Moving a tank

[chicken]

I’ve been in the hobby for nearly 25 years, though over the last 15 I’ve done the bare minimum to keep things running while we focused on raising a family. My 600-gallon tank is down to just one fish – I’ve lost about one a year, mostly to old age. Most recently I lost my yellow tang, who was around 22 years old.

So with only a yellow-eye kole tang left and a whole-house remodel on the horizon, I’m facing a big decision: do I keep the tank, upgrade a few things, and restock it – or take it down?

I’m leaning toward keeping it, but if I do, I need to move it from the side wall of our dining room to the long wall about 15’ away, because part of the space it currently occupies is being converted into a larger pantry. Has anyone ever hired a rigging or moving company to help relocate a tank like this?

The tank is 10’ long x 3’ tall x 30” deep, built from 1” acrylic throughout. It sits on a 2” tubular steel stand that’s 36” tall, with a 2” sand bed and a lot of rock inside. All the filtration runs out to a shed, so that would not add any weight.

My hope is to find someone who can move the tank more or less as-is after draining it down about halfway – ideally without pulling out all the rock and sand.

Has anyone done this or seen it done on a tank this size? If so, do you have any recommendations for rigging or moving companies that handle this kind of work? Thanks.

 

[H2OPlayar]

@robert4025 @Kensington Reefer @Coral reefer @Srt4eric

I want to see what you guys say on a 10' tank. With enough people (and suction cups), anything is possible.

 

[Turkeysammich]

I remember you. The guy with the pipes in the ground. Dang. It’s been a long time. Let’s see some pictures
Btw. Moving it like that. Ain’t gonna happen. That’s a massive amount of weight.

 

[FinalPhaze987]

Draining a tank that size halfway with rocks in it leaves over 2300 extra lbs, not including the weight of the actual weight of the tank. Most suction cups wont be rated to support that kind of weight. Even if you were to have 12 people helping, they'd be lifting over 230 lbs for 15 ft. while trying to keep a half full tank level.

I highly advise a full drain if you were to undertake this. 1 fish can reside in a 10 gallon tank temporarily. The rock and sand can be placed in a few brute cans.

 

[popper]

I'm no engineer, but wouldn't lifting that much weight would damage the acrylic?

If it's on a movable stand, move the stand together with tank.

 

[chicken]

I was hoping to find a way to move the stand. I’ll get a picture tonight and post it. The stand is ridiculously over engineered and built by a friends father in laws company that builds bus frames.

 

[iani]

I was hoping to find a way to move the stand. I’ll get a picture tonight and post it. The stand is ridiculously over engineered and built by a friends father in laws company that builds bus frames.

Nothing to add to this conversation, but is your natural gas heater still up and running? With gas prices sky high how much do you think it's saving you now?

 

[SupraSaltyReefer]

Would be easier to redesign the pantry layout lol

 

[chicken]

Nothing to add to this conversation, but is your natural gas heater still up and running? With gas prices sky high how much do you think it's saving you now?

It’s still running great. I need to do the math though but I think it’s still cheaper than electricity. I’ll check that out and report back.

 

[chicken]

Would be easier to redesign the pantry layout lol

Our pantry is small and we want to make a larger one but the only place that would work is where the fish tank is unfortunately.

 

[psidriven]

First confirm the tank can handle the stress. Use those bladder bags to raise stand a few inches to get two pallet jacks under it to move it. Just get a tubs to store the rock and get water down to the sandbed to reduce weight. Or take everything out and also buff the tank since there’s got to be a few annoying scratches after so many years.

Either way, I’m down to lend a hand. Still got a present for you from the Toyota museum.

 

[Coral reefer]

I’ve had a client use a moving company. I can find the number for you if you want

 

[PjFish]

There’s plenty of hydraulic equipment that can handle the weight easily really depends on access and type of flooring. You can get skid plate rollers good for 6 tones or pallet trucks that can lift 10k pounds each. Two pallets trucks together near the ends would work once jacked up..
Heavy Machinery & Equipment Movers or machinery riggers are the type of companies you need which should have all the necessary equipment. But Id definitely drain 3/4 of the water out at least so ease the stress on the tank.
Good luck

 

[spuri87]

Curious, why dont you want to drain it completely before moving it? Is it to save time doing the aquascape or is it something else? With only 1 fish, that would be my default way to do this.

 

[PjFish]

Curious, why dont you want to drain it completely before moving it? Is it to save time doing the aquascape or is it something else? With only 1 fish, that would be my default way to do this.

maybe he has a very deep sand bed he doesn’t want to disturb! But this would be a good time to maybe reset the tank.

 

[PjFish]

Guess Chicken flew the coop!

 

[psidriven]

Guess Chicken flew the coop!

Dad joke alert