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Aquarium removals firms?

Egmel

Member
Joined
28 Mar 2008
Messages
729
Location
Guildford, Surrey, UK
So, I've been away from this forum for a bit, work and family severely cut down my online time, but I've still been keeping my tank going - unfortunately, it's now time to move house and I'm stumped as to who to trust with such a move! My tank has blossomed a bit since I've been away from this board and is now a custom build, 1m47 long, 42cm deep by 50cm high, on a bespoke wheeled unit (best decision ever!). It's sand substrate, heavily planted, low light, no CO2 tank drilled for 2 ehiem canister pumps. Stocking is fairly light, max 30 rummy noses/neons/cardinal tetras, ~15 panda corydoras, a fancy albino bristlenose, >2 kuhli loaches and one or 2 small parotocinclus (I'll be honest, it's been a while since I did a deep clean and it's difficult to be sure of numbers in a heavily planted tank!) - there's also the world's supply of cherry shrimp! Terrible pic attached to show the scale of the move. None of the stock is particularly special either plants or fish, it's the tank that's the beast. If I had the spare time I'd consider breaking it down myself and getting the generic removals people to move the tank, but in all honesty, I don't have the time.

Has anyone paid for an aquarium removals service? Was it any good? Would you recommend them? I'm in Guildford and only moving across town if that makes any difference, a lot of the ones on the web seem to work nationally. Though few I've seen have examples of tanks like mine in their feedback reviews.
 

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I can't help, but that's a great looking tank.
 
I was away at work and we were to move, partner was almost full term to boot. so I had the local shops side business shift my marine aquarium and set it up again.
How was the process - I'm guessing you didn't have too many losses and the tank survived. I guess you weren't on site to see the move happen.
 
Maybe could try the Aquatic Design Center in South London? They do loads of commercial aquariums so maybe could do this? Only bought fish from them myself but just a thought! Guildford's not that far.
 
I think the best way is to do it before your actual move/completion date by your self with some helpers:
  • Find a temporary home for your tank (friends, parents, etc. or ask for access to the property/garage you are moving to before completion date);
  • Rip your tank apart to buckets;
  • Move it to the temporary home, put a part of your "old" water, equipment, plants and livestock back to tank; leave your substrate/hardscape out;
  • Move house;
  • Move it to your new home and re-scape whenever you have time in a week or two.

It is a big tank, you will have to rip it apart anyway. For small ones, it can be done without ripping a scape apart - a temporary "platform" can be build along the tank, then water drained to minimum, then tank pushed from a cabinet over the temporary structure for transportation. The platform should levelled with the cabinet and sturdy to carry the weight of tank+hardscape without deformation. A piece of kitchen worktop work goods.
 
I think the best way is to do it before your actual move/completion date by your self with some helpers:
  • Find a temporary home for your tank (friends, parents, etc. or ask for access to the property/garage you are moving to before completion date);
  • Rip your tank apart to buckets;
  • Move it to the temporary home, put a part of your "old" water, equipment, plants and livestock back to tank; leave your substrate/hardscape out;
  • Move house;
  • Move it to your new home and re-scape whenever you have time in a week or two.

It is a big tank, you will have to rip it apart anyway. For small ones, it can be done without ripping a scape apart - a temporary "platform" can be build along the tank, then water drained to minimum, then tank pushed from a cabinet over the temporary structure for transportation. The platform should levelled with the cabinet and sturdy to carry the weight of tank+hardscape without deformation. A piece of kitchen worktop work goods.
Usually I would agree (and have moved 3 times with smaller tanks) but unfortunately while we have the bonus of access to both properties for some time A) we have a small child (<2) running around and we both work full time so we're very time poor currently, B) We physically can't move the tank down the stairs of our flat as we don't have the relevant glass handling kit and C) our contents insurance only covers fragile items when moved by professionals.

I've booked in with Move My Fish for next week. They're local to us and had availability - will see how we get on.
 
Maybe could try the Aquatic Design Center in South London? They do loads of commercial aquariums so maybe could do this? Only bought fish from them myself but just a thought! Guildford's not that far.
Thanks for the recommendation, I'd already booked in with move my fish by then - in the end only 2 of the companies I contacted actually came back to me with quotes....
 
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