Advice on lifting 180 3/4" glass tank

Daddyrawg · 03/10/2021, 01:18 PM

I need to get my tank off a pallet and onto my stand that is about 3feet tall. Would man power be enough to lift it that high?
Any ideas on what to use best as far as lifts? Etc.. suction cups? It's just so heavy

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MondoBongo · 03/10/2021, 02:10 PM

i haven't used suction cups, but several strong people is usually how i've moved tanks. i had a 160 oceanic that weighed about as much as a collapsed star, we were able to move it with 3 people.

suction cups and lifting straps are icing on the cake and would have made life a lot easier. given the chance to do it over again i probably would have conscripted at least one more person.

we have to bring the tank out a basement and in to a van, then out of the van, up 5 steps, and in to the dining room and on the stand. it was rough, but we got it done.

Daddyrawg · 03/10/2021, 02:15 PM

Wow, I can't imagine doing that with my tank. I guess I'll try to grab 3 of my neighbors one day.. ugh

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ScottF83 · 03/10/2021, 04:53 PM

Definitely want suction cups just to have something to grip onto. Especially in the critical lowering onto the stand stage. Fingers!

Four big blokes is probably fine. Don't want too many

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Daddyrawg · 03/10/2021, 05:01 PM

How many suction cups?

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Dr_N · 03/10/2021, 05:11 PM

Where do you folks get the auction cups?

Dr_N · 03/10/2021, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr_N

Where do you folks get the auction cups?

Ugh, suction not auction

Daddyrawg · 03/10/2021, 05:16 PM

Amazon

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Dr_N · 03/10/2021, 08:57 PM

Thanks, didn't know if those in Amazon were strong enough for the job.

billdogg · 03/11/2021, 09:02 AM

I've moved a number of large Oceanic tanks in the past - in the good old days when they made the glass from depleted uranium. Never needed more than 4 guys - I just couldn't get myself to trust the suction cups.

Vinny Kreyling · 03/11/2021, 10:35 AM

Clean the glass surface as well as the suction cup surface before using.

Member No. 1 · 03/11/2021, 11:01 AM

My only advise is bend your knees, lift with your legs.

Spaced Cowboy · 03/12/2021, 02:01 PM

My tank is a 300G, and I installed it during a house Reno. I cajoled the guys working on the house (about 8 of them IIRC) to help move it

Suction cups are a must, because tank edges can get slippery, and make sure you clean the cups and the surface before you apply them (I used alcohol because I'm paranoid). You want a good grip.

But the basics of it were: use as many people as comfortably fit around the tank without getting in each others way. That way, if one person's cups fail or his hands slip, or he trips, then it doesn't really matter.

nathanieltyler · 03/17/2021, 06:10 AM

Wouldn't recommend moving it without suction cups. Look at Amazon reviews to find the strongest ones, and get some guys together to help. I would have a couple more people than you think you'd need, just to be safe.

Timfish · 03/17/2021, 07:36 AM

Mobile Scissor Lift Table

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=mobile+sci...=v153-1&ia=web

Sk8r · 03/17/2021, 12:11 PM

Took two strong men and one strong woman to lift my 102 gallon heavy-glass bowfront (with glass top) onto its stand. Which, given it was a bowfront, was all the people who could reach it to lay hands on it. They swore with the effort, but it got there in one piece.

If you are not fortunate enough to have it on shims where it sits, I recommend getting some 1" wood slats and using lifting power of a couple of people to get it just high enough to slip a dolly base under, then using the dolly just enough to get the slats under it so you can start with human fingers under it for your lift onto the stand.

03/10/2021, 01:18 PM	#1
Daddyrawg Registered Member Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 814	Advice on lifting 180 3/4" glass tank I need to get my tank off a pallet and onto my stand that is about 3feet tall. Would man power be enough to lift it that high? Any ideas on what to use best as far as lifts? Etc.. suction cups? It's just so heavy Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

03/10/2021, 02:10 PM	#2
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	i haven't used suction cups, but several strong people is usually how i've moved tanks. i had a 160 oceanic that weighed about as much as a collapsed star, we were able to move it with 3 people. suction cups and lifting straps are icing on the cake and would have made life a lot easier. given the chance to do it over again i probably would have conscripted at least one more person. we have to bring the tank out a basement and in to a van, then out of the van, up 5 steps, and in to the dining room and on the stand. it was rough, but we got it done. __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

03/11/2021, 09:02 AM	#10
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	I've moved a number of large Oceanic tanks in the past - in the good old days when they made the glass from depleted uranium. Never needed more than 4 guys - I just couldn't get myself to trust the suction cups. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

03/11/2021, 10:35 AM	#11
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Clean the glass surface as well as the suction cup surface before using. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

03/11/2021, 11:01 AM	#12
Member No. 1 Ver. 2.1 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Rehoboth, MA Posts: 1,803	My only advise is bend your knees, lift with your legs. __________________ Pete "I never make mistakes... I thought I did once, but I was wrong" Current Tank Info: In the process - http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2661614

03/10/2021, 02:15 PM	#3
Daddyrawg Registered Member Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 814	Wow, I can't imagine doing that with my tank. I guess I'll try to grab 3 of my neighbors one day.. ugh Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

03/10/2021, 04:53 PM	#4
ScottF83 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: London, UK Posts: 42	Definitely want suction cups just to have something to grip onto. Especially in the critical lowering onto the stand stage. Fingers! Four big blokes is probably fine. Don't want too many Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk

03/10/2021, 05:01 PM	#5
Daddyrawg Registered Member Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 814	How many suction cups? Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

03/10/2021, 05:11 PM	#6
Dr_N Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2020 Posts: 6	Where do you folks get the auction cups?

03/10/2021, 05:16 PM	#8
Daddyrawg Registered Member Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 814	Amazon Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

03/10/2021, 08:57 PM	#9
Dr_N Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2020 Posts: 6	Thanks, didn't know if those in Amazon were strong enough for the job.

03/12/2021, 02:01 PM	#13
Spaced Cowboy South Bay Reefer Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 395 Blog Entries: 29	My tank is a 300G, and I installed it during a house Reno. I cajoled the guys working on the house (about 8 of them IIRC) to help move it Suction cups are a must, because tank edges can get slippery, and make sure you clean the cups and the surface before you apply them (I used alcohol because I'm paranoid). You want a good grip. But the basics of it were: use as many people as comfortably fit around the tank without getting in each others way. That way, if one person's cups fail or his hands slip, or he trips, then it doesn't really matter.

03/17/2021, 06:10 AM	#14
nathanieltyler Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2021 Posts: 10	Wouldn't recommend moving it without suction cups. Look at Amazon reviews to find the strongest ones, and get some guys together to help. I would have a couple more people than you think you'd need, just to be safe.

03/17/2021, 07:36 AM	#15
Timfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,985	Mobile Scissor Lift Table https://duckduckgo.com/?q=mobile+sci...=v153-1&ia=web __________________ "Our crystal clear aquaria come nowhere close to the nutrient loads that swirl around natural reefs" Charles Delbeek

03/17/2021, 12:11 PM	#16
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Took two strong men and one strong woman to lift my 102 gallon heavy-glass bowfront (with glass top) onto its stand. Which, given it was a bowfront, was all the people who could reach it to lay hands on it. They swore with the effort, but it got there in one piece. If you are not fortunate enough to have it on shims where it sits, I recommend getting some 1" wood slats and using lifting power of a couple of people to get it just high enough to slip a dolly base under, then using the dolly just enough to get the slats under it so you can start with human fingers under it for your lift onto the stand. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%. Last edited by Sk8r; 03/17/2021 at 03:54 PM.