Tank Move Dilemma-Anyone have a 4' Tank/Stand?

Carmen · #1 07-27-2009, 07:21 PM

Well, we sold our house and now I am faced with the dilemma of what to do with my tank while we are between houses. HOPEFULLY we will find a house before our possession date is up but.........it's not looking good!

My 72G is reef ready and has plumbing parts sticking out the bottom (Permanently glued I think) so cannot be moved upright (unless the plumbing is taken out). So would it be easier on the inhabitants to move it to a temp tank and then back to the original once we have found our house? Or just move the tank by somehow securing it to a truck upright on wood supports or something?

kien · #2 07-27-2009, 08:31 PM

Well, I doubt you will be able to move the tank with the inhabitants inside so you will need to figure out a temporary holding/transporting location while the tank is moved I would think. 72 gallons of water is heavy :-) Even half of that is heavy! And even if you did mange to get the tank into a truck with the inhabitants inside, there will be lots of sloshing around in the tank unless you drive 5/10km/h to your new home.

I have moved tanks so many times.. Here's what I did the last time I had to move a tank from house to house. Similar steps for even moving fish from tank to tank.

1. Premix some salt water, heat to the display tanks temperature and fill one or two tubs with the new salt water at the new location. You can get 33 gallon tubs that will fit 3 into the back of a Nissan Murano

That's about 90 gallons!
2. If transporting to a new house, place one or two of the tubs in the trunk/truck that will be transporting them. Get a long long hose and pump the water out of the display tank and into the tubs. If you have big strong guys to help you can get them to carry the filled tubs into the car, but even the filled tubs are heavy! That's why I leave them in the truck and pump the water from the house into the tubs in the car.
3. When you have enough water in the tubs, fish out some of your fish, into buckets and then put them in your tub. You could also run a heater to the tubs with an extension cord.
4. Repeat #2-3 until all your tubs house all your fish/corals/crabs/live stock.
5. Remember to save a tub for the live rock but I don't recommend putting rocks and fish in the same tub!
6. Transport your fish to the new location, plug in heaters and pumps to circulate while you transport the tank.
7. Tear down the tank and transport.
8. Set up tank at new location
9. Pump water from tubs into display tank. Pump new salt water into display tank.
10. Put fish into display tank.

To me this is the equivalent of a really rough water change, but everyone pulls through.

Yes, it is a lot of work but the more work you put into it, the higher your success rate will be.

There's lots of other ways to go about moving a tank, but this is how I do it :-)

I have spare heaters, powerheads and tubs if you need to borrow any. Heck, you can just borrow my entire fish moving kit, complete with water pump and hoses :-)

Anyway, to answer your thread question, yes, I will have a 4 foot tank stand just sitting around once I move everyone from my 90 gallon into the new 150 gallon this coming weekend.

ALBERTA REEF · #3 07-28-2009, 01:49 AM

Do you need help moving your tank? I have moved two 90 gallons in the past 9 mounths. I am willing to help and meet new friends. Let me Know.

Cory.

Carmen · #4 07-28-2009, 03:35 AM

Thanks guys! You are so kind and helpful!! Guess what.......deal fell through on the sale of the house!!!!!!!! Ah well, I will need to move it eventually and Kien I will let you know if I need anything - so generous in offering your stuff.
Alberta Reef - you should have come to the BBQ! Anyway, I am sure I have a tonne of family that will help but thanks so much for the offer.
I have decided I will be just doing as Kien suggested by just moving and resetting up the tank instead of a temp tank. Sounds like a very efficient way of moving the tank. I would just need to take some extra effort in supporting the tank upright in the truck!

Thanks guys!

i have crabs · #5 07-28-2009, 04:34 AM

when the time comes i have a pair of suction cups for moving tanks, and ill probably have a ton of salt buckets for water which might be easier to move than something bigger,

with the plumbing sticking out the bottom of the tank, just get a couple chunks of 4x4 to set the tank on. and buy a ton of extra plumbing just in case, cause something always goes wrong with plumbing and it will be when the stores are closed

make lots of extra water to bring cause the water in with the rocks always ends up being kinda gross, and i like the almost see through storage bins you can buy also, something around 20g can still be moved easy enough and then the fish arnt in total darkness for a couple hours

kien · #6 07-29-2009, 03:05 PM

You could always transport the tank upside down? :-)

ALBERTA REEF · #7 07-29-2009, 03:55 PM

I do not see the problem transporting a tank upside down, Sense the weight of the tank is all supported on the outter edges not in the middle.

Malibu · #8 07-29-2009, 07:07 PM

only problem I see transporting the tank upside down is if it's not a bare-bottom tank, and you want to keep your live rock/sand in the tank during the move (always my preference) then upside down would result in a mess. If this is not something you want to do, then upside down should work beautifully!

kien · #9 07-29-2009, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malibu

only problem I see transporting the tank upside down is if it's not a bare-bottom tank, and you want to keep your live rock/sand in the tank during the move (always my preference) then upside down would result in a mess. If this is not something you want to do, then upside down should work beautifully!

I would be a little concerned about transporting your live rock in the tank.. Bumps in the road could shift the rocks causing them to bump and scratch your glass.