We discussed in the last article the difficulties you may have if you need to move your fish from their current pond to a new pond. There are various steps you can make throughout the move so that you can minimise the effects of stress and make the move much more efficient and organised.

Before your planned moving date try to reduce the amount of feed you give to your fish. This will mean they will not foul the water to much when feeling stressed in their transportation tank.

On the day of the move, fill your transportation bags with water from your pond so that the fish will be used to the water. Don’t be tempted to just use tap water as a quick solution this will have a serious detrimental effect on your fish. Large aquatic polythene bags are available online and from aquatic stores, these are the perfect method for transportation as they can be tied so water will not spill – unlike tanks. Remember to leave loads of air in the bags, a good ratio to stick to is 30% water and 70% air. If you are worried the bag may leak use two bags to provide another barrier.

When you net your fish, you should be as quick and efficient as possible. If you take too long and end up chasing the fish around your pond you will only succeed in stressing them and the other fish.

In the next article we will discuss how to introduce your fish to your new pond.