There will come a time when you may need to move your aquarium decorations to a different aquarium. This could be for a number of reasons, for example because the number of fish you have has outgrown the size of your current tank, or someone may have given you some used aquarium decor that you would like to use. For whatever reason, you’ll need to follow a few rules to make sure your aquarium decor is safe to use in your new tank.
Why all the fuss about moving aquarium decor
Can’t we just remove the aquarium decorations from one tank and drop them into the other tank? Why is there such a fuss or need for proper preparation? The main reason is microbes.
You see, your aquarium decor has been soaking in aquarium water for far too long. Even with the best cleaning schedule, these trims are ideal breeding surfaces for bacteria and fungus. This is especially true of cabinet accessories with detailed carvings and rough surfaces. The cracks and gaps between the details make it very difficult to clean properly and will provide a perfect haven for these microbes.
Taking the ornament out of the old tank and placing it in the new tank without any preparation will transfer these microorganisms to the new tank. With the conditions in the new tank being just right, this will lead to bacterial overgrowth that will be very unhealthy for your fish.
Furthermore, if you have new fish in the new tank that are not used to the microbes from the old tank, they will almost certainly get sick and die. So preparation is essential when moving aquarium decor.
But bacteria aren’t the only concern here. There are also snails. While it is easy to spot a snail sitting on an ornament when it is removed from the water, its eggs are almost invisible to the naked eye. Without proper preparation, these snail eggs will get into the new tank and once they grab hold of the tank, they are difficult to get rid of.
How to properly move aquarium decorations
It’s not really hard to impart tank decor the right way. The main idea here is to properly disinfect the accessories and make sure that there is no germ transmission. Here are the steps you need to do:
- Remove the item from the old tank and rinse it well. You can do this to get any larger debris out of it so we can clean it up properly later.
- Using a soft toothbrush, give the decor a good scrub. Keep in mind that the cracks and details of the trim are perfect places for microbial colonies, so give them a good scrub. Dip the decor in plain water from time to time to get the things you scraped off. Do not use any form of soap or detergent for this, plain water is good enough. Soaps and detergents will leave a chemical residue no matter how well you wash the item and this can lead to water poisoning later on.
- After thoroughly scrubbing the item, rinse it well with plain water. Then air dry the items in bright sunlight. This is something I always do every time I wash my closet decor. The sun’s rays contain ultraviolet rays, which kill any microorganisms that may still be present on the ornament. Leave it in the sunlight for an hour or two.
Your aquarium decorations are now ready to be replaced in your new aquarium.