Moving a 180gal tank questions

CookieJar · 07/28/2006, 07:09 PM

I'm going to be moving a 180 gal glass tank and want to get advice on how many people and which method it can be moved the easiest. A few questions:
- How much does a 180 gal glass tank weight?
- how many people are needed?
- do I need a dolly (flat) to wheel it around?

Any other advice on moving it? There is no livestock being moved, only a tank and stand.

Safir · 07/28/2006, 07:31 PM

tell us more...is it a standard 180 or was it custom built, anythign special about it?

any tank this size i suggest furniture dollies, you won't want to carry it very long.

an empty AGA 180G weighs 338LB, so unless your aquarium is acrylic it will weigh that much or more.

I suggest a pair of furniture moving dollies and at least 4 guys to move it

CookieJar · 07/28/2006, 07:50 PM

It's a standard tank, not custom. At 338 lbs. I think 4 strong people should be able to handle it w/o dollies. Getting through doorways might be tricky so I'll have some 2 x 4 boards to help with lifting. That's the info I was looking for.

Thanks!

NYer · 07/28/2006, 08:26 PM

Be careful I did this last week and the 180 caught the side of the door and took a nice chunk of glass out of the tank!

dp122098 · 07/28/2006, 08:41 PM

Yep I agree there... That is the biggest concern with moving a tank. Make sure you don't get it caught on anything while moving it. That happened to me while I waas bringing in my 110 from the truck... I was lucky an it just scraped they door frame.

dp122098 · 07/28/2006, 08:44 PM

If you don't have far to go I say get four competent guys to move it. One on each side, there will be much more cussion while moving the tank if it is carried versus if you put it on a dolly. You don't want to have an unballanced stress load on any part of the tank. That wouldn't really be and issue if you have four people, one on each side.

waldomas · 07/28/2006, 09:02 PM

Really? 338 lbs. ? I moved mine by myself. It was still wrapped so i slid it down my steps and tipped it on to my stand. It didnt seem like 338 lbs. I think 2 strong people would have no trouble at all.

jeffmerrill · 07/29/2006, 05:05 AM

I have moved my 180 twice. Each time there were only two of us. The tank is heavy and the second time we used the brute trash can rollers and that worked well (actually moved it and the stand at the same time. The time we carried it, we only moved it about 80 feet and the two of us could not have gone much further. If there is a lack of manpower I would look into the heavy duty suction cups that glass installers use - I hear they work well.

pewter_jean · 07/29/2006, 05:28 AM

Then the two of you are extremely strong. When we moved mine, I had 4 strong farm boys, (very used to hard work) move it to my apt. When all was said and done. They whined for weeks about how heavy that tank was. Needless to say, I couldn't get them to help me later on when I was ready to set the tank up and needed to get the tank over to its permanant location.
I had to go out and find some new suckers.

dp122098 · 07/29/2006, 06:51 AM

That's the same thing I'm saying... Mine is a 110 tall tank and I am no weak person but I thought is had some weight to it too. I guess it all depends on the circumstance.

vortex6 · 08/01/2006, 09:21 AM

It took 4 people to move my 180 gallon Oceanic. We did use 2 people just through the door but their faces turned extremely red. Most all glass tanks weigh at least 300 pounds. I'm sure 2 people could move it but getting it onto a stand would be very difficult since you would actually have to lift it using mainly your bicep muscles.

Asuran · 08/01/2006, 09:44 AM

my old 110 tall feels like it weighs more than my 180 same 4 people moving the tanks and we all agreed that the 180 was much more easier to move

serpentman · 08/01/2006, 10:25 AM

I moved mine with 2 guys. On flat ground its not too bad. However, I would advise having 2 more on hand if you get into trouble. We went down a set of stairs and let me tell you, 338lbs is a lot when all the weight is on you. I came very close to having the tank fall on me.

07/28/2006, 07:09 PM	#1
CookieJar Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 545	Moving a 180gal tank questions I'm going to be moving a 180 gal glass tank and want to get advice on how many people and which method it can be moved the easiest. A few questions: - How much does a 180 gal glass tank weight? - how many people are needed? - do I need a dolly (flat) to wheel it around? Any other advice on moving it? There is no livestock being moved, only a tank and stand.

