Moving A 50 Gallon Tank

[fear0205]

Hi everyone,

We are moving from rented to our own place and during us rent the place were in I managed to get addicted to fish keeping. I started with a 15 gallon tank with three fan tail gold fish and now have them and a 50 gallon tropical tank that has 8 zebra and leopard danios 7 neon tetras 8 black skirt and white skirt tetras 2 golden gouramies and an almost 6inch Chinese algae eater along with 5 ghost shrimp and 4 cherry shrimp and an armoured shrimp (the ghost and cherry are breeding so 4 and 5 is not quite true!!), it’s also a planted tank.

Ok so there are most of the facts, the distance to move is about a mile and i was considering getting all the fish in 5 gallon tubs with lids (with room for air) but i know that trying to catch all the shrimp is going to be a nightmare and was considering leaving the plants substrate and shrimp in the tank with maybe an inch or so of water.

do you guys think the tank will still be to heavy to lift and do you think the shrimp will be ok, also the plants are all bendy as it were so i would assume that they would be ok.

your views would be much appreciated.

thanks

 

[OldMan47]

I just replaced a 60 gallon with a 55 because of a leak. With less than an inch of water in the 60 it was still too heavy to lift. I finally tipped it on up and siphoned the last of the water out, dug out all the gravel into a bucket and was then able to move the 60 off the stand and put the 55 in its place. If you remember setting up the 50, you will probably remember how much gravel you had to put into it. If you add water at 8 1/2 pounds per gallon and consider that the inch of water is several gallons, then also add in the weight of the tank, it will take several big huskies to move the tank anywhere. If you manage to find enough people to get the thing off the stand and onto a dolly, it will have a poor chance of surviving the trip to the new location with all that weight in it. Empty the fish into buckets of water and dig out the gravel into another bucket or two. That should make it easy to catch any remaining shrimp in the bit of water that remains before you drain that water too.

 

[Sean W.]

psh i could do it by my self...

 

[fear0205]

Thanks oldman47, yeah the gravel was quite heavy and i see your point with the weight on the bottom of the tank with it being moved could crack it, this is gona be fun!! and there's only gona be two of us moving it.

 

[OldMan47]

I always get to do these things by myself Sean but I won't try to lift an awkward tank like that when it is too heavy for me.

 

[ILuvTropicalFish]

I moved my 55 gallon from one room to another with an inch of water and gravel in it. It was VERY heavy. I had to put it on a table to keep it sturdy while my hubby and I inched it along. I will not every do it that was again in my home, much less if I move. You do not want the tank to twist and develop a leak. I have since gotten some 30 gallon rubbermaid trash cans and I have numerous five gallon buckets all of which are reserved for fishy stuff. (I have a 125 saltwater I had to move twice so we could redo our floor). Good luck!

 

[flippajh]

I did this yesterday moved a 48 gallon out and a 52 gallon in and when moving the 48 gallon, tried it with the gravel in and it was just ok to lift off the cabinet on to the floor, then emptied the gravel out and started to move it, as we got to the door, tilted it on it's side slightly to help move it and it cracked. Right up the side from the edge! So be real careful when you move it!

 

[slvr98camaro]

I did this yesterday moved a 48 gallon out and a 52 gallon in and when moving the 48 gallon, tried it with the gravel in and it was just ok to lift off the cabinet on to the floor, then emptied the gravel out and started to move it, as we got to the door, tilted it on it's side slightly to help move it and it cracked. Right up the side from the edge! So be real careful when you move it!

i moved a 55 gal before.. i took all of the gravel i could out, and i had about 3" of water in the tank (i had to leave the fish in the tank because i had nowhere to put them) but im estimating it was about 250 pounds.. by far one of the heaviest things i have ever tried to lift