock Shipping Day

  • Get up early and have a good breakfast!
  • Begin to remove approx 50% of the water to give the fish less water to swim in
  • Catch as many fish as you can and place similar species in the same bag. Large fish in one bag. 2 smaller fish in one bag, max!
  • Double bag all fish and invertebrates and fill bag with air from the air pump.
  • Secure bags with several rubber bands
  • Place all bags into insulated boxes, fill voids with newspaper
  • If required, tape heat/cool packs to the underside of the lid, tape the lid closed, and label the insulated box. Place the box to one side

  • Begin by removing the aquascape rock or decorations
  • If you have a coral and Live Rock:-
    • Carefully cut with and Exacto-knife or Dremel (according to coral type) any coral growing between two rock pieces – DO NOT tear it!
    • Place rock pieces in 4mil thick poly bags
    • Carefully cover with cotton cloths dampened in aquarium water
    • Place a few cupfuls of aquarium water in the bag
    • Be careful not to squash any corals on the rock against bag sides/base
    • Triple bag each piece of Live Rock
    • Secure each individual bag with rubber bands
  • Catch and bag all remaining fish and invertebrates
  • Repeat until all Live Rock and livestock is sealed away in boxes
Mr Kang's Korean Reef
SPS Coral Will Require VERY Careful Packing!
  • Send someone to deliver or start delivering your livestock to the shipper or local holding facility
  • If the facility is local, help them unpack, acclimate, tidy up and ensure they have lots of supplies ready to ship to you in a few weeks/month
  • Ensure you leave the required amount of booze/steak/gift cards to thank them for this monumental undertaking!
  • If the old aquarium is going in the house move, now is the time to give it all a really good clean while removing the old substrate and dismantling
  • I find it easy if someone dismantles, passes the part to a helper and they clean and dry it
  • Remove all remaining water and substrate and dispose

Once all the livestock have been shipped I highly recommend you break down all of the aquarium and equipment, give it a really good clean with vinegar and hot water.

  • Once clean and dry and pack the tank using styrofoam sheets and blankets to prevent impact breakage to the glass during transport
  • Label it well so anyone who is moving it knows exactly what it is and roughly how heavy and/or how many people are required to move it!

Packing up the house is a big enough task so having all the aquarium and associated equipment and parts already cleaned, ready to be unpacked, and installed at the new location will dramatically reduce your stress!

Method #2:
After House Moving Day

Once you have finally arrived at your new home it’s time to get the room ready for setting up the aquarium. There is not so much of a rush to do this but must be completed within the next week or two.

  • Get any painting or renovations completed to the room housing the aquarium, even if you just paint the wall & trim the aquarium will go against!
  • Unpack the aquarium and carefully inspect it and ALL of its equipment for damage. Replace if needed.
  • Get the tank leak-checked (Outside!), installed, plumbed, and ready to go
  • Fill the tank with (salt)water and turn on all the equipment
  • Leak check all the plumbing
  • Treat with the recommended dose of Dr. Tims One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria Culture
  • Fill the aquarium with the NEW substrate but leave the glass clear where the Live Rock will sit.
    You can find a huge substrate selection Here

To Calculate how much substrate you will need use Bulk Reef Supply’s Handy Calculator – Here

  • Call your livestock holding facility and arrange a date for the Livestock to be shipped or picked up
  • Call any shipping office to find out when the shipments arrive and find the times of opening
  • The best option is to pick up directly from the cargo facility at the airport if being shipped

Method #2:
Week Before Livestock Arrival Day

  • Have a thorough inspection of all the equipment, pipes, connections, and cables to ensure everything is working perfectly
  • Check the water temperature, salinity, Ph, nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia – Ensure all are within tolerance:
  • Temperature: 78 – 80°F or 25 – 27°C
  • Specific Gravity (Salinity): 1.023 – 1.025
  • Ph: 8.1 – 8.4
  • Ammonia: 0ppm
  • Nitrite: 0ppm
  • Nitrate: <15ppm
  • Alkalinity: 8 – 12 dkh
  • Calcium: 350 – 450ppm
  • Magnesium: 1250 – 1350ppm
  • Phosphate: <0.03ppm for SPS Corals
  • Phosphate: <0.05ppm for LPS, Zoas & Soft Corals
  • Phosphate: <0.2ppm for Fish Only

  • If the pickup is now local, gather enough Rubbermaid Totes with lids to transport Live Rock and corals to your new home

Method #2:
The Day Before Livestock Arrival Day

  • Final test of all water parameters. Complete a water change if any are out of tolerance
  • Confirm details with livestock holding facility – If they are shipping to you ensure they are ready, if it is now local, ensure they will be ready for you to help and pick up
  • Set up a long table next to the aquarium – This will help to set up a production line for unbagging and boxing fish, invertebrates, and coral
  • Place down towels on the table – It will get very wet during the unbagging process

Method #2:
Livestock Arrival Day

  • Ensure to be at the shipper’s pickup point on time to receive the delivery, or
  • If the holding facility is local, go there to help catch and bag your livestock
  • Live Rock (if applicable) to be placed in Rubbermaid totes. Carefully cover with cloths dampened in aquarium water. Ensure each rock is stable in the tote to prevent coral damage. A sheet of Egg crate on the base can help stabilize
  • Don’t fill the totes too much, they get heavy quickly! Protect your back!

Once Home:

  • The aquarium should be full of water, turn off equipment and remove 50% of the water and store in a Rubbermaid trashcan/s
  • Remove Live Rock from the totes/shipping boxes and carefully place on the glass bottom
  • Complete the aquascape and move NEW substrate into position around the Live Rock
  • Move the substrate slowly to prevent a dust storm
  • Fill a spray bottle with old tank water and use to dampen rock and coral if they start to dry up
  • Add the removed tank water to the aquarium
  • Once water level is back to operating level turn on all the pumps and filtration

Because your livestock have been traveling for some time I highly suggest you acclimate them just like you did when you bought them home for the first time.

If you need any tips on fish acclimation check out this article. It works for freshwater too, just leave out the salt parts:

How To Acclimate Saltwater Fish

  • Begin to slowly acclimate each fish over 30 minutes and add your livestock with the most aggressive and territorial fish going in last
  • Reinstall the lights and canopy and leave the lights off for the rest of the day
  • Do not feed the fish
  • Have a thorough inspection of all the equipment, pipes, connections, and cables to ensure everything is working perfectly

Method #2:
The Day After Livestock Arrival Day

  • Inspect all the equipment and ensure it is all running as it should with no leaks.
  • Replace the mechanical filter media to help clean up the water if clogged
  • Do a full panel of water tests, especially ammonia

One Tip is that your aquarium is going to go through a mini nitrogen cycle. Make sure you begin to test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate daily for the next few weeks or so to monitor any spikes.

  • Keep the lights at 50% for today but allow them to ramp back up 5% each day until back at your full setpoints. If lights are not dimmable, adjust the length of ‘On Time’ each day by 10%
  • Do a very small feed to the fish and check every fish for signs of distress and appetite

Method #2:
Two Days After Livestock Arrival Day

  • Replace the mechanical filter media as the water should now be clear
  • Begin to add some chemical media back into your media reactors if you have them installed. Up to 50% works fine.
  • Keep testing your water and monitoring for signs of distress

Method #2:
One to Two Weeks After Livestock Arrival Day

  • Slowly begin increasing feeding and light schedule back to their original amounts
  • Remove any fish or coral that show signs of distress and place them into quarantine
  • Begin your regular maintenance routine
  • Monitor for signs of high Nitrite or Ammonia and do a water change if values begin to rise too high.
Keep a Close Eye on Coral & Livestock for Potential Health Issues

Method #3 – Driving Yourself

Well if you wanted a challenge, you certainly have one if you have to pick this method, but it can be done! I can tell you now that it is going to get stressful and packing up day, moving, and unpacking day are going to be some of the longest days in your life, but if your livestock just has to go with you, then Buckle up for some more readin’!

When moving the house and a mature aquarium at the same time it needs some careful planning and almost two teams of people:

  1. One team to pack up the house and
  2. One team to pack up the aquarium

It’s going to get busy!

A Mature Discus Tank Will Need Careful Planning To Move Too!

If you are moving a freshwater aquarium then the job is ALOT easier, but if you are moving a mature saltwater aquarium teeming with corals, Live Rock, invertebrates, and fish, then the job is going to be a lot more involved!

To ship your livestock this way, the only this can really work is if you drive the aquarium stuff yourself, while the house and the rest of the family go via a moving company and driving/flying etc.

Depending on the size of the aquarium, you may have to rent a Uhaul van or something similar as you could have a dozen or more bins and totes containing all the livestock plus all the aquarium and equipment.


Try to Avoid Doing This Move in the Middle of Summer or the Middle of Winter!


How To Transport Fresh and Saltwater Fish Long Distance

To transport fish, coral, and rock long distances they need to be bagged and packed into insulated shipping boxes, placed into totes, bins, and buckets with lids, heaters, and air pumps to maintain temperature during the journey. If traveling by road taking many days, small water changes can be made.

Another option is to create some simple, but very effective Livestock Transport Containers. To help you better understand please watch this video I created to show you how to easily make one:

The number of containers you may need will vary but each one will need to be heated and have air. You can run several containers of a single air pump using a manifold like this one at Amazon.com, just remember the more air outlets you run off a single pump, the bigger the air pump will need to be.

Also, for a selection of suitable heaters from Amazon.com here is what you will need based on water volume for each container:

Water VolumeHeater WattageRecommended Heater
5 Gal15 WattThis One
10 Gal50 WattThis One
20 Gal100 WattThis One
  • If you are moving coral and Live Rock I suggest using Rubbermaid Totes (See Below) as they are easy to place the rock in with a little water. If you have coral frags then a tote with a heater and a small water pump will ensure plenty of flow for the times when the vehicle is not moving.
  • If your vehicle or rental vehicle has a 110v outlet then take note of the maximum wattage you can run off it. My Minivan is 150 watt so make sure your containers are not going to max it out.
  • 3x 5 gallon containers will use less wattage to run than 1x 10 gallon container. Be sure to check the wattage on the water and air pumps too!
  • If your vehicle does not have a 110v outlet and/or you need more wattage than the outlet can supply, you can buy an inverter like This One at Amazon.com to convert 12v from the car battery to 110v.
300 Watt Inverter

Method #3:
One to Two Weeks Before Aquarium Moving Day

  • Confirm the exact day for the move, ensure the moving company is booked for the same day! If you are renting a van, ensure that is booked too.
  • Help will be required, get asking! – Family, friends, and local aquarists are all great.

One Tip is that even empty aquariums are heavy – Make sure you have enough bodies to carry the aquarium!

