Fish tank courier
empty tanks, door to door
Arrange delivery for an empty, wrapped aquarium, stand or cabinet with Porta. Fish, plants and water stay with you.
A fish tank carrier for aquariums, stands and cabinets, anywhere in the UK. One driver from the collection address to the door at the other end, no depots in between.
- Tanks, stands and cabinets
- Vetted local drivers
- Nationwide, seven days a week
- Fixed price before you book
Get a quote anywhere in the UK in 10 seconds
Fast, free, no obligation
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Same-day available • No hidden fees
Getting a fish tank moved
Tanks travel drained and empty. Once the water is out, a glass or acrylic tank is a heavy, awkward, fragile box with no good handholds, which is the exact job Porta was built for. Pick your tank size from the list, add the two addresses, and the platform matches you with a driver whose vehicle suits the load.
Second hand buys collected from a seller, tanks going into storage, tanks following a house move a week after the fish did. Most tank jobs are one of those three, and none of them involve livestock.
Fish, plants and water are not carried. Keeping fish alive over a long journey needs oxygenation, temperature control and someone who has done it before, so if the livestock is moving too, book a specialist aquarium service for that part and use Porta for the tank itself.
What we move
Tanks, the cabinet underneath, and the kit that goes with them.
Tanks up to about 80kg
Smaller empty tanks can be quoted with their actual dimensions, weight and access. The number of handlers depends on the shape, grip and route through the property, rather than weight alone.
Large tanks, 80 to 150kg
Large empty tanks may need additional handlers, equipment or specialist transport. Please check the handling plan with Porta and provide the dimensions of the tank and the route through both properties before booking.
Stands, cabinets and sumps
The cabinet usually weighs more than people expect, and sending it with the tank is better value than booking it separately. Sumps, external filters and lighting rigs travel alongside.
What stays at your end
Water, substrate, rocks and livestock. Tanks travel empty and dry, and there is no draining service to book alongside the job. Fish, plants and invertebrates are a separate move: keeping them alive in transit takes oxygenation and temperature control, which is what specialist aquarium firms are for.
Nationwide, seven days a week
Loaded once, secured, and unloaded once.
Why book it through Porta
The same network that moves furniture and white goods, pointed at something more fragile.
One pair of hands, start to finish
Glass does not enjoy being sorted. Your tank is loaded once, secured, and unloaded once, with no conveyor and no hub in the middle of the journey where something heavy can land on a corner of it.
Door to door, not kerb to kerb
Collected from the address and delivered to the door at the other end. Where a tank has to come out of a room rather than off a driveway, the two-person option puts hands on both ends of it.
Big tanks are a van job
Aquarium glass needs suitable support and protection. Please give the tank’s empty weight, dimensions and manufacturer’s transport instructions so the moving partner can assess the vehicle and handling. This service does not cover loads needing a lorry, tail lift or crane.
A van already going that way
Matching the tank to a driver already making the trip is what keeps a long route sensible, and it keeps empty miles off the road.
How much does it cost?
Real prices, worked out on distance and the weight of the tank.
| Item | Local (~30 mi) | Long-haul (~200 mi) |
|---|---|---|
| Fish Tank (<80kg) | £77 | £185 |
| Large Fish Tank (80-150kg) | £195 | £463 |
Example Eco/Flexible prices for one item and one driver, with flexible collection days. Prices include applicable VAT. Distances are approximate and your exact price is worked out postcode to postcode and shown in full before you book. A two-person team is extra and scales with distance, so it is quoted with the job rather than as a flat fee.
Anything over 80kg is a two-person job, and the second person is priced with the job rather than added as a flat fee. Send the stand at the same time and it is one trip, not two.
How to move a large fish tank safely
Whether a courier is doing it or you are, four things decide whether it arrives intact.
An evening is kinder than an hour
Water adds about a kilogram per litre, and the amount depends on the tank’s full dimensions. Empty it completely before moving it, then remove any remaining water with a sponge. Follow the manufacturer’s preparation instructions.
Substrate and rocks are the real risk
Remove gravel, sand and rocks before the tank moves. Their weight can stress the base and joints. Arrange the contents separately and follow the tank manufacturer’s instructions for safe transport.
Tape belongs nowhere near the glass
Packing tape pulls silicone and leaves a residue that is worse to remove than it was to apply. Lids, braces and light units travel better as separate pieces anyway.
Corners are what fail
Protect exposed glass, edges and corners, and agree suitable support and restraints with the moving partner. Avoid pressure on braces or fittings; the manufacturer’s instructions should guide the transport position.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to move a fish tank?
Recorded Eco/Flexible examples for one item and one driver are about £77 at 30 miles and £185 at 200 miles for a tank under 80kg, or £195 and £463 for a tank between 80 and 150kg. Flexible collection days are required. Additional handling and your exact route, tank and access are priced in your current quote.
Do you move the fish as well?
Porta moves the tank and not the fish, so livestock, plants and water stay behind. That is not a hedge: fish in transit need oxygenation, temperature control and experience, and specialist aquarium services exist for exactly that. If the whole working system has to move, one of those is the right call rather than a courier.
Can you move a fish tank to a new house?
An empty fish tank, its stand and its cabinet can be moved to a new house anywhere in the UK, collected from one address and delivered to the door at the other. The fish, plants and water are not carried, so those need arranging separately, either yourself over a short distance or through an aquarium specialist.
Does the tank have to be completely empty?
A fish tank must be completely empty before transport, with the water, substrate and rocks removed. Even a partly filled tank can be damaged by the weight and movement of its contents. Dry it and follow the manufacturer’s preparation instructions; arrange livestock transport separately.
Can you move the stand and cabinet too?
Stands and cabinets travel with the tank, and sending them together is usually better value than booking two separate jobs. Add the cabinet to the job when you get your quote, and put its rough size in the notes box so the driver knows how much space it takes.
How do I move a large fish tank without breaking it?
Move an aquarium empty, with its removable equipment secured separately. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for support, transport position and lifting points. The moving partner should assess the tank’s size, weight, grip and access and agree suitable handlers and equipment; two people are not automatically enough for every large tank.
Is the tank covered if it breaks in transit?
Standard and Premium include goods-in-transit claim support through Porta using the independent driver’s insurance, subject to the package terms, limits and exclusions. Essential does not include damage cover or Porta claim facilitation. Check how glass and aquarium damage are treated before booking, and photograph the tank before collection.
How quickly can a tank be collected?
Collection is usually days rather than weeks, because it depends on a driver already heading that way. If it genuinely has to move today, book it as a same-day courier job instead, where the timing is guaranteed once a driver is confirmed.
Do you cover the whole UK?
Porta supports empty-tank collections and deliveries across the UK, including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, subject to the route, tank and date. Please check island or ferry journeys and specialist handling with Porta before booking.