Fish tank vs emigration
 

Hi all. This seems like a silly topic before I even start! We're just starting down the road towards emigrating from the UK to Canada. I currently have a big, beautiful and expensive fish tank and I'm trying to decide what we should take with us and what we should get rid off before we go. If I take the easy option and sell the fish and tank, I'll never be able to afford to replace it. But what are the chances of the tank just breaking en route to Canada anyway if I keep it?! Obviously the fish will be rehomed either way.
Has anyone packed up and shipped an aquarium over the Atlantic?! Did it survive?!
Thanks all

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Years ago shipped a fish tank, it arrived fine , but packing to be sure requires a lot to be sure. I do think first question is size of tank. Prices for fish tanks in USA at least very reasonable especially when on sale compared to UK. I suspect in Canada the same. The filters another matter. If you have an advanced outside canister and/or sump filter I think those are worth shipping.

The other issue after you arrive is water quality varies significantly in the US, even by state sometimes. Thus filtration media, or plant types, used in UK my not give the same result in USA. Good luck !

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

morpeth is right, the tank costs very little relative to everything else involved in fish keeping. Still, if you have a container you may as well take it as, full of stuff, it uses up little space.

This is a chain of fish tank shops, to give an idea of tank prices:

Big Al's Canada - The Pond and Aquarium Hobby Specialists

This is a mail order fish shop (!) for an idea of the price of everything else:

Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

I agree little space, but very very careful packaging to be sure.

I have found best deals were from smaller shops when items on sale, larger tanks ( I am assuming over 75 gallons) sometimes smaller shops at certain times of year just want to move quickly- or depending on relationship with store owner, I would give price range and specifications and then let him source for me. Much more variety and options in my experience than UK or Europe.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Oh wow, yeah tanks are much cheaper there! I guess I'll give it a go and if the glass breaks I should be able to afford to replace it after all!
As for the filter, lights and air, I'm still struggling to get my head around the different power supply, so may end up just buying Canadian and starting again with them. It seems to be the way of the whole process that just when I get one aspect sorted in my head something else crops up that I hadn't even considered! :confused_smile:

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Sorry but just out of interest how big is this fish tank? I'm intrigued because you said you'll never be able to afford to replace it... so my brain is automatically thinking you inherited Sea worlds main pool.. but a small part of me is thinking it can't be that big.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Hahaha, well I've got to keep the dolphins SOMEWHERE!
OK, it's *only* a 450l tank, but it has a bespoke cabinet with it, so is pretty special. I reckon it'd cost £800 to buy here. Which my husband would never let me do!!

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

I think that's a 100 gallon tank (we don't have metric fish here) so that's a decent size. I wonder about storing it/hauling it around between rental places before you're settled. Maybe a lock up garage would make sense. What sort of thing do you keep in it (I have a similar tank across the room with various low stress reef fish and creatures)?

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

My advice would be to sell it and put the money towards buying another one when you get to Canada.

I'd guess most insurance will not cover for glass tank breakage in transit. They consist pretty much of five panes of glass glued together.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

It's true, they are frighteningly fragile. The tank I had before, I built myself. When I first filled it, I was convinced it was going to leak/ explode!
My current tank is just a cold water community. I have danios, tetras, corys, hillstream loach, Siamese algae eaters and yamato shrimp. Nobody that I'd be broken hearted to leave behind, though the SAEs are lots of fun! :cool:

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

My fish tank broke just moving it from one house to another in UK and I thought I had packed it really well. You mention a bespoke cabinet, maybe bring that over and replace the actual tank when you get here

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Good thinking!

@MamaSealion - welcome to BE! :welcome:

You might want to look into the cost of shipping it too, before you decide. You can also look to pick up a 2nd hand tank, perhaps?

100 Gallon Fish Tank | Kijiji: Free Classifieds in Ontario. (Kijiji are all over Canada, not just Ontario)

Edited to add - such as this, 100 gallon tank with stand and all accessories, rock, filter and pump, $350 http://www.kijiji.ca/v-buy-sell-othe...ationFlag=true

:)

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

You can pick up use tanks pretty cheap, sometimes full complete set ups used for a reasonable price.

Checks Kijiji and craigslist and find local aquarium groups in whatever area you end up in.

And if renting, a larger tank might be harder to find a rental, landlords don't typically want 100+ gallons in their rentals, even my 30 gallon was difficult, but I have since sold it.