75G Glass Tank = 100lbs Rough Empty Weight
120G Glass Tank = 190lbs Rough Empty Weight
210G Glass Tank = 350lbs Rough Empty Weight

You can rent suction cups and dollies from most Tool Rental Stores

  • Begin to assemble your livestock supplies:
  • Rubbermaid/Brute Totes & Bins are great for livestock storage
Brute & Rubbermaid Totes are Perfect for Long Distance Aquarium Moves
Find them Here at Amazon.com
  • Get some big fish nets – Makes catching fish so much easier!
  • Collect old towels & Cardboard to walk on – You will use lots!
  • Collect RO/DI water (san salt if required) ready for the move
  • Get new sand or gravel for your aquarium – Trust me it’s worth it!
    You can find a huge substrate selection Here at Amazon.com

To Calculate how much sand you will need to use Bulk Reef Supply’s Handy Calculator – Here

  • Collect empty salt buckets or new 5 gallon pails from a hardware store – Clean thoroughly
  • If you are planning any aquarium or equipment upgrades, ensure you have all the supplies and new gear before you leave, or confirm they are already at the new house
  • If any specialist tools, adhesives, or sealants are required ensure you have them all with you
  • Begin to reduce the amount you feed the aquarium. Plan to be completely stopped feeding 2-3 days before moving day

Method #3:
Three Days Before Aquarium Moving Day

  • Confirm with the movers and van rental again (if Required)
  • Confirm your help is still available!
  • Stop feeding the livestock
  • Assemble all your moving supplies into the locations they need to be at
  • Test all the water pumps, air pumps, and heaters for the totes to ensure they work and hold the correct temperature

Method #3:
The Day Before Aquarium Moving Day

  • Make up enough RO/DI water to fill several 5 gallon pails – This will be for partial water changes over the multi-day journey. Ensure you have a small heater and mixing pump if your aquarium is saltwater
  • Begin to pack as much of the equipment that is not required as you can:
    • Food
    • Medications
    • Maintenance tools – Keep these handy
  • Get all the tools required for aquarium disassembly close by – Ensure tool batteries are charged
  • Pick up the rental van if possible
  • Have a good dinner and get a good night’s sleep! Tomorrow could be a long day!
Beginner Fish Header
Fish Can Survive A Long Time Without Food

Method #3:
On Aquarium Moving Day

  • Get up early and have a good breakfast!
  • Park your rental van for the aquarium close by, but not in the way of the house movers!
  • Get the power cords and inverter (if required) installed in the vehicle – Ensure They Work!
  • Ensure your house moving party is good and give your partner a kiss! It could be a stressful day!

Don’t Rush, Take Your Time, Be Methodical, Be Efficient!


  • Begin to remove approx 50% of the water into a storage bin/tote that is out of the way. This is for your livestock containers! A Python Vacuum is great for this as it has a long hose
    You can find one Here at Amazon

One Tip is to ensure there is a person on each end of the hose! Hoses pop out of containers very easily!

Here is how I recommend splitting up your livestock ready for transport with some of the old aquarium water:

  • Fish into buckets, containers, totes – They are going to need water, heaters, an air pump supply, and lids
  • Invertebrates into buckets, containers, totes – They are going to need water, heaters, an air pump supply, and lids
  • Ensure the livestock that is in the containers can tolerate each other – Use the chart below if it is a saltwater aquarium:
Saltwater Fish Compatibility Chart

If you have a coral and Live Rock:

  • Carefully cut with an Exacto-knife or Dremel (depending on coral flesh type) any coral growing between two rock pieces
  • Live Rock go into one or several containers – Each container will need water, heater, small pump, and lid – Remember it’s heavy! Make each container manageable
  • Loose corals into buckets or totes – They are going to need water, heaters, small pump, and lids. The small water pump will aid in water movement when the vehicle stops. Egg crate will help them stay in place and can be made into compartments to help support each piece while allowing water movement. Zip-Ty’s work great for securing and creating sections – No Metal on Zip-Ty’s!
Egg Crate can be Found in the Lighting Section of Hardware Stores
  • Don’t cram in too much rock and be sure not to crush any coral
  • Remove all remaining water from the aquarium – NEVER move an aquarium with water in it. The dynamic loads could crack the tank or impose loads on that could allow it to burst in the future!
  • Take a few 5 gal pails of old aquarium water with you to help seed the new installation
  • Remove the sand or gravel and dispose of it. The amount of bacterial dieoff from disturbing the sand/gravel could cause a tank crash when re-installing! I have seen it a few times with owners that would not listen!
  • Remove any the biological filtration media and place in a storage container with old tank water or a Live Rock container
    • Install heater, pump, thermometer
    • This ensures that all the beneficial nitrifying bacteria living in the filters will survive the move ready for when we need them at re-installation!
  • Ensure the areas and walkways are clear of tools and equipment
  • Move the aquarium, stand, and all additional equipment into the moving vehicle first. You will need access to the livestock throughout the journey
  • Get all the livestock totes into the vehicle and get them hooked up to power
  • Ensure they are secure, working, and cannot tip over
  • Last into the vehicle you will need the following:
    • Some 5 gal pails of clean RO/DI water for water changes and salt and measuring cup if required
    • Heater and mixing pump if saltwater
    • Jug for removing water for journey water changes
  • I highly recommend you get a few spares of the following life support items:
    • 12V Inverter
    • Heater of each size

Method #3:
During Aquarium Transport

Moving across a country the size of the US can take days, especially in a rattly, diesel rental moving van but providing your life support systems are working then you should have no problems.

Here are a few great tips to think about when driving long distances with an aquarium:

  • The movement of the vehicle will help keep the water moving in the containers. The only time you need a very small water pump is for corals when the vehicle is parked overnight
  • When parked overnight, run a power cord to the vehicle to power all the life support equipment
  • Ensure you have good fitting lids but with a hole in the middle to allow for gas exchange
  • Place down cardboard and blankets on the floor of the vehicle if it is carpeted and transporting saltwater. Dried salt is a nightmare to clean up!
  • Every night or 24 hours completely remove the lids for a minute or two to really help exchange gas while checking on livestock health
  • Any dead coral or animals, remove them instantly and dispose
  • Test ammonia levels daily in each container
  • Do small water changes with the water (and salt if required) supplies you have. Just 10-15% is sufficient in each container. Ensure water parameters match, especially temperature!
  • If possible, try not to move in winter or the dead of summer. It makes the stress level go way up!
  • If moving in winter or the middle of summer relocate all the livestock bins into the hotel/motel room and make sure it has air conditioning/heating – aquarium heaters will not cope with -30°F in a moving van parked overnight
  • Try and drive the trip in one go using multiple drivers – Just be sure to check livestock while gassing up.
  • Install a digital thermometer into the cargo area of the moving van to monitor the ambient temperature in there – Too warm and you will cook the livestock – These are Perfect to allow you to get alerts if the temp goes out of range
  • If containers are beginning to get too warm using a cool patch like These From Amazon.com can help
  • Place one in a ZipLock bag and securely tape to the underside of each lid to help combat the temperature rise
  • Be sure to monitor using the digital thermometer installed in each container

Method #3
Destination Arrival

  • Get cardboard and towels down to protect your new flooring and ensure the routing is all clear
  • Get all the livestock bins moved into the aquarium room but placed out of the way
  • Ensure lots of room for installing the aquarium
  • Plug in all the life support systems to the house power
  • Do an ammonia test on every container and inspect livestock
  • Do a 10-15% water change on any containers with ammonia reading anything above Zero ppm
  • Remove any dead animals
  • Bring in the containers of old and new water – Get them up to temperature
  • Begin to make enough new water to completely fill the aquarium when needed – Get it up to temperature and salinity if required

The key here is to ensure the livestock is healthy before moving onto aquarium installation

Method 3#:
Aquarium Re-Installation

  • Get the aquarium and stand installed and ensure it is perfectly level
  • Get all plumbing connected and electrical extension cords etc neatly secured
Remote Sumps Can Take Hours To Plan and Fabricate!
  • Begin to reinstall your aquascape with your Live Rock while placing in the NEW substrate – Always place your rocks on the glass and not on the substrate
  • Once all your water is ready begin to fill the aquarium with the water you first removed from the aquarium and stored in the 5 gal pails
  • Get heaters in the water to help keep it at temperature during the fill
  • As your aquarium begins to fill and covers all the equipment you can start to fire up the filtration and leak check
  • Fill the aquarium with all the old water you have and have the rest of the new water ready to around 75% full

One Tip is to pour your old tank water through a filter sock as it goes back into the aquarium. This will help remove any sediment from when it was first removed.

  • Run all the pumps, filters, and wavemakers to ensure everything is running as it should
  • Add in a recommended dose of Dr. Tims One and Only – This will help kickstart the growth of the nitrifying bacteria
  • If you have chemical media reactors installed leave them empty for today to allow the mechanical filter to remove the suspended sediment
  • Check all the water parameters before adding your livestock

Because your livestock have been traveling for some time I highly suggest you acclimate them just like you did when you bought them home for the first time.

If you need any tips on fish acclimation check out this article. It works for freshwater too, just leave out the salt parts:

How To Acclimate Saltwater Fish

  • Begin to slowly acclimate each fish over 30 minutes and add your livestock with the most aggressive and territorial fish going in last
  • Reinstall the lights and canopy and leave the lights off for the rest of the day
  • Do not feed the fish
  • Have a thorough inspection of all the equipment, pipes, connections, and cables to ensure everything is working perfectly

Method #3:
The Day After Aquarium Installation Day

  • Inspect all the equipment and ensure it is all running as it should with no leaks
  • Replace the mechanical filter media to help clean up the water
  • Do a full panel of water tests, especially ammonia

One Tip is that your aquarium is going to go through a mini nitrogen cycle. Make sure you begin to test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate daily for the next few weeks or so to monitor any spikes.

  • Keep the lights at 50% for today but allow them to ramp back up 5% each day until back at your full setpoints. If lights are not dimmable, adjust the length of ‘On Time’ each day by 10%
  • Do a very small feed to the fish and check every fish for signs of distress and appetite

Method #3:
Two Days After Moving Day

  • Replace the mechanical filter media as the water should now be clear
  • Begin to add some media back into your media reactors if you have them installed. Up to 50% works fine.
  • Keep testing your water and monitoring for signs of distress

Method #3:
One to Two Weeks After Moving Day

  • Slowly begin increasing feeding and light schedule back to their original amounts
  • Remove any fish or coral that show signs of distress and place them into quarantine
  • Begin your regular maintenance routine
  • Monitor for signs of high Nitrite or Ammonia and do a water change if values begin to rise too high.

Hopefully, your aquarium move will have gone smoothly without too much stress and loss of livestock! Moving a mature and healthy aquarium across the country is no easy feat and you must expect a few fatalities.

With you thinking about moving an aquarium you may find these articles helpful too:

How to Move an Aquarium To Another House


Moving house is said to be one of the ‘Top 5 Most Stressful Times’ in our life! Now if you have an aquarium, especially an established saltwater aquarium this now sends that stress toward the very top of the list.

Moving an aquarium across town is a fairly straightforward process but it needs a little planning, just like moving the home contents themselves.

This is by far the most common type of move an aquarium will do. The tank is not moving too far away and the owners usually want to keep all of their livestock but I can tell you from experience

Many people chose this time to do an aquarium upgrade and having a new aquarium to install at the new location before the move is a great benefit! It also allows you to plan and create the setup of your dreams!


This article is part of an ‘Aquarium Moving’ series:
* If you are looking to move an aquarium temporarily or within your home – CLICK HERE
* If you are looking to move an aquarium across the state or country – CLICK HERE

Using my experience of moving many aquariums safely I wanted to create this series to help you make a plan for when you next need to move your pride and joy!

All links to products in this article take you to Amazon.com


BIG TIP: I can tell you from experience to NOT move your aquarium the same day as you are moving your house! The stress and hassle it causes are immense. I have seen arguments, dropped possessions, and rushed installations that are regretted later! Always try and move the Aquarium on a separate day to house moving day!

