Can I put 125 gallon tank on its front to paint back?

[Kaimana969]

I have a 6' Aqueon 125 gallon tank that I'm either going to paint or apply Plasti Dip to the back of. I want to lay it on it's front to avoid drips but the husband is concerned about the front not being able to support the weight of the tank (he's an Engineer ).

Thoughts?

 

[Lepisosteus]

Yes you can do it

 

[BIG-G]

Yes, with a but.
If you do it be sure the surface you lay it on is flat and stable. Especially nothing that will be a pressure point on the glass.

I had a friend do the same thing your asking about and didn't see a small piece of aquarium gravel on the floor and he busted the front pane out as soon as he laid it over.
It was also a 125 BTW

 

[Drstrangelove]

A 125-gallon tank will have glass that would be able to withstand 15.5 PSI. The tank weighs around 255 lbs empty, so yes, if it's laid on it's side against a solid object sitting on a solid flat surface, it will easily crack.

Personally, I wouldn't risk it on any tank that size. I think moving a 10-20 is fine, but 125 is getting pretty dicey, imo. I'd rather cover the whole area and not worry about drips, but that's me. Drips can be cleaned up with turpentine and a rag if need be.

If you are able to carefully place it on it's side on a completely flat surface, you should be fine. I'd use 3 or 4 people if I had them handy to avoid putting undue stress on the glass or seams, assuming I had to move it, but I again, considering it's overall size and bulk, I think it's a risk I'd avoid.

 

[Kaimana969]

Ok thanks. It was a beast to move into the house so I think I'll just leave it upright. Better safe than sorry.

 

[wannadivesteve]

Seems to me unless the bottom glass is thicker than the sides there wouldn't be much difference... other than the lip on the bottom is probably thicker so the plate is higher off the surface and all edges are protected by a frame. The big trick is findings a flat surface so there's no contact.

 

[CaptainBirdsEye]

I stood my tank on its end in the garden for one year. While I got my fish house sorted.
(It's a bit over 125g @210)
It probably weighs in at 350kgs empty.

Lay it on two lengths of timber and pack timber with cloth (dust sheets or whatever, bed sheets will do.)
Just support the edges, rather than the centre of the front panel top edge, then the tank weight will be transferred through the side panels.
Hope that's a help to you.

 

[duanes]

Why not just spray paint a panel of styrofoam insulation black, and tape it to the back. So much easier, helps keep temps more stable, and if you ever want to sell it, it can easily be removed if the potential buyer doesn't like black.

 

[Drstrangelove]

Why not just spray paint a panel of styrofoam insulation black, and tape it to the back. So much easier, helps keep temps more stable, and if you ever want to sell it, it can easily be removed if the potential buyer doesn't like black.

I used to just buy black paper and tape it to the back. But I was cheap!

 

[viejafish]

Why not just buy a background and tape onto the back. Background comes with solid color and theme, often on both sides, and is made of plastic paper resistant to moisture damage. Once you paint the back glass, it's irreversible and will affect the resale appeal one day you want to sell the tank.