07/28/2006, 08:41 PM	#5
dp122098 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 218	Yep I agree there... That is the biggest concern with moving a tank. Make sure you don't get it caught on anything while moving it. That happened to me while I waas bringing in my 110 from the truck... I was lucky an it just scraped they door frame. __________________ Damn Shame for a Pimp to get pimped by this tank!!! Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Tank, 75 Gallon Sump, SeasideAquatics ES2 Skimmer, 8xT5 Sun System Tek Fixture, Dolphin Reflo Return, 2xMP40w

07/28/2006, 08:44 PM	#6
dp122098 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 218	If you don't have far to go I say get four competent guys to move it. One on each side, there will be much more cussion while moving the tank if it is carried versus if you put it on a dolly. You don't want to have an unballanced stress load on any part of the tank. That wouldn't really be and issue if you have four people, one on each side. __________________ Damn Shame for a Pimp to get pimped by this tank!!! Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Tank, 75 Gallon Sump, SeasideAquatics ES2 Skimmer, 8xT5 Sun System Tek Fixture, Dolphin Reflo Return, 2xMP40w

07/29/2006, 05:28 AM	#9
pewter_jean Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Highland,Il Posts: 1,586	Then the two of you are extremely strong. When we moved mine, I had 4 strong farm boys, (very used to hard work) move it to my apt. When all was said and done. They whined for weeks about how heavy that tank was. Needless to say, I couldn't get them to help me later on when I was ready to set the tank up and needed to get the tank over to its permanant location. I had to go out and find some new suckers. __________________ Love your family, Laugh with your friends, Live each day to its fullest Rena

07/29/2006, 06:51 AM	#10
dp122098 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 218	That's the same thing I'm saying... Mine is a 110 tall tank and I am no weak person but I thought is had some weight to it too. I guess it all depends on the circumstance. __________________ Damn Shame for a Pimp to get pimped by this tank!!! Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Tank, 75 Gallon Sump, SeasideAquatics ES2 Skimmer, 8xT5 Sun System Tek Fixture, Dolphin Reflo Return, 2xMP40w

07/28/2006, 07:31 PM	#2
Safir Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tampa Bay, FL Posts: 900	tell us more...is it a standard 180 or was it custom built, anythign special about it? any tank this size i suggest furniture dollies, you won't want to carry it very long. an empty AGA 180G weighs 338LB, so unless your aquarium is acrylic it will weigh that much or more. I suggest a pair of furniture moving dollies and at least 4 guys to move it

07/28/2006, 07:50 PM	#3
CookieJar Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 545	It's a standard tank, not custom. At 338 lbs. I think 4 strong people should be able to handle it w/o dollies. Getting through doorways might be tricky so I'll have some 2 x 4 boards to help with lifting. That's the info I was looking for. Thanks!

07/28/2006, 08:26 PM	#4
NYer Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New York Posts: 68	Be careful I did this last week and the 180 caught the side of the door and took a nice chunk of glass out of the tank!

07/28/2006, 09:02 PM	#7
waldomas Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: south central Pa. Posts: 761	Really? 338 lbs. ? I moved mine by myself. It was still wrapped so i slid it down my steps and tipped it on to my stand. It didnt seem like 338 lbs. I think 2 strong people would have no trouble at all.

07/29/2006, 05:05 AM	#8
jeffmerrill Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 51	I have moved my 180 twice. Each time there were only two of us. The tank is heavy and the second time we used the brute trash can rollers and that worked well (actually moved it and the stand at the same time. The time we carried it, we only moved it about 80 feet and the two of us could not have gone much further. If there is a lack of manpower I would look into the heavy duty suction cups that glass installers use - I hear they work well.

08/01/2006, 09:21 AM	#11
vortex6 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 23	It took 4 people to move my 180 gallon Oceanic. We did use 2 people just through the door but their faces turned extremely red. Most all glass tanks weigh at least 300 pounds. I'm sure 2 people could move it but getting it onto a stand would be very difficult since you would actually have to lift it using mainly your bicep muscles.

08/01/2006, 09:44 AM	#12
Asuran Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Scarborough Posts: 504	my old 110 tall feels like it weighs more than my 180 same 4 people moving the tanks and we all agreed that the 180 was much more easier to move __________________ 180gallon reef, 70gallon sump 110gallon reef, 50 gallon sump (former tank) 70gallon FOWLR, 30 gallon sump

08/01/2006, 10:25 AM	#13
serpentman part time superhero Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Deep in the Heart of the Snowbelt (NE OHIO) Posts: 5,698	I moved mine with 2 guys. On flat ground its not too bad. However, I would advise having 2 more on hand if you get into trouble. We went down a set of stairs and let me tell you, 338lbs is a lot when all the weight is on you. I came very close to having the tank fall on me. __________________ BS in Marine Bio ('96), First SW tank in 1992. Current Tank(s) 300g SPS with 90g frag tank and 40 anemone tank - decommissioned 46g LPS/Softy Cube 300g FOWLR under construction - decommissioned