If you have to move on the same day then you will need a team to move your house possessions and a team just to move your aquarium – Unless it’s a small tank, then just yourself. A reputable aquarium maintenance company within your town will be able to complete this task. However…

If you wish to move the aquarium yourself here is my advice from being part of the professional aquarium maintenance company doing many aquarium moves across town.

Planning an Aquarium Move

Planning an aquarium move needs to begin weeks beforehand. Things to consider are temporary storage containers, water transport, the same or new sand, having all the consumables & tools ready, arranging helpers or movers, and forming a list of things to be done before, during & after the move.

This is the part that can make a tank move easy and stress-free or the worst day of your life! Depending on what is happening to your aquarium, will depend on when you need to start thinking of your plan. How big is the aquarium? How much livestock and coral does it contain? Does the filtration system require a large plumbing installation?

You need to sit down and start writing down every idea that you can think of about your tank move. Just brainstorm, no idea is useless at this point.

Spend a few days making this list. New ideas may pop into your head and you need to just make a note and add them to the brainstorm.

Ask friends and family to think of ideas. They may have a different view to you and suggest some really good things you may not have realized.

Notepad

Once you have your brainstorm, start to try and lay out the ideas in a logical order following this timeline:

  • One month before the move
  • Two weeks before the move
  • One week before the move
  • The day before the move
  • The day of the move
  • The day after the move
  • The week after the move
  • Two weeks after the move

This will start to give you an idea of what needs to be done and when so you don’t forget anything. This will also allow you to allocate the correct amount of time to each task. Don’t forget to add buffer time!

The best way to plan this is to work backward from each day and formulate the plan backward. this will allow you to get the steps in the correct order.

Below is how we have done many successful aquarium moves so use it as a template and adjust to your own aquarium:

Two to Three Weeks Before Aquarium Moving Day:

The main thing you need to acquire here are the moving supplies for the livestock. You have two choices:

  1. Pack everything into bags like they do at the fish store, or
  2. Build some transport containers to ship bigger quantities in one container

For this type of move and to prevent repetition we will focus on packing livestock into bags like the fish store does, but if you wish to see how to build some fish transport containers, have a read over the third article in this series ‘How to Move an Aquarium Across the State or Country’.

For packaging your livestock you are going to need to acquire the following:

  • Various-sized bags or containers for your fish, invertebrates and coral frags – Double or triple bagging is a must! – You can find fish bags HERE
  • Rubber bands
  • Insulated livestock shipping boxes – View a large selection of sizes HERE
  • Aquarium Air Pump – Filling livestock bags with air will increase the survival rate
  • Newspaper for packing
  • Labels – For livestock bags
  • Sharpie Marker – For labels
  • Packing Tape
  • Heat or Cool Packs – Climate Dependant – Taped to the inside of the lid, do not allow the pack to touch any bags! – Just get the small ones, large ones create too much heat!
    These are only needed if you are moving in the absolute extremes of summer or winter!
  • If you are installing a new aquarium or doing a major installation revamp, begin to acquire all the plumbing, electrical, and carpentry supplies and tools
  • Formulate a design of where the new/existing aquarium will go – Try and view the new house to look at the electrical outlets and possible water/drain locations if required
  • Take photos and measurements so you can design a layout if required. Sumps in aquarium stands are much simpler to move!
My Remote Sump Would Need Planning if I Moved House
  • Do the flooring, walls, and trim need to be changed/painted before the aquarium gets installed? – Make a plan for that and get it done way before moving day if possible!
  • Does the new location need floor support?
Aquarium Joist Bracing
My Basement Aquarium Bracing

One Tip is that if the existing/new aquarium is large, get into the basement of the new house and inspect the underside of the floor and see if the structure can take the load.

My house is 100 years old so I reinforced the floor joints with a simple 2×4 frame.

Full aquariums can be ridiculously heavy:

55 Gallon Aquarium = 471lbs / 212 kg when filled
120 Gallon Aquarium = 1,027 lbs / 462 kg when filled
300 Gallon Aquarium = 2,568 lbs / 1156 kg when filled

Even empty aquariums are heavy – Make sure you have enough bodies to carry the aquarium.

75 Gallon Glass Tank = 100lbs Rough Empty Weight
120 Gallon Glass Tank = 190lbs Rough Empty Weight
300 Gallon Glass Tank = 446lbs Rough Empty Weight

You can rent suction cups and dollies from most Tool Rental Stores.

For more helpful information on the weight of aquariums and things to consider please check out:

How Much Does An Aquarium Weigh?

  • If additional help is required, get asking – family, friends and local aquarists are all great
  • Triple check your plan to ensure nothing has been left out!

One Week Before Aquarium Moving Day:

  • All the packing supplies above should have arrived by now
  • Begin to assemble your moving supplies:
    • Rubbermaid Totes & Bins are great for livestock storage
    • Clean all storage totes and bins thoroughly using vinegar and rinse well with water!
    • Obtain a heater, Powerhead and Thermometer for each tote/bin:
    • Dr. Tims One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria Culture (Fresh & Saltwater Versions) – Find them Here
    • Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate Test Kits – I recommend Salifert – Find them Here
  • Get some big fish nets – Makes catching fish so much easier!
  • Get some clean, old salt buckets or 5 Gal pails from a hardware store
  • Collect old towels & cardboard to walk on – You will use lots!
  • Collect salt and/or new RO/DI water filters for the initial fill
  • Get new sand or gravel for your aquarium – Trust me its worth it!
    You can find a huge substrate selection Here
Brute Trash cans Are Great! Especially with Wheeled Dollies – Find Them Here

To Calculate how much sand you will need to use Bulk Reef Supply’s Handy Calculator – Here

  • Ensure you have all the necessary tools, materials, and construction supplies you will need for the installation
  • Slowly start to reduce the feeding amount to help control Ammonia during shipping. Fish especially can go weeks without food so reducing the amount they eat is not going to hurt them

Two Days Before Aquarium Moving Day:

This is where there can be several plans of attack depending on the new house situation. If you have access to the new house this is what I recommend:

At the New House:

  • Get any painting or renovations completed to the room housing the aquarium, even if you just paint the wall & trim the aquarium will go against!
  • If you are installing a new aquarium:
    • Get it leak-checked (Outside!), installed, plumbed, and ready to go at the new house
    • Fill the aquarium with the new substrate, fill it with (salt)water and turn on all the equipment
    • Leak check all the plumbing
    • Treat with the recommended dose of Dr. Tims One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria Culture
  • If there is no new aquarium:
    • Just prepare the new water for your old aquarium. In clean, Rubbermaid trash cans get some water made up and get the heaters and pumps working to get it mixed and up to temperature. Place lids on the bins so your water will be ready & make sure there is enough water for the entire aquarium system
    • Make sure to keep it/them out of the way, but close-by to allow for easy aquarium installation

At the Old House:

  • Cease feeding all the fish
  • Set up a long table next to the aquarium – This will help to set up a production line for bagging and boxing fish, invertebrates, and coral
  • Place down towels on the table – It will get very wet during the bagging process!
  • Get all the packing supplies laid out in logical order:
    • Bags, rubber bands, sharpie marker, insulated boxes, newspaper, heat/cool packs, packing tape, another sharpie marker
  • Have several Rubbermaid Totes ready under the table to place the Live Rock & corals in
  • Have clean cloths ready to dampen with aquarium water and cover the Live Rock & corals
  • Pack up all the aquarium supplies, food, tools, and medications that will not be needed – Label the box

The Day Before Aquarium Moving Day:

  • Confirm the moving truck for the aquarium and helpers are still available
  • Get all the cardboard and towels down and ensure the exit routing is all clear
  • Do a 25% water change to help remove any last traces of nitrate and ammonia
  • Do a full panel of water parameter tests
  • Make a note of the current water parameters to ensure new water matches upon re-installation
  • Check the new house to ensure the new aquarium and/or water is ready – Temperature and salinity (if required)
  • If house moving day has already happened, ensure all the doors and routing is clear of obstructions and trip hazards to the new aquarium location
Beautiful Floors Need Protecting!
  • Place cardboard and towels down on the route inside the new house to protect from drips and shoes
  • Have a good dinner and get a good night’s sleep! Tomorrow could be a long day!

On Aquarium Moving Day:

  • Get up early and have a good breakfast!
  • Begin to remove approx 50% of the water into several 5 gal pails/buckets with lids – This water will go into the aquarium at the new house
  • Begin by removing the aquascape rock or decorations
  • Live Rock (if applicable) to be placed in totes under the table. Carefully cover with cloths dampened in aquarium water. Ensure each rock is stable in the tote to prevent coral damage. A sheet of Egg crate on the base can help stabilize
  • If required, insert heat/cool packs into ZipLock bags and tape to the underside of the lid, place lid on tote
  • Don’t fill the totes too much, they get heavy quickly! Protect your back!
  • Catch fish and place similar species in the same bag. Large fish in one bag. 2 smaller fish in one bag, max!
Acclimation Bag Floating
  • Double bag and fill bag with air from the air pump. Secure bags with rubber bands
  • Place bags into insulated boxes, fill voids with newspaper
  • If required, insert heat/cool packs into ZipLock bags and tape to the underside of the lid, place lid on the insulated box, and label the box then place the box to one side
  • Repeat until all livestock is sealed away in boxes
  • If a new aquarium awaits at the new house, get going with fish and leave friends to dismantle the old aquarium, substrate, water, and dispose of – Don’t forget to take the 5gal pails of old tank water to the new house!
  • If the old aquarium is moving to the new house, now is the time to give it all a really good clean while removing the old substrate and dismantling
  • I find it easy if someone dismantles, passes the part to a helper and they clean and dry it.
  • Remove all remaining water and substrate and dispose
  • Break down the aquarium and pack into the moving vehicle

Take time to have a break, eat, sit down, and relax before driving to the new house! There is still a long day still left to go!

  • Upon arrival at the new house, if the aquarium is all ready then great, if you brought the old aquarium, get it installed, leveled, plumbed, wired and ready for livestock.
  • Check water parameters of new aquarium water or water in the Rubbermaid bin/s you prepared a few days before.
  • Ensure the parameters match your old aquarium water EXACTLY!
  • If the new aquarium is full of water, turn off equipment and remove 50% of the water and store in a Rubbermaid trashcan
  • Remove Live Rock from the totes and carefully place on the glass bottom
  • Complete the aquascape and move NEW substrate into position around the Live Rock
  • If doing this in the new tank, the water will become cloudy!
  • If it is the old tank, remove each cloth slowly as you build the aquascape
  • Fill a spray bottle with old tank water and use to dampen rock and coral if they start to dry up
  • Add the pails of old tank water to the aquarium
  • This old water will help minimize the mini nitrogen cycle that your aquarium will go through over the next week or so.

Because your livestock are going into a new environment I highly suggest you acclimate them just like you did when you bought them home for the first time.

