How hard would it be to move my tank?

Salty Brother · 05/09/2007, 07:29 PM

Sometime this summer Im going to be changing rooms. Now my tank is in the family room of the basement and I would want to move it into my room. I was just wondering how hard its gonna be to move and if anyone had any suggestions. Its a 40breeder wtih a 38gal sump/fuge. And it has a self built stand and canopy. It has to go about 30feet and through a 2ft8inch doorway. How hard is this gonna be? I was thinking to take all water out of sump and take half out of the tank. Oh and by the way the stand is on 4 REALLY HEAVY DUTY casters, so we can roll it.
Thanks,
Patrick

mr pink floyd · 05/09/2007, 07:32 PM

Pat, havent talked to you in a while

but anyways, weve moved my friends 40 breeder many times... by hand...with 100lbs of sand, up and down flights of stairs, so it can be done

with water in it it should be fine, think of it like a wavebox, wont break the tank from splashing, though goign slowly, with minimal stops and starts would be best.

it should be pretty easy, good luck

NealNano · 05/09/2007, 07:46 PM

When I move my reef tanks a take as much water as I can. Place the coarls in 5 gallon buckets or bins. The me and a friend move the tank with just the sand in it. The it all gets reset up.

adimal · 05/09/2007, 08:01 PM

what about moving a 50 gallon Fish only by 10 hour drive. is it possible?

Wrench · 05/09/2007, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NealNano
When I move my reef tanks a take as much water as I can. Place the coarls in 5 gallon buckets or bins. The me and a friend move the tank with just the sand in it. The it all gets reset up.

How do you put the water back in the tank and set everything back up without disturbing the sand bed? I'm moving my reef tank soon and that is my biggest concern. I may end up just replacing the sand.

JRistau81 · 05/09/2007, 09:17 PM

Put a plate on the sand or a bucket or something like that and slowly pour the water over that, you'll probably stir it up a little, but I'd call that inevitable.

pledosophy · 05/09/2007, 09:22 PM

Moving a tank a 10 hour drive sucks, but is possible. Get battery powered airpumps place livestock in rubbermaids, corals in rubbermaids, rocks in rubbermaids, you get the picture. Use an airpump on each rubbermaid.

Drain all of the water out of the tank, keep the sand if you like, easier in the long run to replace. Drive to new residence, set up the tank and put in the rock. You'll have to keep the livestock in the rubbermaids overnight at least, sometimes a couple days. Have a source of water planned when you get there, you'll need lots of it. IME sometimes it is hard to find an LFS after a big move. My last move took me three days, only to get into town and find no LFS that sold premixed salt water. Found one a month later relatively close, but at the time I was stressin.

HTH

05/09/2007, 07:29 PM	#1
Salty Brother Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 1,119	How hard would it be to move my tank? Sometime this summer Im going to be changing rooms. Now my tank is in the family room of the basement and I would want to move it into my room. I was just wondering how hard its gonna be to move and if anyone had any suggestions. Its a 40breeder wtih a 38gal sump/fuge. And it has a self built stand and canopy. It has to go about 30feet and through a 2ft8inch doorway. How hard is this gonna be? I was thinking to take all water out of sump and take half out of the tank. Oh and by the way the stand is on 4 REALLY HEAVY DUTY casters, so we can roll it. Thanks, Patrick

05/09/2007, 09:17 PM	#6
JRistau81 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Springfield, Illinois Posts: 264	Put a plate on the sand or a bucket or something like that and slowly pour the water over that, you'll probably stir it up a little, but I'd call that inevitable. __________________ I like pigs. Dogs look up to us; cats look down on us, but pigs treat us as equals. - Winston Churchill Current Tank Info: 150 gallon, 2 Hamilton 400w 14K Metal halide, Red Sea Berlin Skimmer (Don't scoff, it works well), 150-200 lbs LR, 50 lbs LS, 100 lbs Southdown...anything else?

05/09/2007, 09:22 PM	#7
pledosophy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Beaverton Posts: 5,290	Moving a tank a 10 hour drive sucks, but is possible. Get battery powered airpumps place livestock in rubbermaids, corals in rubbermaids, rocks in rubbermaids, you get the picture. Use an airpump on each rubbermaid. Drain all of the water out of the tank, keep the sand if you like, easier in the long run to replace. Drive to new residence, set up the tank and put in the rock. You'll have to keep the livestock in the rubbermaids overnight at least, sometimes a couple days. Have a source of water planned when you get there, you'll need lots of it. IME sometimes it is hard to find an LFS after a big move. My last move took me three days, only to get into town and find no LFS that sold premixed salt water. Found one a month later relatively close, but at the time I was stressin. HTH __________________ 120g mixed reef 90g QT

05/09/2007, 07:32 PM	#2
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	Pat, havent talked to you in a while but anyways, weve moved my friends 40 breeder many times... by hand...with 100lbs of sand, up and down flights of stairs, so it can be done with water in it it should be fine, think of it like a wavebox, wont break the tank from splashing, though goign slowly, with minimal stops and starts would be best. it should be pretty easy, good luck

05/09/2007, 07:46 PM	#3
NealNano Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Gilbert, Az Posts: 764	When I move my reef tanks a take as much water as I can. Place the coarls in 5 gallon buckets or bins. The me and a friend move the tank with just the sand in it. The it all gets reset up.

05/09/2007, 08:01 PM	#4
adimal Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 258	what about moving a 50 gallon Fish only by 10 hour drive. is it possible?