Moving Large Tanks

[zlwags85]

Hello,

Tentatively, I have a deal setup for a 280-gallon acrylic tank. The tank is nearly 8 foot long and 30 inches wide. My question has to do with the best approach for moving the tank and the number of people that will be required. I believe, from what the seller has told me, that the tank weighs in around 425-450 lbs. So, I thought 4 guys would be adequate, but 6 would be better. Are there any suction cups that would work well that would not scratch the acrylic or what is the best way to attempt this move without scratching the tank. I have never owned an acrylic tank or a tank of this magnitude and this has me a little bit worried. I don’t want to stress the seems. Please help and give me some suggestions or advice. Down the road, assuming this deal does not fall through, there will be a build thread on it. Thanks for the help.

Regards,

Zach

[joealix]

Three guys should be plenty. When I moved my 300g ******* (by the way, I'll never buy another one of their tanks) into the basement, it only took 3 guys including myself and we really didn't have much of a problem. Don't worry too-much about the seams; Acrylic seams are amazingling strong. Regarding the suction cups, I don't know about the suction cups...I don't think I would risk scratching the tank.

I'm taking this taking this tank out of my basement this weekend and using it as a very expensive refugium & grow-out tank for my new endeavor....the Office 550 In-Wall GLASS Reef...(no more acrylic) THIS tank weighs about 1400 pounds and took 7 of us to move it from my flatbed truck to my office.

Have a fun time and take notes for when you decide to upgrade in a year or so.:fish2:

[Halfmoon61]

I just moved a glass tank weighing about 400 lbs with a shoulder strap dolly.
http://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-Dolly-LD1000/dp/B00022749Q/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1222375940&sr=8-13
Two of moved it into the house and then 4 of us grabbed each a corner and put it on the stand. Worked really well, I used some suction cups to move it in place on the stand but not sure if that would scratch acylic.

[zlwags85]

Thanks for the responses... I am still waiting to hear if the deal is complete or not. Very anxious. I can't wait if this tank does work out!

I was worried about the suction cups scratching it as well. Based on what I could find, I think 4 guys on each corner should be adequate. I am just worried that the 8' length would put a lot of pressure in the middle of the tank. A 450 lb tank split 4 ways is not that big of deal really. Any other thoughts are more than welcome! Thanks again.

[thor32766]

My 450 gallon tank was carried by me at one a guy on the other and a guy underneath it with back support!!!! The guy crawling underneath it carried it a few times by himself without him knowing it!!!!

[chrisqueenz]

I use these to carry my 260G "3/4 inch thick glass tank down into my basement. These woked amazing for my purposes. Dont know how well they will stick to acrylic.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/chrisqueenz/Picture027.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/chrisqueenz/Picture028.jpg

[zlwags85]

Yea... I saw a thread on those suction cups. When I read more about them on different supplier websites and looked at the pictures, I think most of them have some type of screw holding the suction cup onto the handle, which would definately scratch the tank. I don't think it is worth the risk on an acrylic tank but it is a fabulous idea for a glass tank.

P.S. Just got an email saying that the tank and equipment are mine! I'm sure I will be posting a lot of questions on the large tank forum in the future. The display tank is 300g and the total system volume will be around 400+ (haven't actually calculated what the sump holds... it is 60" X 18" X 18"). Thanks for the help!

[chrisqueenz]

Sweet, document the progress with lots of pics!

[zlwags85]

Alright, I got the tank on Sunday. It was not nearly as bad as what I anticipated and was not all that heavy. I am guessing that the tank weighed around 250 and the stand slightly less. I had 6 guys, which helped, but when we got back to my place, 2 people carried it through the door without much problem. It will be a while before it is setup, but here is a pic of the tank after I filled it up to check for leeks..... leek free!

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f284/zlwags85/300g%20Tank/DSC_0204.jpg

Sump

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f284/zlwags85/300g%20Tank/DSC_0201.jpg

[juniormc8704]

Did these feel solid as a rock? Ive got a 600 pound tank to move in a couple weeks and am looking to pick up a few of these.

I had been looking at the pump versions, but they are only rated at 125 lbs each.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13425527#post13425527 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrisqueenz
I use these to carry my 260G "3/4 inch thick glass tank down into my basement. These woked amazing for my purposes. Dont know how well they will stick to acrylic.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/chrisqueenz/Picture027.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/chrisqueenz/Picture028.jpg