If you need any tips on fish acclimation check out this article. It works for freshwater too, just leave out the salt parts:

How To Acclimate Saltwater Fish

  • Begin to slowly acclimate each fish over 30 minutes and add your livestock with the most aggressive and territorial fish going in last
  • Top up the aquarium to its normal running level with the new water removed or prepared earlier
  • Turn on all remaining equipment now water level is full
  • Reinstall the lights and canopy and leave the lights off for the rest of the day
  • Do not feed the fish
  • Add in a recommended dose of Dr. Tims One and Only – This will help kickstart the growth of the nitrifying bacteria
  • Have a thorough inspection of all the equipment, pipes, connections, and cables to ensure everything is working perfectly
  • Check water temperature and salinity

Fire up the grill and give all your helpers a well-earned steak and a few cold ones!

Barbecue

The Day After Aquarium Moving Day:

  • Inspect all the equipment and ensure it is all running as it should with no leaks
  • Replace the mechanical filter media to help clean up the water
  • Do a full panel of water tests, especially ammonia

One Tip is that your aquarium will probably go through a mini nitrogen cycle. Make sure you begin to test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate daily for the next week or so to monitor any spikes.

  • Keep the lights at 50% for today but allow them to ramp back up 10% each day until back at your full setpoints. If lights are not dimmable, adjust the length of ‘On Time’ each day by 10%
  • Do a very small feed to the fish and check every fish for signs of distress and appetite

Two Days After Aquarium Moving Day:

  • Do a 10-20% water change
  • Replace the mechanical filter media as the water should now be clear
  • Begin to add some chemical media back into your media reactors if you have them installed. Up to 50% works fine.
  • Keep testing your water and monitoring for signs of distress

One to Two Weeks After Aquarium Moving Day:

  • Slowly begin increasing feeding and light schedules back to their original amounts
  • Remove any fish that show signs of distress and place them into quarantine
  • Begin your regular maintenance routine
  • Monitor for signs of high nitrite, nitrate, or ammonia and do a water change if values begin to rise too high
New Installations Always Allow You To Build A Better Aquarium!

If you are painting throughout the rest of the house try and keep the room sealed off to the aquarium. Also, be sure to run Activated Carbon until several weeks after and painting and renovations are complete. This will help remove any pollutants from the air that found their way into the water.

I hope you found this helpful and gave you some ideas on how to plan your move!

With you thinking about moving an aquarium you may find these articles helpful too:

How to Move an Aquarium Within Your Home


There may be several reasons why you wish to move an aquarium in your home and no matter the reason, the task can be daunting. Whether you are temporarily moving the aquarium to allow for new flooring or the room to be painted, or you wish to move it because it’s not in the right location, it all needs a little bit of planning.

Having done this many times for customers as well as myself this article gives you the roadmap to help you plan and execute a successful tank move.


This article is part of an ‘Aquarium Moving’ series:
* If you are looking to move an aquarium to a new location in Town – CLICK HERE
* If you are looking to move an aquarium across the state or country – CLICK HERE

Using my experience of moving many aquariums safely I wanted to create this series to help you make a plan for when you next need to move your pride and joy!

All links to products in this article take you to Amazon.com


When this type of short distance move occurs, the aquarium, all its equipment, and its livestock will be going back just as it was before the move so it’s more a case of having a temporary home for the livestock and a plan on what to move and when.

I had to do this to my own aquarium when I was in my early 20’s as my parents wanted a new carpet fitted – I can tell you that it was almost a 24 hour process so be prepared for a long day! Since then I have learned many tips and techniques that drastically improved the moves!

This article is mainly focused on moving a saltwater aquarium with fish, invertebrates, and coral but many of the steps apply to freshwater aquariums, just ignore the salty bits!

It all begins with planning…

How to Plan an Aquarium Move?

Planning an aquarium move needs to begin weeks beforehand. Things to consider are temporary storage containers, water transport, the same or new sand, having all the consumables & tools ready, arranging helpers or movers, and forming a list of things to be done before, during & after the move.

This is the part that can make a tank move easy and stress-free or the worst day of your life! Depending on what is happening to your aquarium, will depend on when you need to start thinking of your plan. Are you just moving it from one room to another, or do you have to move it out of the room for a day or two?

Notepad

You need to sit down and start writing down every idea that you can think of about your tank move. Just brainstorm, no idea is useless at this point.

Spend a few days making this list. New ideas may pop into your head and you need to just make a note and add them to the brainstorm.

Ask friends and family to think of ideas. They may have a different view to you and suggest some really good things you may not have realized.

Once you have your brainstorm, start to try and lay out the ideas in a logical order following this timeline:

  • One week before the move
  • The day before the move
  • The day of the move
  • The day after the move
  • The week after the move
  • Two weeks after the move

Because this is such a short move the planning is far less than moving across state for example, but this will start to give you an idea of what needs to be done and when so you don’t forget anything. This will also allow you to allocate the correct amount of time to each task. Don’t forget to add buffer time!

One to Two Weeks Before Aquarium Moving Day:

  • Confirm the exact day for the move, and ensure the contractors (or whoever is making you move the tank) are booked for the same day!
  • If additional help is required get asking – family, friends and local aquarists are all great.

One Tip is that even empty aquariums are heavy – Make sure you have enough bodies to carry the aquarium.

75G Glass Tank = 100lbs Rough Empty Weight
120G Glass Tank = 190lbs Rough Empty Weight
210G Glass Tank = 350lbs Rough Empty Weight

If you want more info on how much aquariums weigh please Click Here

You can rent suction cups handles and dollies from most Tool Rental Stores


Begin to assemble your supplies:-

  • Rubbermaid Totes & Bins are great for livestock storage
  • Clean all storage totes and bins thoroughly using vinegar and rinse well with water!
  • Obtain a heater, Powerhead and Thermometer for each tote/bin:
  • Dr. Tims One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria Culture (Fresh & Saltwater Versions) – Find them Here
  • Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate Test Kits – I recommend Salifert – Find them Here
Brute Trash Cans Are Great, Especially if you Get the Wheel Dolly for Them – See Here
  • Get some big fish nets – Makes catching fish so much easier!
  • Build a frame to hang lights over coral totes if its a reef tank and it’s going to be several days
  • Ensure your totes are large enough for the amount of livestock you have
  • Collect old towels & cardboard to walk on – You will use lots!
  • Collect salt or RO/DI water ready for the move
  • Collect empty salt buckets or new 5-gallon pails from a hardware store – Clean thoroughly
  • If you are planning any aquarium or equipment upgrades, ensure you have all the supplies and new gear
  • If any specialist tools, adhesives, or sealants are required, ensure you have them all

Three Days Before Aquarium Moving Day:

  • Confirm with the contractors again and confirm they are showing up at the right time!
  • Confirm your help is still available!
  • Stop feeding the livestock
  • Give the sandbed/gravel a really good vacuum with a Gravel Vac like This One
  • Blast the rocks with a turkey baster and do a good 25% water change
  • Ensure the new/temporary location is ready and the area is clear between the two locations
  • Assemble all your moving supplies into the locations they need to be at
  • Test all the new pumps and heaters to ensure they work and hold the correct temperature

The Day Before Aquarium Moving Day:

  • Make up enough water for a 50% water change. Store in a Rubbermaid trashcan by the aquarium’s new location
  • Ensure the water is heated to the correct temp, salinity is correct (if required), and agitate with powerhead
  • Ensure this trashcan is not in the way! Trust me I made that mistake once! – Wheeled Dollies are King!
  • Begin to move as much of the equipment that is not required as you can:
    • Food
    • Medications
    • Maintenance tools – Keep these handy
  • Get all the tools required close by
  • Have a good dinner and get a good night’s sleep! Tomorrow could be a long day!

On Aquarium Moving Day:

  • Get up early and have a good breakfast!
  • Check all your temporary storage totes are ready to go and not in the way
  • Ensure the new water is mixed (if required) and up to temperature
  • Lay out cardboard on the floor and cover it with the old towels everywhere you plan to walk
  • Begin to remove approx 50% of the water into a storage tote that is out of the way. This is for your livestock containers! A Python Vacuum is great for this as it has a long hose
    You can find one Here at Amazon.com

One Tip is to ensure there is a person on each end of the hose! Hoses pop out of containers very easily!

  • Remove all the ornaments or Live Rock and Coral and place them into a container with some of the aquarium water you just removed
    • Install heater, pump, thermometer
    • If its coral, get the lights moved onto their temporary frame and ensure the light schedule remains as it was – Turn down the light intensity 50% to prevent bleaching or place the fixture higher
Rubber Maid Totes are Great Storage Containers
  • Try to begin catching fish and invertebrates now there is nothing but water and substrate in the aquarium
  • Try not to disturb the substrate to keep the water clear to see
  • Transfer livestock to containers with some of the old aquarium water
    • Install heater, pump, thermometer
    • Ensure the livestock that is in the totes can tolerate each other in a small space – Use the chart below if it is a saltwater aquarium:
Saltwater Fish Compatibility Chart
  • Remove all remaining water from the aquarium – NEVER move an aquarium with water in it. The dynamic loads could crack the tank or impose loads that could allow it to burst in the future!
  • If the sand bed is over 3 inches deep remove it and dispose of it as the bacteria and matter stored deep within it will foul the second it’s all removed and mixed together
  • If the sand bed is under 3 inches deep remove the sand or gravel and place it in a bin with water, a pump, and a heater. This will help preserve the beneficial nitrifying bacteria living within the sand
  • Remove all the filtration and place in a storage container with old tank water
    • Install heater and a pump
    • This ensures that all the beneficial nitrifying bacteria living in the filter media will survive the move ready for when we need them at re-installation!
  • Ensure the areas and walkways are clear of tools and equipment
  • Move the aquarium, stand, and any additional equipment well out of the way

During The Aquarium Moving Day:

  • Once all the room is vacated, ensure no dust or contractor mess can work its way to your aquatic holding area. Tape up the door seams etc. These are great for that:
These Door Zippers From Amazon.com Work Great
  • Now its time for some chores while the contractors do their work:
    • Ensure regular spot checks of all the storage totes for temperature, salinity (if required), and livestock
    • Make sure no fish have jumped out onto the floor
    • Clean all the equipment with some old aquarium water so it’s like new when it’s re-installation time – DO NOT use clean tap water to wash filter media – You Will Kill the beneficial nitrifying bacteria!
  • Take a break when you can – DO NOT HAVE A BEER! – Just yet. You need your head clear!
  • Order in pizza for your helpers and relax while you can!

Aquarium Re-Installation:

Once you have the room back and everything has dried, its time to start getting the aquarium back together:

  • Get the aquarium and stand installed and ensure it is perfectly level
  • Get all plumbing connected and electrical extension cords etc neatly secured
  • Begin to reinstall your aquascape with your Live Rock while placing in the substrate – Always place your rocks on the glass and not on the substrate

If you require new substrate you can find a really nice selection Here at Amazon.com. Here is also a handy sandbed calculator so you know how much to get. You can find the calculator Here


  • Begin to fill the aquarium with the water you first removed from the aquarium and stored in a container – Heated and moving with a pump
  • As your aquarium begins to fill and covers all the equipment you can start to fire up the filtration and leak check
  • Fill 50% of the aquarium with old water and have the other 50% with the new water you had previously made and heated ready

One Tip is to slowly pour/pump your old tank water through a filter sock and onto a dinner plate/saucer as it goes back into the aquarium. This will help remove any sediment from when it was first removed and keep sediment from being stirred up.

