What he said...this thread needs pics as soon as possible....10-12 foot aquarium??? Is it at bigfoots house? 
NEED HELP: MOVING A BIG 10-12FT LONG AQURIUM TANK WITH CABINETS STAND.
- Thread starter hansolo5589
- Start date
Pharaoh;4369292; said:
Admirable stated, Pharaoh. I would add probably the most safest, too. Any form of mechanical uses like a wench to assist in it's move, your taking risky chances. More so than having a few friends helping. Much success to your task at hand.
TheCanuck;4370848; said:
One big factor you forgot to mention T.C.
Your tank is acryllic, his tank is glass. A big difference in weight. But it can be moved with the right amount of friends to help out.
hotsauce;4370986; said:
Well put hotsauce. A free tank is worth saving at any cost, regardless of the size. Just get more help however you can, get it moved and save the tank. Then afterwards, celebrate the success of getting your tank moved by having a Pig Roasted in a Pit. Can't go wrong with a Pig Roast Malaysian Style.
Clearwater guy;4365851; said:
in theory. I would switch it to metal rods of some sort and use people, no winch. with two guys steering up a ramp and the rest pushing might be easiest. Just gotta watch you don't stress it too much when getting over the ramp.All of these ideas have been good but I have actually moved a heavy glass tank and I will guarantee that a glass tank of that size and thickness will not be able to be lifted with just man power. My tank almost slipped off of the stand as we were moving it. Had it slipped, it would have killed 2 guys. You can only fit so many men around the tank and here are the problems I see with carrying the tank. 1) is it against a wall? If so, you will not be able to get people on the otherside of it to lift it. This is why I had to rent a lift and slide it onto the 2x4 frame i placed on the lift. No, assuming you can get enough men around the tank how will they lift it off the stand? There are no places to grab on glass. Now you might be able to slip your fingers under the bottom of the tank but good luck not smashing fingers. Also, we have the greatest lifting power when lifting something from the ground or slightly higher than the ground. If the tank is on a stand it will be higher and lifting something that heavy higher than your chest will be near impossible. Now, let's say you get it off the stand and onto the ground and you have 8 men lifting from the bottom, how are they going to walk in unison? They will have to take baby steps. What if one of them trips? They could trip the others and that would be a disaster.
I do not mean to sound pessimistic, but I did this and it was very dangerous. You need the man power AND the right tools. If your tank is as heavy as it sounds, I highly suggest getting at least 6 people to help, place a 2x4 frame on a lift and slide the tank onto the frame and lower the lift. Then put at least 3 or 4 piano dollys underneath it and roll it. Moving it more than a few feet will require this. You will need the man power to help balance the tank and roll it. We were able to walk the tank into the back of the trailer using a ramp and 6 men carrying it by handles built into the 2x4 frame.
I do not mean to sound pessimistic, but I did this and it was very dangerous. You need the man power AND the right tools. If your tank is as heavy as it sounds, I highly suggest getting at least 6 people to help, place a 2x4 frame on a lift and slide the tank onto the frame and lower the lift. Then put at least 3 or 4 piano dollys underneath it and roll it. Moving it more than a few feet will require this. You will need the man power to help balance the tank and roll it. We were able to walk the tank into the back of the trailer using a ramp and 6 men carrying it by handles built into the 2x4 frame.
DMasker;4372422; said:
I was thinking of using metal pipes once I thought more...
And the winch/comealong wouldn't be attached to the glass...it would pull on the wooden frame/stand.
The right person could do it alone. Don't take insult though, I couldn't...but if my dad were still alive, he could.
Mike
How about you ask the current owners how they got it into its current location? They had to have hired some movers or equipment so they can give you advice on what to do.
Sounds like someone built the house around the tank. I almost destroyed myself trying to move a 240. It was just me and one other guy tho. Only reason I didn't drop it is b/c of how much I paid. Glass is heavy and dangerous when/if u drop it (obviously). I agree with spending money to get help and have it done right. Tell your buddies they can come over for a swim after they help u move it.
