ideas on how to move a big aquarium?

Question

i need to move my 55 gallon aquairum from one wall to the wall next to it. does anyone know how to go about this. i am willing to take out all the decorations and empth half of the water. will i be able to move it or does anyone know about how much this will weigh.

the tank is on a stand. what if i slowly lift up each end of the stand with it half emptyed and put one of those slider under it. then it should be able to be moved gently and with help. thanks

Answer 1

I, too, would suggest to drain it completely, saving as much as half the water in food grade buckets that you can get at a local bakery-just rinse them with hot water before you use them. Regardless of whether you empty it or not, you really need to have someone help you move it. Believe it or not, glass is a liquid, not a solid, and it will flex enough to possibly break the silicone seal. I have resealed many tanks, but it is much easier to just move it right. If you leave any of the rocks and/or water in it, you would be smart to move it on the stand, so you know it isn't flexing at all. I think your idea of a dolly on one end is a good one, but empty the water and get a minimum of three strong friends (one for each side) to help, just in case it begins to slip in any direction. Good luck!

Answer 2

Water weighs about 8.4 pounds per gallon, so you'll want to remove more than half! Plus you'll have the weight of the gravel.

Your best bet would be to dump about 1/2 of the water (you can do a good gravel vacuuming at the same time) and put the gravel and most of the remaining water in 5 gallon buckets or tubs. You want to keep the gravel wet so the bacteria that convert the ammonia and nitrite to nitrate survives.

It's safest to move the tank empty, because any twisting puts stress on the corner seals, and the last thing you want is a leaky 55 gallon tank. Get someone else to help you move it to the new location, and once you get the tank where you want it, put in enough water that the gravel will be covered. Put the saved water in, put the fish back, then slowly add the replacement water. Your tank is now moved, and has had it's weekly cleaning.

Answer 3

I used to have one the same size and it was a glass one, made before they came out with the new lighter materials. It weighted a ton and was on a stand about 31/2 ft tall. I used to move it all by myself though, and this is how. You will have to drain it, don't even try to do it with water in. First I would move a table or chair to the front and at one end of the aquarium that was a few inches lower than it was. Next put a chair or something else that is a few inches lower than the table, at the other end, etc etc. The last piece of furniture was usually a hassock which would get it down close enough to the floor. You get the idea - I just lifted one end at a time, & walked it down my "homemade steps" untill it was on the floor. Then just slide to where you want it and reverse the process.

Answer 4

I would take out all or close to all of the water, or you will likely break the aquarium with the weight. Half of a 55 aquarium will still weigh 300 lbs so I doubt yo ucould move it. Put a lot of the water in clean buckets so you dont have to recycle too much after you have moved it. Good luck!
PS, I would not put the water in a tub or something like that -- remnant soap could end up poisoning and killing your fish. Save water in clean water bottles or buckets, and dont clean the filter or the stones, that will help cycle. good luck!

Answer 5

You will need to empty out all the water. If there is any water inside while you move it, the weight of the water sloshing from side to side is a sure way to break the seal of the silicon on the glass.

Don't risk it. Take out the decorations, empty the water and remove the fish, and then move it. You can leave the gravel in as long as it doesn't make it too heavy to move.

Answer 6

Each gallon of water weighs about 8.3 pounds, so the only way to move it would be to drain it completely into buckets and have some friends help you move it. If you attempt to move it with water, it is likely there will be too much stress on the center of the bottom glass, leading to shattering or large cracks. If you move all the fish and water into large buckets, it would be feasible. Good luck!

Nosoop4u

Answer 7

i had one of my friends help me move my new 55 gallon into my house. Gravel will make the tank really heavy, and im guessing you have fish in the tank.

Remove about 75% of the water, and have someone help you move the tank to the floor. Im guessing you have a stand, so you should move that first.

Make sure that the stand is straight and that the floor(that part of the floor) can handle it and that it is level.

Then you can add the tank, and refill it.

Thats how i would do it.

Answer 8

if it is a leopard gecko, and if you only have 1, then a 15 gallon tank is more than sufficient. Yes, in the wild, they have a lot more room to run around, but remember that those creatures are used to hunting for their food and going without a lot more. a bigger tank makes it harder to find food, and if you over feed and your gecko cannot find the food, you need to leave food for the crickets in there, or the crickets may find and bite your gecko in an attempt to eat it. Also, keep in mind that in the wild, lighting and heating is absolute where ever they go, in a tank, you control where the heat source is. If your tank is to big, your gecko may not be able to find it. my recommendation to you is to get a heat mat that covers 1/2 the cage and keep food like kale leave, mustard leaves, orange slices in the tank for the crickets. If you do this, your gecko should be ok, but keep an eye on it to make sure that it knows where things are.

Answer 9

use large tote boxes, a powerhead will make putting the water back simple, most pet shops will sell them for 20. take all the water out, i tried that with a half/aquarter full 55 and luckly someone else caught the sides before it went falling forward, trust me 200 odd lbs is hard to control when its shaking allo over the place

Answer 10

put your fish into a couple of 5 gallon buckets filled with tank water and drain the rest of the water completely. thenmove the tank and stand, refill, and reintroduce the fish.

NEVER move even a partially filled tank!