need new stand..dont know how to move

angel_lover

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hello again everyone!!!i am in desperate need of a new stand for my 55 gallon...i have picked out the new one but i dont know how i should move it...if anyone can help PLEASE PLEASE HELP :unsure: ...any advice would help..thanks :nod:
 
Hi angel lover.

I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean how to move the aquarium?

How far do you have to go? Can you get help to move it or is this by yourself?

If you can get two people that are strong and it's just to lift it up on the stand , I would just empty half the water out and try to move it then.

If I've misunderstood you then please let me know. :)
 
hey!! ya thats all i need to do is move it to the new stand...the one i have now looks like it is gonna break :eek: ..so empty half the water then just get few ppl to help move it???sounds simple enough...i just dont want to put my fish through too much stress :unsure:
 
Angel Lover,

I would not recommend moving a tank containing water as 50 odd gallons weighs over 400lb!! If you are moving 200lb of water in a tank of that size the base could easily break as it is not being supported all the way along like it would be on a stand. If you have a search around for guides on moving fish tanks when you move house these will give some useful guidelines.

Here are a few comments I found on some guides to moving:
Nothing should be moved within the aquarium itself; the twisting stress on seams may cause leakage immediately, or just weaken the seal enough for a later burst.
Before you attempt to move any aquarium it must be emptied of all water, decoration, and gravel. Moving an aquarium with water or substrate would not only be extremely heavy, there is a high risk of damage to the aquarium.
DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE ATTEMPT TO MOVE YOUR TANK WITH THE GRAVEL IN IT!!!!!!! YOU WILL BREAK THE SILICON SEAL AROUND THE SIDE AND BOTTOM AND YOUR TANK WILL LEAK, OR YOUR TANK WILL CRACK AND BREAK!!

If you really have to move it with fish in then I would recommend the following:
Switch off all electrical equipment in the tank - especially the heater as it could overheat, or even fall and break. If you can get the heater out without too much trouble it would be worthwhile.
Take out some water into buckets, clean new bins, etc.
Net any fish that you can and put them in the water you have taken out. Assuming that the new stand is going straight in you won't need to worry about a heater or airstone.
Take out as much of the remaining water keeping as much as possible in clean containers. If you can't get all of the fish out then make sure you leave enough to keep them OK - its only going to be for a short while.
Prepare a flat space to put the tank while you swap stands (unless the new stand is not going where the old one currently is). Put down a blanket or cardboard to protect the base from scratching.
Get as many people as you can fit around the tank and CAREFULLY lift it off the stand and place on the blanket/card - you need to keep it level and straight to avoid twisting the tank and breaking the glass.
Swap out the old stand and put in the new.
Get the tank on to the new stand, again being VERY careful not to stress the glass.
Get the water back in - as this will stir up sediment you might want to run your filter for a while to clear the water before putting the fish back in.

HTH, Eddie
 
You can safely move a tank with water in it, but I would empty as much as possible leaving only enough water in the tank to safely cover the fish.

I have moved many tanks containing this amount of water, from 15 gallon tanks up to 70 gallon tanks and have never had a seam go bad.

I would try to save at least 20-30 gallons of old tank water however. If your fish are not used to massive water changes, replacing this much fresh water could cause harm.

My fish are used to 70-80% water changes so this was not a problem.

DISCLAIMER***

I am in no way stating here that moving a tank with water in it will not lead to problems. I am just stating what has worked for me in the past!!!

CM
 
dont lift a tank with water in........unless u want a wet floor

u gonna have to empty all the water out n store it......u'll be okay leavin the gravel in as its not too heavy....but any rocks water and heavy objects will have to be removed
 
thanks alot guys :thumbs: ....i think what im gonna do is empty all the water but keep the gravel...and im gonna keep 60% of the old water...fun,fun,fun........i'll let ya know how it goes :blink:
 
done and done....besides my getting a burn on my finger by hitting the heater while it was still hot :lol: ....everything went well :thumbs:
 

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