Moving and manipulating large and heavy tanks

[Charney]

I have two roughly 1,200-gallon fiberglass aquariums with glass viewing windows arriving soon. The tanks will come in five panels that need to be bolted together on the bottom and all sides. I'll be assembling them in place in my basement. Each tank measures 12 ft x 4.5 ft x 4.5 ft and weighs around 1,600 lbs.

The fish room is 34 ft x 14 ft with ceilings between 7 and 7.5 ft. I'm seeking suggestions on the best way to lift the bottom panel while installing the sides and how to move the tank into position.

Thanks for any input!

 

[tlindsey]

I have two roughly 1,200-gallon fiberglass aquariums with glass viewing windows arriving soon. The tanks will come in five panels that need to be bolted together on the bottom and all sides. I'll be assembling them in place in my basement. Each tank measures 12 ft x 4.5 ft x 4.5 ft and weighs around 1,600 lbs.

The fish room is 34 ft x 14 ft with ceilings between 7 and 7.5 ft. I'm seeking suggestions on the best way to lift the bottom panel while installing the sides and how to move the tank into position.

Thanks for any input!

jjohnwm
wednesday13

 

[jjohnwm]

Hey tlindsey , thanks for the vote of confidence...but this is way out of my wheel house.

 

[wednesday13]

Hey tlindsey , thanks for the vote of confidence...but this is way out of my wheel house.

Agreed… done some hairy chit in my 20’s like sending 450’s down stairs by myself … pushing 40 now and id opt for floor jacks, blocks and possibly even a winch mounted up on one of ur basement support beams. Rolling tanks around on pvc pipe does wonders also. Ur def. Gonna need some moving dollies and jacks… no way around that. Sheer man power works also if u have enough friends.

 

[Charney]

Agreed… done some hairy chit in my 20’s like sending 450’s down stairs by myself … pushing 40 now and id opt for floor jacks, blocks and possibly even a winch mounted up on one of ur basement support beams. Rolling tanks around on pvc pipe does wonders also. Ur def. Gonna need some moving dollies and jacks… no way around that. Sheer man power works also if u have enough friends.

Thank you. What are blocks?

 

[wednesday13]

Thank you. What are blocks?

2x4’s, 4x4… cinders… you can jack up and stack as high as you need to go. They make lifting carts also. Theres a cple guys on here that have put up 500gal glass tanks alone with lifting carts and or jacks.

 

[Charney]

2x4’s, 4x4… cinders… you can jack up and stack as high as you need to go. They make lifting carts also. Theres a cple guys on here that have put up 500gal glass tanks alone with lifting carts and or jacks.

Thank you

 

[Sassafras]

Not as large as yours, but 12'x3'x3' and about 1300 lbs. Rolled it in on dollies, lifted with four farm jacks in a sling hung from a 2x8 frame. Easy two-man job, could have been done alone but I wanted the moral support.

 

[Charney]

Not as large as yours, but 12'x3'x3' and about 1300 lbs. Rolled it in on dollies, lifted with four farm jacks in a sling hung from a 2x8 frame. Easy two-man job, could have been done alone but I wanted the moral support.
View attachment 1550298View attachment 1550299

Very cool. Thank you for sharing. What is the sling made of?

 

[Sassafras]

I worked for a tire manufacturing company and used discarded liner ply material. Some sort of very strong woven nylon material. Sorry, I don't know a brand or source. Here are a couple pics. I pulled it out from under this tank but on a smaller 330 gallon tank I lifted and set the tank the same way and just left it under the tank and cut away the excess with a razor knife. Tanks are on a dense foam pad so the sling material just compresses into the foam.