When moving your aquarium, you will need to be sure to keep your fish alive, but also the nitrifying bacteria in your filter.
– Place your filter media in a container with just enough water to keep it moist but NOT submerged in water.
Do not close the container otherwise make holes in the lid to allow oxygen for the bacteria.
– Collect at least 1/4-1/3 of the water in your aquarium in buckets. You can find buckets at Rona, Canadian Tire or Home Depot.
– Place the fish in transport bags or buckets. Without oxygen, they will only be able to stay there for 2-3 hours, and less if the concentration of fish is high. There is a battery operated air pump that you can use to bubble the water and oxygenate it. You will be able to keep them with this pump in a bucket much longer. Be sure to always cover your bucket as fish will jump out of a bucket very easily.
Also keep an eye on the water temperature. For Discus keep them above 24 degrees Celsius if possible, never below 21.
– Empty the remaining water from the aquarium and proceed with the move.
Arrangement:
– Fill the aquarium with the water you kept in the buckets.
– Fill your aquarium with no more than twice as much water as possible and make up the difference the following week.
– Install your filter.
– If your fish have been in the buckets for more than 2 hours, it is advisable to acclimate them in the same way as when you bought them, as the Ph in their water is probably different from that in the aquarium.
If the move is done quickly enough, there will be no problems, like a big water change.