  • Once you are sure there are no leaks, completely fill the system
  • Run all the pumps, filters, and wavemakers to ensure everything is running as it should
  • If you have chemical media reactors installed, leave them empty for today to allow the mechanical filter to remove the suspended sediment
  • Check all the water parameters before adding your livestock

Because your livestock are going into a new environment I highly suggest you acclimate them just like you did when you bought them home for the first time.

If you need any tips on fish acclimation check out this article. It works for freshwater too, just leave out the salt parts:

How To Acclimate Saltwater Fish

  • Begin to slowly acclimate each fish over 30 minutes and add your livestock with the most aggressive and territorial fish going in last
  • Reinstall the lights and canopy and leave the lights off for the rest of the day
  • Do not feed the fish
  • Add in a recommended dose of Dr. Tims One and Only – This will help boost the growth of the nitrifying bacteria. You can find it Here at Amazon.com in both fresh & saltwater versions
  • Have a thorough inspection of all the equipment, pipes, connections, and cables to ensure everything is working perfectly

Fire up the grill and give all your helpers a well-earned steak and a few cold ones!

Barbecue

The Day After Aquarium Moving Day:

  • Inspect all the equipment and ensure it is all running as it should with no leaks
  • Replace the mechanical filter media with new to help clean up the water
  • Do a full panel of water tests, especially ammonia

One Tip is that your aquarium will probably go through a mini nitrogen cycle. Make sure you begin to test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate daily for the next week or so to monitor any spikes.

  • Keep the lights at 50% for today but allow them to ramp back up 10% each day until back at your full setpoints. If lights are not dimmable, adjust the length of ‘On Time’ each day by 10%
  • Do a very small feed to the fish and check every fish for signs of distress and appetite

Two Days After Aquarium Moving Day:

  • Do a 10-20% water change
  • Replace the mechanical filter media as the water should now be clear
  • Begin to add some chemical media back into your media reactors if you have them installed. Up to 50% works fine
  • Keep testing your water and monitoring for signs of distress

One to Two Weeks After Aquarium Moving Day:

  • Slowly begin increasing feeding back to the original amounts
  • Remove any fish that show signs of distress and place them into quarantine
  • Begin your regular maintenance routine
  • Monitor for signs of high Nitrite or Ammonia and do a water change if values begin to rise too high.

I hope you found this helpful and gave you some ideas on how to plan your move!

With you thinking about moving an aquarium you may find these articles helpful too:

This is How To Keep Your Aquarium Alive in a Power Outage!


To a fish keeper, the loss of electrical power is a very stressful time. Hopefully you are home when it happens, or even have had some time to prepare, but no matter what, losing power to any aquarium is going to stress both you and your aquariums inhabitants.

When electrical power is lost to an aquarium oxygen in the water will begin to fall, ammonia will begin to rise and the water temperature will change. To reduce these changes you can install air pumps, battery backup systems, portable generators and car battery-fed inverters to supply temporary power.

Having recently experienced a long power outage when my neighbors house caught fire it made me realize just how vulnerable our aquairums are so I took steps to ensure I was ready for the next outage and these are the ways that I found during my research.

If you own a small aquarium, maintinaing water temperature will be your first priority. If you own a large aquarium, maintaining oxygen levels will be your first priority. Keeping the oxygen level high, preventing the water temperarure changing too much and preventing ammonia building up are the steps we need to take to ensure the aquairum is kept alive.

When the power goes out here are some solutions to keeping an aquarium alive:

  1. Free Solutions
  2. Cheap & DIY Solutions
  3. Expensive Solutions

1. Free Solutions:

In a pinch the first thing we can do, or have someone do while you get other options installed is to tend to the aquarium manually.

Manually Stirring the Water

Using a large plastic serving spoon and manually stirring the aquarium water will ensure good gas exchange at the surface of the water and will keep the water oxygenated. It also helps to keep the temperature mixed throughout all levels in the aquarium and provide water movement if you have corals.

You will get tired and your tank will need stirring a few times each hour!

Manually Jugging the Water

Similar to stirring, but this involves using a measuring jug or cup and scooping up aquarium water and then pouring it back into the tank. This has the same benefits as stirring but will also allow your water to cool. This could be a benefit if you are trying to reduce the temperature of your tank if your home relies on air conditioning or your aquarium uses a chiller in a hot climate like Florida or Pheonix.

2. Cheap & DIY Solutions:

A small bit of automation or battery power can really extend the life of your aquarium during a power outage. Some systems can be easily installed permanently so they automatically kick-in the second your home loses electrical power:

Battery Powered Air Pumps

Air pumps allow the oxygen consumed by the livestock within your aquarium to be replenished. They also help create water movement within the tank.

Manually Activated Air Pumps

This is a simple battery-powered air pump that you can turn on and drop the airstone into the water.

This one requires you to install and operate but is a lifesaver for around $10. It will supply air for a 30 gallon tank for up to 40 hours. Use mulitple pump for larger aquariums.

Requires 2x D size batteries.

Find the pump HERE at Amazon.com
Find D size Batteries Here at Amazon.com

Automatic Activating Air Pumps

This battery-operated air pump also plugs into the wall to monitor the homes’ electricity supply. When the power goes out this pump automatically starts and pumps air into your aquarium until the batteries go flat. (Plugging in does not charge the batteries – For power monitoring only!)

Be sure to have replacement batteries on hand to keep these pumps running!

These pumps are also very useful for transporting fish long distances!

A nice little set-and-forget unit for around $25. Also uses 2x D Cell batteries.

Find it out Here at Amazon.com
Find D size Batteries Here at Amazon.com

Solar Powered Air Pumps

Another great option to providing emergency oxygen and water movement to your aquarium in a power outage. The 10ft cord to the solar panel allows you to place the panel in a nearby window and drop the airstones into the tank.

Its selectable low-power setting will automatically cycle the air pump on and off to help the internal battery last even longer.

You can find it Here at Amazon.com

Installed Battery Back-Up Systems

I have an entire article dedicated to building your own or purchasing one of the manufactured units designed to automatically keep air pumps, powerheads, lights and even heaters working on your aquairum during a power outage. If this is something that interests you then please check out this guide:

Aquarium Battery Backups -This Guide Could Save You $$$!

3. Expensive Solutions

For those of you like myself that have thousands of dollars and years of time invested in our aqauriums a total loss due to a power outage is unthinkable. Depending on the depth of your pockets, here are a few other options to think about:

Portable Generators

There are some awesome generators out there to run your tank and having one that is fuel-efficient, quiet and easily maintained is a must. An inverter generator supplies clean electrical power to your devices. With aquarium pumps and powerheads now having sophisticated electronics to control them a noisy, dirty electrical supply is a surefire way to damage them. The inverter generators prevent this.

There are two types of generators that I really recommend:

Gasoline Inverter Generators at Amazon.com – come in a range of sizes to meet your wattage demands and are inverter generators which in my opinion is needed with today’s digital electronics and controls. Some pumps can run backward when non-inverter generators are used!

Dual Fuel Inverter Generators at Amazon.com -These dual fuel generators can run on gasoline or propane and are my personal pick. Propane does not go bad like gasoline and having a 50/100lb tank sitting ready to go is great to have. Just like above, these are inverter generators that keep everything running good.

Here is my trusty steed, a Honda 1000i inverter generator and it has served me well! I’m getting the point where I need more wattage so ill definitely be looking to set up a dual fuel inverter generator with a 100lb propane tank and a transfer switch to ensure my aquarium is fully protected even when I’m not home.

Portable Generator Automatic Transfer Switch

If you are planning a home reno or building a dedicated space for a large aquarium these great little devices allow you to have your aquarium circuits wired to this little device.

You can plug the generator directly into it and providing your generator is of a big enough wattage, your entire aquarium system will be back up and running.

You will need a qualified electrician to do the work, but it’s a great way to ensure your entire aquarium system gets power.

Find them Here at Amazon.com

Whole House Generator

Generac Whole House Generator

These are by far the most expensive solution but are definitely worth thinking about if you can afford it. They are permanently installed on your property, run off propane or natural gas and automatically detect a power outage and fire up to power your entire house.

They are a great option for peace of mind and you don’t have to be home to drag out the generator and fire it up to protect your aquarium.

These are going to cost anywhere from $8K to $20K depending on where you live and the size of the generator you require. Contact a local electrical contractor to find out more about them.

How Long Can An Aquarium Survive Without Power?

For small aquariums death can begin with 2-3 hours of losing power. Water temperature rapidly changes causing stress and fatalities. Larger aquariums that are well maintained and have good water quality have been known to have no issues until 6-12 hours after the outage without the owners assistance.

So this is the ‘How long is a piece of string?’ analogy because there are so many factors affecting every aquarium – Water quality, ambient room conditions, draughts, stocking levels, fish compatibility etc.

The following factors influence how soon you could start losing fish:

  • Do you have a small aquarium? Small lose temperature faster
  • Is your aquarium heavily stocked? More oxygen consumed, more ammonia produced
  • Extreme cold winter, house room temperature cools rapidly
  • Extreme hot summer, house room temperature warms rapidly
  • Has it been a long time since the last water change? Are nitrates already high?
  • Did you heavily feed the tank just before the power outage?
  • Is the majority of your Live Rock stored in the sump? Pump does not circulate to sump anymore
  • Was there any fish illness in effect before losing power?
  • Were there any medications in use before losing power? Did you dose medication that reduces oxygen?

All of these factors will dictate how long your aquarium lasts without assistance before you begin to see signs of fish distress.

How Long Can A Coral Aquarium Last Without Power?

Coral is far more susceptible to a power outage due to their intolerance for water parameter changes. In small tanks with rapid temperature swings sensitive corals like SPS can begin to die within 1-2 hours. Soft corals are more hardy and may last several hours without heat and flow.

Corals will be affected by the conditions mentioned above as well as the reducing oxygen, increasing ammonia and the change in temperature but there are a couple of things you can do to help fend off the Grim Reaper:

  • Natural light from windows can help coral photosynthesize. Use of a large mirror to reflect light into the tank can help
  • If you only have a small generator or inverter hooked up to your car to power one or two devices at a time, rotate which devices run for 1 hour at a time. Lights, then heater, then wavemakers etc. Keep the cycle going so the corals get a bit of each device each day.

What Happens to My Aquarium During a Power Outage?

During a power outage your aquairum will begin to lose oxygen in the water, ammonia will begin to rise and the water temperature will change depending on your climate. Each one of these needs to be addressed if the aquairum is without power for more than 1-2 hours.

The three main aquarium considerations during a power outage are:

  1. Oxygen Depletion
  2. Ammonia Build-up
  3. Water Temperature

Oxygen Depletion

There are 4 main consumers of oxygen in your aquarium and they never stop sucking this stuff up! Fish, plant life (algae and plankton), aerobic bacteria & micro-fauna (Copepods, Amphipods, and Rotifers).

During normal, powered operation your water is being constantly replenished with fresh oxygen by the surface agitation of your aquarium water, and if applicable, water draining down into a sump and the protein skimmer to name a few.

As water is moved it also releases the tiny amounts of nitrogen that is being produced as part of the constant ongoing Nitrogen Cycle within the aquarium.

If you want to find out more on the Nitrogen Cycle please check out this article:
Fish Tank Nitrogen Cycle – Step-By-Step Explanation

When your water stops moving due to the power outage, this renewal of oxygen is not taking place, but your aquarium inhabitants are still consuming. The first signs of this you will notice will be your fish gasping at the surface.

