Who Has Experience Moving Tanks Around Rooms?

[STEWARDSONS]

we have decided to move the livingroom around which means moving the tank to the other side of the room.

i am hoping i can drain out 90% of the water into containers leavign the fish in a small ammount of water and the sand still in the tank.

then me and my strong friend lift the tank and cabnet over to where i want it, maybe in short small steps. i know it will be heavy but do you think the two of us beign quite strong will ne able to manage. also as the tank and stand top overhang the cupboard it will make it easy to grip under.

has anyone managed this?

 

[ZoddyZod]

What size is the tank?

You'll be surpirsed how heavy it is even when 1/5 full.

Do you have laminate flooring? My stand can be pushed (very gently!) across my lamainte floor.

 

[STEWARDSONS]

120cm 300ltr, i do have wooden flooring too so could be lifter and pushed at the same time as you said.

do you mean pushed with the tank on it?

in fact i did drain 50% of my 190ltr and pulled it very carefully about a foot. need to be careful the stand doesnt give way as its not built to take sideways pressure

 

[ZoddyZod]

120cm 300ltr, i do have wooden flooring too so could be lifter and pushed at the same time as you said.

do you mean pushed with the tank on it?

yes, I have got a 3ft and can push it (gradually) when it is completely full. Draining it would obviously make the process easier.

What you need to ensure is that the stand has a smooth base so that it doesn't damage your flooring when you move it.

 

[Athena]

Is the hood/light unit removable? If so, that would make it a tad lighter. Also, empty out everything from the cupboards, of course.

My b/f carried my 4ft tank on his own from the van to living room - so I guess with two strong lads you should be able to manage to move yours, but take it slowly and stop every few steps if necessary. Don't do your backs in!

I'd remove any wood/ornaments/rocks from the tank prior to moving it - just that if the water begins to swish, doing a wave effect, you won't want your fish being knocked into anything and scraping them.

Rather than keeping the water you have removed and putting it back in, you might just as well drain it off and refill with fresh water, as if doing a large water change.

Best of luck with it all!


Athena

 

[TwoTankAmin17]

I used to move several tanks regularly because in the summer they went onto a screened terrace and for the rest of the year they were indoors. I used the method you described to get them out and back in. My tanks were not as large however being 10, 20/20L and 29 gals. and often had no substrate. Make sure to lower the water level as much as you can- leave just enough water to keep the fish covered. If you are uncertain, net them out and return them in order to have as little water as you can.

Remove the filters and heaters- obviously. It is important that you fully support the entire bottom rim of the tank when moving a tank of any size. If you can move the entire unit (tank and stand) together, do so. Tanks can hold a lot of weight when they are level and on a stand, however when they are not fully supported, the stresses change and that is what can cause the glass to crack.

 

[holidayinn]

I pushed a 6 footer, not ideal and wouldnt do it often, but saved a heck of a lot of time nd energy....Ideally I would drain it completely, being 4 foot it should be a 2 person job and quite managable..

 

[STEWARDSONS]

im just worried abotu the cabinet giving way from being dragged sideways.

its nt the sturdiest i have come accross

 

[Tizer]

turn it around in circles instead of dragging/pushing, like you might a washing machine. i've done this with my 240 litre, had to drain out 90% of the water though.

 

[fluttermoth]

im just worried abotu the cabinet giving way from being dragged sideways.

its nt the sturdiest i have come accross

In that case, it's not worth the risk, IMO. Strip the whole thing down and move it properly; if you feel it's not that sturdy, it's only going to get worse if you move it with the tank on top.

 

[StandbySetting]

Empty it and then move it, it's just not worth the risk, and you'll probably damage the stands rigidity and structural integrity from sliding it as the mass of the tank and its contents will be placing higher stress and strain on certain joints and areas due to the movement.

 

[KittyKat]

I'm too freaked out about cracked bottom plate, to move tanks with anything in them. I expect that with the tank 10% full, the substrate, stand and glass will still weigh 50-100 kg. I used to have 50kg of gravel alone in a tank that size, so I think the estimate is realistic. I am also quite weak, when it comes to lifting weights and moving stuff, so struggle on one end of an empty tank and stand that size.

 

[matt_storey]

leave as little water in the tank as possible, lift the tank (with your mate) and place it on the sofa/table/wherever.

Move the stand to the desired place (do not slide it as you may damage the floor) - If you must slide it place a piece of cardboard underneath it.

Place Tank back on top and add water

 

[fluttermoth]

Agreed.

I know it seems like unnecessary hassle, but tanks and cabinets were built for static weights, not moving ones.