If properly packaged and crated, it should survive, after all most aquariums in Canada are built either in the US and shipped or made in China and shipped over, all comes down to packing it properly.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Exactly my point, I was in the moving business in the UK for many years.
Glass fish tanks along with garden pots not insured by most firms.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

I love how cheap it seems to be to have an aquarium in Canada!
I think it might come down to how much space we're left with in the container. If there's room I'll give it a go, if it breaks I can replace it once we're settled. If we're tight on space I'll sell it and get some free money!
Thank you for your replies, I really appreciate it. :regular_smile:

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

I shipped a 100gallon and a 50 gallon tank, from Nova Scotia to Manitoba, with no issues at all, proved very useful for storage of my more delicate items too. I know its not overseas but same difference really. I even drove from NS to Manitoba with my fish in the trunk of my car, in several totes, with a battery operated air pump. Took 5 days driving and they were fine. I couldn't bring myself to rehome some of them, as they had been with me for 10 years at that time. They survived and are still going strong 6 years later.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

5 days in the boot of your car?! Fish are great aren't they?
I like the idea of using the tank as a fancy packing box! :lol:

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

When we moved here we wanted to preserve as much tank water as we could so we siphoned some of it into five gallon buckets with the idea of driving them over here, putting the water in the bath tub and, when we brought the tank with the fish, tipping as much water as possible back in.

Alas, when we arrived in a truck with the buckets there had been a snowstorm and the truck got stuck at the end of the driveway. We then had to carry the water a quarter mile through the snow to the house. It's heavy, water.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Haha, oh dear! What a drama!

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Keeping fish sounds like a pain in the a...


My friend had some fish, some of them kept eating the eyes of other fish and my other friend said they'd had that type of thing too... since I heard that I have had a real dislike for fish. They just don't seem like they're very nice.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

The tank is like a little zoo so some care in selection is required. If you were keeping animals all in one pen you'd similarly have to be careful not to have dominant lions and a herd of goats as, shortly after setting up that zoo, you'd have one lion and no goats. So it goes with water creatures.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

That even applies to the same breed fish in some cases....never put two MALE Siamese fighting fish in the same tank together. Beautiful looking fish, but only one male per tank - as many females as you want...but they are very plain looking in comparison to the males.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Generally you have to go with one fish of each shape; one angel, one tang and so on. Some fish however primarily eat fish so the only hope for those in a mixed tank is to make the aggressive eater the smallest fish.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

That is interesting, had never thought of making sure the most aggressive fish is the smallest one, or one of each shape

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Individual fish sometimes fail to conform to type. We had a hawkfish for a long time, it was peaceful and entertaining in a tank with a range of other creatures. The tank suffered a disaster (the heating failed while we were away) and we had to start again. We got another hawkfish and it ate bloody everything until we worked out what was happening and took it back to the shop.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Most knowledgeable fish store owners can advice on these issues. One chain in America actually puts a ranking on which fish more aggressive - A through F is I remember, and recommends which "letters" can be mixed with others. Fish store owners tell me usually problem is either buyers just don't listen, or sometimes speak to part time help who aren't sure of answer.

My best experiences with such situations and overall have been :

1. Twice as much filtration as recommended, and adding to that the underground filter, but have section of tank were the water is still or more still than other parts of tank.
2. Some real plants. ( and for small fish good place to hide). Even fish I didn't expect would nibble on the plants.
3. Occasionally have live food such as shrimp.
4. And occasion, I don't know why, have some amphibians in tank such as the miniature white frogs, and if one can get a species that will actually eat regularly, salamanders. I don't know why but overall seem to help keep a balanced environment.
5. Snails ( though a pain when they multiply), or the small hermit crabs.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

That is a good point but in this case these were all the same type of tropical fish.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Yeah, it's a fragile equilibrium. Not only do the buggers eat each other but many of them release poisons and some, sea apples for example, will, if they die, take everything else in the tank with them. People looking for a reasonably calm, relaxing and economical animal hobby should eschew the fish tank and buy a horse.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

I didn't know that! It must be quite interesting and stressful to get everything set up.
At least with a horse you can ride it, and when it gets old you can sell it to Tesco UK and they'll market your horse as beef burgers. Everyone wins... Except the horse.

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Why 'Fish tank vs emigration'?

If you cannot bring the tank you won't emigrate?

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

Nooooooo, the emigrating is happening for me, just maybe not for the tank!

All the different species I have get on really well. Though they will dispose of anything that dies in the tank within about half an hour! I even have 1 large nerite snail that will eat the bones & exoskeletons!! :lol:

Re: Fish tank vs emigration
 

We just have goldfish. They live indoors in the winter and outside for the rest of the year. They seem happy little fishies