Movers charge $350 and up, so most of us have to move big aquariums by ourselves.
Here is my method I have used in the last month on two glass aquariums: a 115 gallon and a 300 gallon. Please give me feedback.
First, drain the water. (You knew this.) One or two people need to arrive early with at least a long siphon hose and a Shop-Vac set up for wet operations. 1" of water in the bottom of my 300 gallon tank (8ft x 2ft) is 10 gallons, is 85 pounds. Get that water out. A big submersible pump will do better than gravity. I don't mind talking to someone for 3 hours as his 120 gallon tank drains, but next time I will bring a big submersible return pump and at least (2) 50 ft hoses to fit it so I can start with 50 ft and go to 100 ft if I need to. Lighter weight and more flexible hoses are better than cheap garden hoses. (I just drained the 120 and took the fish, then got it ready to move. I was not there for that move.)
If you are relocating fish, bring 5-gallon buckets to drop them in, with water from their original tank.
Second, the one or two-person advance team may need to disconnect plumbing, if there is a sump. You may need Channel-Lock pliers to remove bulkheads. You may need a saw to cut PVC pipe. You can not move an aquarium off a stand if PVC pipe couples the aquarium to a sump.
Third, make a plan. Plan a path from the current location to a vehicle. A pickup whose bed fits the (6ft, 8ft) tank is idea. Remove anything that will block the path. You need plenty of room sideways on both sides of doors. You may need to take a door off its hinges. Don't trip over the guy's 2-year-old.
Fourth, move the tank away from the wall, and have everyone lift one side as someone kicks a furniture dolly (4-wheeled flat movers dolly) under that end. Repeat with the other end.
Is there a way to jack up big aquariums? Would a hand-truck give me leverage?
Fifth, roll it. The problem is doorways. I am looking for a solution to get over door stops by rolling instead of lifting. With the 300 gallon, we pushed a third furniture dolly under the tank on one side of the door way as we pulled the other dolly out of the other side. That required less vertical clearance than lifting the dolly over the threshold. Maybe a piece of metal that can pivot..??
Sixth, slide the aquarium off the stand into the truck bed. BE CAREFUL! Use a pickup with a relatively soft bedliner, and sweep it out before going to get the aquarium. You can smash a glass tank hitting a rock, screw, or metal tie-down in the bed of a pickup. I did smash my dad's 115 gallon when I was a teenager hitting the metal mount for the back row of seats in his van. Aquariums with plastic bottom braces are more forgiving than solid glass bottoms.
Seventh, tie down the tank and stand. If they both fit in one truck, you need a bigger aquarium. (I'm kidding. I know you have a bigger truck than me, and I'm jealous.) Don't let metal ratcheting tie-down ratchets tough glass or acrylic! Most little things go in the cab of a truck.
Eighth, if possible, reverse the process at the other end. Put the stand on furniture dollies, and put the aquarium on the stand.
I am stuck with a 300 gallon (8 ft x 2 ft x 2.5 ft) glass aquarium in the bed of my pickup until Monday. We could not get it from my pickup bed up 1 ft to the stand on dollies. Monday we may get it.
When you get the tank where you want it, lift it up and kick out the dollies. Make sure to leave it far enough from the wall for plumbing and filters and electrical, but no farther. Leaving it too far out looks bad.
What am I missing?
Here is my method I have used in the last month on two glass aquariums: a 115 gallon and a 300 gallon. Please give me feedback.
First, drain the water. (You knew this.) One or two people need to arrive early with at least a long siphon hose and a Shop-Vac set up for wet operations. 1" of water in the bottom of my 300 gallon tank (8ft x 2ft) is 10 gallons, is 85 pounds. Get that water out. A big submersible pump will do better than gravity. I don't mind talking to someone for 3 hours as his 120 gallon tank drains, but next time I will bring a big submersible return pump and at least (2) 50 ft hoses to fit it so I can start with 50 ft and go to 100 ft if I need to. Lighter weight and more flexible hoses are better than cheap garden hoses. (I just drained the 120 and took the fish, then got it ready to move. I was not there for that move.)
If you are relocating fish, bring 5-gallon buckets to drop them in, with water from their original tank.
Second, the one or two-person advance team may need to disconnect plumbing, if there is a sump. You may need Channel-Lock pliers to remove bulkheads. You may need a saw to cut PVC pipe. You can not move an aquarium off a stand if PVC pipe couples the aquarium to a sump.
Third, make a plan. Plan a path from the current location to a vehicle. A pickup whose bed fits the (6ft, 8ft) tank is idea. Remove anything that will block the path. You need plenty of room sideways on both sides of doors. You may need to take a door off its hinges. Don't trip over the guy's 2-year-old.
Fourth, move the tank away from the wall, and have everyone lift one side as someone kicks a furniture dolly (4-wheeled flat movers dolly) under that end. Repeat with the other end.
Is there a way to jack up big aquariums? Would a hand-truck give me leverage?
Fifth, roll it. The problem is doorways. I am looking for a solution to get over door stops by rolling instead of lifting. With the 300 gallon, we pushed a third furniture dolly under the tank on one side of the door way as we pulled the other dolly out of the other side. That required less vertical clearance than lifting the dolly over the threshold. Maybe a piece of metal that can pivot..??
Sixth, slide the aquarium off the stand into the truck bed. BE CAREFUL! Use a pickup with a relatively soft bedliner, and sweep it out before going to get the aquarium. You can smash a glass tank hitting a rock, screw, or metal tie-down in the bed of a pickup. I did smash my dad's 115 gallon when I was a teenager hitting the metal mount for the back row of seats in his van. Aquariums with plastic bottom braces are more forgiving than solid glass bottoms.
Seventh, tie down the tank and stand. If they both fit in one truck, you need a bigger aquarium. (I'm kidding. I know you have a bigger truck than me, and I'm jealous.) Don't let metal ratcheting tie-down ratchets tough glass or acrylic! Most little things go in the cab of a truck.
Eighth, if possible, reverse the process at the other end. Put the stand on furniture dollies, and put the aquarium on the stand.
I am stuck with a 300 gallon (8 ft x 2 ft x 2.5 ft) glass aquarium in the bed of my pickup until Monday. We could not get it from my pickup bed up 1 ft to the stand on dollies. Monday we may get it.
When you get the tank where you want it, lift it up and kick out the dollies. Make sure to leave it far enough from the wall for plumbing and filters and electrical, but no farther. Leaving it too far out looks bad.
What am I missing?