The longer the power outage continues, the more xygen is consumed then the less oxygen will be available to keep the inhabitants alive. Oxygen depletion happens the fastest in most aquariums and should be the first item you need to address, unless you have a nano aquarium.

If you have a small nano-tank, temperature drop could be more of your first concern due to small water volumes losing their temperature quicker than larger volumes.

If you have never heard of a Nano-Tank be sure to read this:
What Is A Nano Reef Aquarium?

Ammonia

Just like us humans, the living organisms are constantly going to the bathroom in the aquarium. Their excretions contain ammonia, or as their poop breaks down, will release ammonia.

The beneficial bacteria within the aquarium and filtration systems are normally doing their job to remove or convert the excretions and ammonia. Once the power stops, the water is no longer being passed through the filtration media and your beneficial bacteria begin to die due to lack of oxygen.

The more bacteria that die, the less ammonia is being processed which then accumulates in the water and eventually poisons your tanks’ inhabitants.

Temperature

I briefly mentioned in the oxygen section that small tanks lose heat quicker than large tanks. This all comes down to thermodynamics.

Heat is a form of energy and how quickly your aquarium expels this energy to the surrounding air is called Heat Transfer.

SPS are Highly Sensitive To Temperature Changes

Because water volume is cubed (in³, cm³) the amount of water that can store heat energy increases by a factor of 3 for each additional gallon.
Therefore the more water in your aquarium, the more heat energy your aquarium can store.


Small Water Volumes Contain a Low Amount of Heat Energy
Large Water Volumes Contain a High Amount of Heat Energy


As your tank temperature cools, your tanks inhabitants begin to slow down, cool and eventually die. Depending on how big your tank is, depends on how soon this will happen.
Having a battery-powered digital thermometer like THIS ONE at Amazon.com is great for monitoring your water temp, especially when you have your aquarium wrapped in blankets.

If you have corals, especially SPS your temperature drop will need to be far less to prevent them from dying, whereas most fish can withstand a larger temperature drop.

Anything below 76°F or 24°C you may start to see coral death
Anything below 70°F or 21°C you may start to see fish death

How Can I Keep My Aquarium Warm/Cool During a Power Outage?

Temperature is fairly easy to maintain but it requires constant attention and if you are away or are unable to ‘Baby-Sit’ your aquarium then it may be more difficult.

Maintaining water temperature in an aquarium during a power outage can be acheived by using a heater or chiller powered by a generator, wrappng the aquarium in survival blankets, insert sealed bottles filled with warm/cold water into the tank water or floating sealed heat or cool packs into the water.

If you do not have access to any of the generators or battery-powered systems mentioned above here are some simple steps you can take:

How To Prevent Your Aquarium From Heating Up

This applies mainly to aquariums located in hot climates where summer temperatures get really hot. Many people will use the home air conditioner to help maintain temperature, but with no power = no AC!

Here are some ways to prevent your aquarium water from warming:

  • Ice placed in a clean Ziploc bags and floated in the aquarium
  • Wet towels wrapped around the aquarium
  • Opening windows in the home if there is a good breeze
  • Closing the curtains to keep out direct sunlight

How To Prevent Your Aquarium From Cooling Down

I live in a climate where our winters can drop to -40°F and this is the time that mother nature can wreak havoc with the power companies.

Here are some tips to help prevent your aquarium from cooling too much:

  • Wrap your aquarium completely in Survival Blankets, duvets or whatever you can find. Leave a small opening at the top for gas exchange
  • Warm water on a propane stove or BBQ to fill bottles and float in the aquarium
  • Keep the aquairum canopy closed as much as possible and resist repeated opening if you can
  • Light the wood-burning fireplace in the home if one is available
  • Keep the door closed to the room containing the aquarium

Will Aquarium Filter Bacteria Die During A Power Outage?

Beneficial bacteria in an aquarium will being to die within 1-2 hours of no electrical power. As oxygen reduces the bacteria die and depending on the cleanliness of the tank before the outage the bacteria could rapidly perish if the tank was dirty and due for maintenance.

How fast they die will depend on how many of your water parameters you can keep in the optimum range during the power outage. To view those optimum ranges check out my Parameters Guide.

As your bacteria begin to die the quicker your other parameters will begin to decline as mentioned in the ammonia section. The most important parameter to maintain for keeping your bacteria alive is oxygen. Once this depletes, your bacteria will begin to die at a rapid rate.

Do You Feed Fish During A Power Outage?

Feeding fish during a power outage is not recommended. Bacteria to process fish waste will be declining and fish will begin to stop feeding with the drop in oxygen and temperature leading to uneaten food breaking down and increasing the bio-load on the decreasing beneficial bacteria population.

Fewer bacteria means less processing, which means more toxic ammonia is allowed to go unprocessed causing it to rise, in addition, the more your bacteria, fish and clean-up-crew work, the harder their metabolism works, which means they consume more oxygen. Can you see a pattern forming here?

As the temperature begins to fall your fish will eat less anyway. They are able to survive for a week without food, so don’t worry about them going hungry!

How Can I Oxygenate My Fish Tank Without Electricity?

The easiest way to oxygenate an aquaiurm during a power outage is to manually stir the water and use battery-powered air pumps with an airstone in the water. Moving the water around with a spoon or air pump will help to exchange gases and circulate oxygen rich water throughout the aquarium.

Using any of the air pumps mentioned above will be the best cause of action unless you have a battery backup system installed on your powerheads. Provinding the water surface is moving, gas exchange will occur allowing nitrogen and carbon dioxide to be released and oxygen to be absorbed.

How Can You Prepare Aquarium for a Power Outage?

A power outage is never a good thing but being prepared is the best thing you can do to save your aquarium. Sudden power outages usually cause the most stress as people are often not ready for them.

Sudden Power Outages

Here are a few tips you can to do prepare an aquarium for a sudden power outage:

  • Have your wavemakers and powerheads on battery backups so it’s not a big deal if you are at work or sleeping when the outage occurs
  • Have a battery-powered air pump installed or ready to install. Remove the batteries from the pump when not in use. Batteries leak! Have spare batteries
  • Purchase a solar-powered air pump like the one mentioned earlier and have it always charging in the sun
  • Have a space blanket or two and some string or bungees in the stand to quickly wrap your tank
  • Have a couple of empty and sterilized 2L pop bottles ready to be filled with warm/cold water
  • Ensure your BBQ propane tank is always full so you can boil warm water if you live in a cold climate
  • Keep your ice maker drawer full/buy ice bags if you live in a hot climate
  • Try and keep two storage bins of new salt mix and RO/DI water on hand at all times – This has saved me many a time, not just for power outages!
  • Have your generator serviced and ready to go. Have plenty of oil & propane/gas stored
Fire Pits are a Great Way to Warm Water!

Planned Power Outages

Planned power outages by the power company or approaching storms can be a little easier to prepare for but you could be facing a long period without power so a plan will need to be drawn up.

As well as using the steps above you can also do the following items to help you prepare for the planned outage:

  • Reduce feeding your fish a week/few days before the outage to help reduce the bio-load
  • Do a good water change the day before the outage
  • Give your tank a really good blast with the turkey baster and a good sand vacuum in the days leading up
  • Give all your pumps, heaters, lights a good clean/service to ensure maximum working efficiency
  • In the week leading up, try slowly increasing your water temperature a couple of degrees to buy more time if your climate is cold. Opposite if the climate is hot
  • Drop some sponge filters into your sump to seed. You can then move them to the main tank to help the bacteria process waste during the outage
  • Stockpile all necessary supplies to last a week or even 2 weeks. Batteries, water, fuels etc
  • Get additional 12vdc AGM batteries and charge them if you have a DIY battery backup system
  • Get a solar-powered 12vdc battery charger to charge flattened batteires during the day
  • Get a small 12vdc powerhead you can run directly off a solar panel. Ensure the pump is safe for saltwater!
  • Buy a service kit or 2 for your generator. You can run your generator for an hour, off for an hour to help prolong your fuel
  • Buy some Brute trashcans and stockpile water. Salt and fresh
  • Clean, sterilize and then fill your bathtub with RO/DI water
  • Ensure you have lots of salt stockpiled
  • Buy a few bottles of Prime water dechlorinator Here at Amazon.com
  • Have spare RO/DI filters
  • Get a dress mirror that you can use to reflect sunlight into your aquarium
  • Buy a Power Inverter like THIS at Amazon.com so you can hook up to your car to run some devices
  • Ensure your extension cords are long enough to reach the car/generator 😉
  • Ensure your cars’ gas tank is full. Buy additional gas
  • Stockpile wood or pellets to power indoor stoves/fireplaces

Short Power Outage Aquarium Preparation vs Extended Power Outage Preparation

Short term power outages are going to be more of an inconvenience to the aquarium owner. An all-nighter, a day off work or similar is just going to be frustrating, but may need to be done to ensure the health of your aquarium.

Firepit Drinks
Get the BBQ/Firepit Tea & Coffee on the go!

Finding another aquarium owner who lives close by and befriending them is always a great idea. You can always be there to help each other out amongst the many other great advantages it brings. They may still have power and are free to just come over while you are at work and drop in your battery air pump etc.

Train your family members on how to do the basics like installing the air pump, blanketing the tank, etc so they can help if you are absent.

If you are facing a possible prolonged power outage you may need to ask for help with things like stirring and jugging your water. Tag team one another if it’s going to be a long journey. Get everyone involved and aware of what you may need help with on the days leading up to the planned outage.

What To Do With Aquarium After a Power Outage?

You finally made it through and I hope you didn’t lose a single animal! But if you did, now is the time to SLOWLY bring your aquarium back to full health. I know you have heard that saltwater aquariums do not like rapid changes and this process will be no different.

Here are some things you will need to be aware of and depending on how long your tank went without power and how off your parameters are will dictate how much of this you should follow:

  • Test all your water parameters to see where you are at and devise a plan to get them all back in line
  • You will have had a bacteria die off so your aquarium may have a mini cycle
  • Help increase bacteria by adding Dr Tims’s Live Nitrifying Bacteria or Prodibio Bio Digest (Amazon.com Links)
  • Give your sand a good vacuum and your rocks a turkey basting to help remove detritus
  • Do several small water changes over the next few days to help to slowly reduce the ammonia, nitrates and dead organisms
  • Bring the temperature back up slowly. No more than 1 degree per day
  • Cut down your lighting period and intensity and slowly raise back to full operating settings over week/10 days to prevent bleaching
  • Unplug all your automatic dosers, feeders and ATO until you have your parameters plan in place
  • Monitor your city water for sediment and junk after a big storm. Replace RO/DI filters as needed
  • Slowly start feeding your fish. Do not overload what bacteria you have left
  • Service your generator and clean and replenish all your supplies. Fuel/oil/batteries/filters etc
  • Have your quarantine tank ready to go in case you need to remove and medicate a fish.
    ==>Read my Article on Simple Fish Quarantine Here<==
  • Don’t add any new fish or coral for a month. Let your bacteria regrow and stabilize

This is How Long Reef Tank Lights Should Be On!


Our reef tanks are a beautiful addition to any home or office so does that mean we just need to keep the lights on when we are there like a freshwater aquarium or do reef tanks need a different lighting schedule? 

Lights should be on for 9-12 hours every day on aquariums containing corals. Corals need light to photosynthesize and require at least 8 hours of strong light each day. Light fixtures that can dim up and down are the best way to simulate the natural lighting cycle and allow easy setting of a light cycle.

In a saltwater reef tank, light is one of the most important parts of the life support system if you plan to keep coral. Light schedules that simulate both periods of day and night are essential for establishing energy production in your coral but also simulate the natural daily cycle in the wild. During the night, fish need to sleep, the coral will feed and scavengers come out to help clean your tank.

What is the Perfect Lighting Duration for a Reef Tank?

There are many factors that go into this but it all comes down to what type of corals you have and what type of lights you have. There is an endless amount of lighting options that are available to you depending on what kind of coral you plan to have in your tank so here is a good benchmark to start with:

Have lights on for 6 hours maximum intensity – This means your lights at 100%, or all bulbs on

If your corals seem to be going brown, or the colors don’t pop, increase the light period by an hour each week. Brown coloration is a sign the coral is not getting enough light.

If your corals seem to be turning white (Bleaching), reduce the light intensity to say 75%, turn off a bulb or two on a T5 setup or reduce your max intensity lighting period to 4 hours.

These are just a starting point. Every aquarium is different but your corals will tell you. Here are some guidelines for the types of coral and lights available for your reef:

Coral Type:

  • SPS Coral & Clams – Require most intense light for the longest period
  • LPS Coral – Require less intense light, and can be for a shorter period
  • Soft Coral – Requires the least amount of light intensity & period

Light Type:

  • High Quality LED – Produce very high-intensity light. Adjustable color spectrum, timing, and dimming functions
  • Lower Quality LED – Produce moderate intensity light. Adjustable color spectrum, timing, and dimming functions
  • Metal Halide – Produce very high-intensity light. Bulb sets the color spectrum, timers to be used, no dimming function
  • T5 Fluorescent – Multiple bulbs required to get high-intensity light. Bulb colors can be mixed to provide the required color spectrum. Timers to be used. Dimming available only with the right lighting ballast and electronics.

Many reef owners will ramp up and ramp down their lights to help simulate a sunrise/sunset and to help corals get a longer lighting period but at a reduced light intensity. This cannot be done with Metal Halide lamps as they are only an on/off system.

A Typical Reef Tank Light Duration Schedule Could Look Something Like This:

Dimmable LED’s

11am – Lights turn on to 20%
12am – Intensity increases to 50%
1pm – Intensity increases to 75%
2pm – Full Intensity – 100% or All Bulbs ON
3pm – Full Intensity – 100% or All Bulbs ON
4pm – Full Intensity – 100% or All Bulbs ON
6pm – Full Intensity – 100% or All Bulbs ON
7pm – Full Intensity – 100% or All Bulbs ON
8pm – Full Intensity – 100% or All Bulbs ON
9pm – Intensity decreases to 60%
10pm – Intensity increases to 20%
11pm – All Lights OFF

Dimmable T5s

11am – Lights turn on to 20%
12am – Intensity increases to 50%
1pm – Intensity increases to 75%
2pm – Full Intensity – 100% or All Bulbs ON
3pm – Full Intensity – 100% or All Bulbs ON
4pm – Full Intensity – 100% or All Bulbs ON
6pm – Full Intensity – 100% or All Bulbs ON
7pm – Full Intensity – 100% or All Bulbs ON
8pm – Full Intensity – 100% or All Bulbs ON
9pm – Intensity decreases to 60%
10pm – Intensity increases to 20%
11pm – All Lights OFF

Metal Halide

2pm – Full Intensity – One Bulb ON
3pm – Full Intensity – All Bulbs ON
4pm – Full Intensity – All Bulbs ON
6pm – Full Intensity – All Bulbs ON
7pm – Full Intensity – All Bulbs ON
8pm – Full Intensity – All Bulbs ON
9pm – Full Intensity – All Bulbs ON
10pm – Full Intensity – One Bulb ON
11pm – All Bulbs OFF

Non Dimmable T5s

2pm – Full Intensity – Half of Bulbs ON
3pm – Full Intensity – All Bulbs ON
4pm – Full Intensity – All Bulbs ON
6pm – Full Intensity – All Bulbs ON
7pm – Full Intensity – All Bulbs ON
8pm – Full Intensity – All Bulbs ON
9pm – Full Intensity – All Bulbs ON
10pm – Full Intensity – Half of Bulbs ON
11pm – All Bulbs OFF

If your light unit is only a single bulb metal halide or the T5 fixture only has one plug, then all you can do is have the lights on at full intensity or completely off. Set the time for 6 hours and go from there. Corals going brown, increase the On time. Corals going white, reduce the On time.

A Stunning Reef Needs Good Lighting

Keeping lights constantly on is also not recommended! This will stress the fish, overexpose corals leading to bleaching and lead to unwanted algae growth. The main thing you want to achieve is to try and have the lighting schedule on for as much time as you are in the room. If the aquarium is in an office, start the lighting period at 7am, so the lights are on for your viewing pleasure while at work.

If the aquarium is at home you will want to have the lights on in the evening when you are sat relaxing. In this case, start your lights to come on early afternoon so you get the viewing pleasure. There is no point in having a beautiful reef aquarium if the lights go off when you finally get to sit and enjoy it. So long as the lighting schedule stays consistent your fish and corals will know no different. This is where timers come in!

Light Timers and Dimmers For Reef Tanks

Aquarium lighting should simulate as close as possible the behavior of natural sunlight as well as the day and night cycle.

Using timers in conjunction with lighting equipment removes the necessity of manually turning the lights on or off. A process that could be, and usually is very unreliable! There are times when you are simply too preoccupied to turn the reef tank lights on or off or there are days when you’ll simply forget altogether, then what about vacations! Successful reef tanks are all built around consistency and stability. As humans, we are hopeless at both of these!

Timers are a perfect way to ensure that the lights go on and off at the same time every day. This regulates the day/night rhythms consistently.

In the real world, the sun rises gradually and sets just as gradually. This can be somewhat simulated by dimmers. They allow for low-intensity light at the start of the reef tank’s day cycle then another low-intensity period before the start of the night cycle. 

For lights like non-dimmable T5s and Metal Halides that can only be turned on and off a timer or a series of timers used on individual or pairs of bulbs is a great way to increase or decrease light intensity as well as duration. Simple electronic plug-in timers like THIS ONE from Amazon.com are a cheap, but very effective way to automate your lights.

Plug-In Timer
Plug-In Timers are Perfect for Non Dimmable Reef Lights!

Dimmers are usually built into the light fixture and are configured either by a digital display, app, or online dashboard. Many dimmable T5 & LED light units can also be controlled by aquarium controllers like the Neptune Systems Apex to allow for all your aquarium equipment to be controlled from one location. These dimmable units may seem pricey but when light plays such an important part in the health of your coral, they are worth it!

The control you can get from the online and app dashboard for your lights is phenomenal! The amount of things you can do is truly mind-blowing and warrants a whole article all to itself. Sunrise, sunsets, coral acclimation programs, lightning storms, moon tracking, are all but a few of the features most dimmable LED and T5 fixtures are capable of.

How to Measure Light In a Reef Tank?

Aquarium lighting power can be measured using a PAR meter. PAR measures the amount of light intensity by using a sensor connected to a meter with a numerical readout. The higher the reading, the higher the amount of light radiation penetrating the water to that location.

As coral owners, there are two measurements of light that are of particular importance to us. The first, Light Intensity or PAR is important for how much light the corals receive, and the second is Color Spectrum.

Corals only produce energy from certain bands within the color spectrum. Ensuring there is enough light within the correct wavelengths is very important. The color spectrum also dictates what color our tank water will appear.

Light Intensity

The intensity of light is defined by a metric known as PAR. PAR stands for Photosynthetic Active Radiation. As the name implies, PAR is a metric related to the support of photosynthesis, the process that the Zooxanthellae algae in the coral tissue use to convert light to energy – Very similar to plants.

In general, aquarium lights with higher wattage have higher PAR and therefore higher light intensity.

The Various Coral Types Require Different Light Intensities to Thrive:

Soft Corals50 – 100 PAR
LPS Corals50 – 150 PAR
SPS Corals200 – 300 PAR
Clams100 – 300 PAR

The only way to truly know how much PAR your lighting system is giving out is to rent or use an aquarium PAR meter. PAR value decreases with water depth, so knowing what your PAR levels are at various depths throughout the aquarium can help you decide what corals to place where in the tank.


AquariumSpecialty.com has a 7-Day PAR meter rental which you can find HERE


Most good-quality lights designed for reef tanks will have spikes in certain wavelengths to ensure the corals get the required amount of correct PAR. Cheaper, no-name lights generally lack this and are one of the reasons why corals will not grow, even though to the naked eye the light looks nice and bright.

This is why I always recommend buying the best you can afford and buy it once. So many aquarists buy the cheap lights only to find out they don’t work and then buy the good quality lights later – Money wasted!

Color Spectrum

Color Spectrum is measured in Kelvin or K rating. This is a light metric that has to do with the ambient feel of light in the aquarium. This is also referred to as color temperature. The higher the K rating, the bluer the light. As the K rating becomes lower the light becomes distinctly warmer or yellow/white in tone. 

A good gauge for K rating would be the K rating of a noon day sun which is about 5,500K. The light of the ocean depths can be recreated by using lights with a rating of 20,000K. 

Some aquarists prefer a higher K rating for reef tanks because of the attractive ambiance of the bluish light. High K ratings also penetrate deeper into the tank allowing corals to derive more benefit from the lighting. For reef tanks the typical K range would be 6,000K to 20,000K.

Lighting Options for Reef Tanks

T5 Fluorescents

In T5 fluorescent lights an electric current reacts with mercury vapor to produce light.

A T5 Light Fixture from ATI

Bulb intensity is around 24 to 80 watts depending on its length, the longer the bulb, the higher its wattage. Each T5 bulb comes in various K ratings from a white 6,500K to the deep ocean blue of 20,000K. Actinic bulbs are also available. Actinic bulbs produce very blue light that supports photosynthesis in corals and are generally used to provide a ‘Moonlight’ style glow for late evening viewing.

Most T5 reef tank lighting fixtures come with multiple bulbs and by mix-&-matching the types of bulb color you can fine-tune the color spectrum to suit your particular taste. Most reef tank T5 fixtures also come with either full dimming capability or multiple plugs to allow pairs of bulbs to be connected to timers for individual ON/OFF control.

If you wish to find out more information on T5 fixtures or DIY kits please check out AquariumSpecialty.com


Metal Halides

Metal halides produce light by running electricity through a compound of metals that include bromine and iodine, this metal halide compound is what gives the light its name. These are extremely high-intensity lights with typical home aquarium wattage ranging from 150 watts to 400 watts. Color temperature is obtained by the bulb/s that are inserted into the fixture. Bulbs vary from 10,000K, 14000K, and 20,000K, and bulb replacement is recommended every 12-18 months to ensure peak performance.

A Metal Halide & Reflector Light Fixture

Metal halides were the ‘Go To’ lights for decades until LED lighting technology came along. Most aquariums that run metal halide lights will require a chiller as the heat radiated into the water can increase the water temperature by several degrees while running.

Metal halides give a stunning shimmer to the aquarium and only a select few LED lights are able to replicate this. The great thing about metal halide lights is they are great for deep aquariums. The light is able to penetrate further allowing for high PAR reading on the sandbed – Great for clams!

For more information and pricing on Metal Halide systems please check out a nice selection Here at AquariumSpecialty.com


LEDs

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LED comes in several form factors such as tubes, rails, floodlights, or pendants. LEDs are a group of diodes arranged on a circuit board. Most reef tank LED fixtures arrange the LEDs into clusters under a single lens to help evenly spread the light to give even PAR readings across a 20″-24″ spread.

An LED Light Fixture from Ecotech Marine

Some of the best benefits to LEDs on a reef tank are that they are very energy efficient, colors and intensity can be individually controlled, they can be dimmed to simulate sunrise and sunsets and they are very low-profile units. To help penetrate deep into the aquarium many come with alternate lens covers to help focus the light a little more and by adding multiple units above the tank they can provide tremendous PAR at deep depths.

There are many great LED fixtures on the market and because of this, I created an entire article dedicated to helping you pick out the perfect LED light system for your reef tank! You can find that article here:

Best Reef Tank LED’s – Your Guide For Softies, LPS & SPS 

To Finish

For most reef tanks having the lights on between 10-12 hours will provide the maximum light for feeding your corals and for you to enjoy your aquarium. Be sure to start out at around 6-8 hours when first adding corals to your tank and see how they react. Slowly ramp up the lights ‘ON’ period or their intensity over a week or two after adding your first corals.

Whenever you buy a new coral be sure to place it on the sandbed for a few days before slowly moving up the rock work until it reaches its final placement. By doing this you allow it to slowly acclimate to your lights and prevent it from bleaching.

If you are unsure of an exact lighting schedule to follow, have a look around the forums for others with the same light fixture and use their programs as a benchmark.

Further Reading

If you found this article helpful may I suggest a few more for you:

Damselfish: Are They Really That Aggressive?


Damselfish have gotten a bad reputaiton over the last few decades but like anything in life, paying careful attention to the right types of Damselfish and meeting their needs will ensure you do not add an aggressive Damselfish to your aquarium and instantly regret it!

The aggression shown by Damselfish is to protect their territory. If they are added to an aquarium first they will claim the whole tank as their territory and bully any other fish added after. By adding Damselfish last you can ensure they remain calmer and only have a small territory to protect.

Today we are looking into why damselfish are aggressive, which ones to avoid, which ones are tolerable, and how you can prevent them from getting aggressive.

Damselfish come from the family Pomacentridae and include over 300 species, with some able to live in brackish water conditions. They come in a variety of striking colours, sizes, temperaments and are extremely hardy making them great for the novice aquarium hobbyist. – So why do they get a bad name?

If you ask aquarium hobbyists about Damselfish, some may say they are super aggressive, will target their tank mates, batter them to death, and that they will even try to take a chunk out of your hand if they get the chance. However, if you introduce them correctly, select the right ones, and are wise when it comes to compatibility, these fish can make great additions to your aquarium.

Why Are Damselfish Aggressive?

By their nature, Damselfish are pretty territorial fish and are not shy about warding off any potential threats to that territory. They are very fast, maneuverable swimmers, their small size allows them to easily dart in and out of holes and cracks and they seem to have an endless amount of energy and determination when it comes to holding their ground.

The Notorious Yellowtail Damselfish – Source: Carl Malamud

The problem that many newcomers to the hobby seem to end up with is that they add the Damselfish to their aquarium first. They are beautifully colored, always swimming around, and cheap to buy. Because of this, they end up being the first fish purchase for many. This is where the problems begin.

When a Damselfish is the first fish introduced to an aquarium it will take that whole tank as its territory – and why not! It/they are the only fish in there. Once you begin to add any more fish they will be seen to be encroaching on the territory of the Damselfish and it/they will bully the new additions, usually to death.

This is heartbreaking for the new aquarium owner, so what do they do? They go and buy more fish and usually end up with the same outcome. Until that/those Damselfish are removed, most new additions will be bullied to death. This is not good, and this is why Damselfish get such a bad reputation.

Why Should Damselfish Not Be Used For Tank Cycling?

Because Damselfish are identified as hardy fish, people used these fish to cycle their tanks. The fish would eat and defecate creating an ammonia source for the nitrifying bacteria to consume and multiply on. Damselfish seem like a great choice for tank cycling as they are known to tolerate higher levels of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates than regular saltwater fish, and even today many people still use them to cycle their tank.

But we are now living in 2021, and no one should be using Damselfish to cycle their tank or any other live fish for that matter! There are much better, faster, and easier ways to get your tank going.
See the ‘Further Reading’ section at the end of this article for more info.

Not only is it inhumane to use live fish to cycle your tank, as you do not know the potential harm the water conditions of a cycling tank can do, but Damselfish are one of the hardest fish to catch after the cycling process has finished, and believe me, if you have added a Damselfish to your tank before any other fish, you will be wanting to catch and remove them!

How Do You Safely Introduce Damselfish Into An Aquarium?

If you do opt for Damselfish, make sure you introduce them last as they will be the most aggressive out of the bunch. This will allow the other fish to have already claimed their territory – which prevents Damselfish from being the ‘Boss’ and ‘Alpha Fish’ in the aquarium.

If Damselfish are a ‘Must Have’ on your fish stocking list, then keep semi-aggressive fish that will not be bullied by Damsels. No one likes to be picked on, and at least if the other fish in your aquarium are semi-aggressive, they can stand up for themselves! – This will also reduce the chances of your fish being bullied or killed by the Damsels.

Here are some examples of Damsel-compatible tank mates, just be sure to add these fish first!

  • Dwarf Angelfish
  • Tangs
  • Dottybacks
  • Clownfish – these are actually related to Damselfish
  • Bottom Dwelling Gobies

What Habitat and Tank Requirements Do Damselfish Need?

Firstly, you want to make their transition into a new habitat as smoothly as possible. Have you ever moved to a new house, and remembered how stressful it was? Your fishy friends feel the same way! Any increased stress can lead to enhanced aggressive behavior – making them very unfriendly to their new neighbors.

If you have a fish-only aquarium, you will want to have lots of rock formations so that vulnerable fish can hide, this will also allow the Damsels to claim a small area of the tank without upsetting other residents.

  • If you are planning on keeping just one small Damsel, a 30-gallon tank would provide enough space for them to dart around
  • If you are going to buy a couple, you will need 50 gallons
  • For 4 or more, you will need a tank that holds at least 100 gallons

The recommendations above will allow plenty of space for all your fish otherwise Damselfish can turn aggressive and very territorial. In small tanks, one Damsel can claim the whole aquarium, this is why it is so important that they be the last addition to your tank!

Are There Any Damselfish to Avoid as a Beginner?

Blue or Neon Velvet Damselfish

Paraglyohidodon oxyodon

Source: Drow Male
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Temperament: Aggressive
  • Max. Size: 6”
  • Diet: Omnivore
  • Reef Compatible: Yes
  • Min. Tank Size: 30 Gallons

The Blue or Neon Velvet Damselfish can grow fairly big. Don’t be fooled by their beautiful neon blue stripes, when they reach adult age, they lose this magnificent coloration and turn completely black, and usually become quite the bully!
This is one fish you may regret adding!


Three Spot Domino Damselfish

Dascyllus trimaculatus

Source: Izuzuki
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Temperament: Semi-aggressive
  • Max. Size: 5 ½”
  • Diet: Omnivore
  • Reef Compatible: Yes
  • Min. Tank Size: 30 Gallons

The Three Spot Domino Damsel is another fish that seem very tempting in the local fish store. These can also grow quite big and fit the typical ‘mean’ Damsel reputation.

If you have a carpet anemone it will claim this as its territory immediately.


Blue Devil Damselfish

Chrysiptera cyanea 

  • Care Level: Easy
  • Temperament: Aggressive
  • Max. Size: 3”
  • Diet: Omnivore
  • Reef Compatible: Yes
  • Min. Tank Size: 30 Gallons

As the name suggests these really are the devil! The Blue Devil Damselfish are highly aggressive and are even known to bite your hand if you put it in the tank!

They are highly territorial and very fast fish making them very difficult to remove. If you add one of these to your tank you will pretty much have to empty your entire tank to catch it!


Four Stripe Damsel

Dascyllus melanurus

  • Care Level: Easy
  • Temperament: Aggressive
  • Max. Size: 3 ¼”
  • Diet: Omnivore
  • Reef Compatible: Yes
  • Min. Tank Size: 30 Gallons

Also known as the Blacktail Dascyllus, Blacktail Damsel or the Blacktail Humbug Damselfish.

Even though these fish will stay relatively small their aggression does not match!, They can be aggressive towards other fish and even bigger fish than them.

They are best kept in a predator or aggressive fish aquarium.

Are There Any Damselfish To Recommend For a Beginner?

So, you are probably thinking why would I want Damselfish in my aquarium? – Well, they are not all bad, plus you will not find many other strikingly blue-colored saltwater fish out there that stay small! When you get the right ones and add them at the right time they can be model citizens! The two that I recommend below are the ONLY Damselfish that I own and advise others to get if they want success with keeping Damsels.

So, why Damsels?

  • They are super hardy fish
  • They are not fussy eaters
  • Their blue coloration is unique
  • They are small so do not require a huge aquarium
  • If you introduce them correctly, they can be reef safe!

Below are my favorite Chrysiperta Damselfish that are friendlier and worth checking out! – They have beautiful colorations like other Damselfish but will bring a lively nature to your aquarium whilst being more peaceful.

Azure Damselfish

Chrysiptera hemicyanea

Source: JSutton98
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Temperament: Semi-aggressive
  • Max. Size: 2 ¾”
  • Diet: Omnivore
  • Reef Compatible: Yes
  • Min. Tank Size: 30 Gallons

If you are looking for a great, semi-docile Damselfish, then these are the best of the bunch! The Azure Damselfish has the striking blue we all crave from the Damsels, coupled with a bright yellow belly that really contrasts!

These are fairly well-mannered and are less likely to pick a fight than other fish. I love my pair of Azures!


Talbot’s Damselfish

Chrysiptera talboti

  • Care Level: Easy
  • Temperament: Semi-aggressive
  • Max. Size: 2 ¼”
  • Diet: Omnivore
  • Reef Compatible: Yes
  • Min. Tank Size: 30 Gallons

One of the most peaceful Damselfish you could get! My pair are model citizens and have never shown an ounce of aggression towards any other fish or invert!

These are not neon blue, but they make up for it with their striking yellow head and pelvic fin, and the black spot on their back.

To Finish

If you are wanting to add color to your aquarium then these two Damselfish could be the fish for you! Being hardy, beautiful, and the perfect size, they have become increasingly popular in the aquarium hobbyist world, but as always keep a close eye on the aquarium. If they start to become too aggressive towards other residents, you will need to consider removing them from the tank, so they do not fight to the death or make your other fish sick.

Damselfish are known for their beautiful coloration, aggressiveness, and territorial nature, but as long as you introduce them correctly into your aquarium and they have enough space you should be successful in keeping these striking fish. Damselfish are tough to catch so be sure to follow these guidelines in this article and you will not be tearing your hair out!

Further Reading

If you found this article helicopter I highly recommend the following: