Best Way To MOve/Scoot Tank

[BiGBlak]

I just purchased a marine-land pinguin 350 HOB Bio-Wheel filter and i have two questions.
1) the lenth is 15" and that's exactly the length of my pre cut of my hood will it fit snug or will i have to get another lighting hood ?
2) the width is 5.5" wide and my tank is 4.5" away from the wall . what would be the best way for me to move/scoot my tank a couple inches away from the wall on a carpet ? and the tank is on a stand made for it so to move it i have to move the stand as well.

[HorrorShowRot]

I would shimmy the entire tank up and get a few people to help either slide it slowly or empy it out a bid and then lift the entire thing. I slid my 150 gallon with 4 of my friends about 2 feet XD

[Brhino]

1. The length SHOULD fit. In the worst case, you might have to sand down the hood a little bit - it's plastic, right?

2. What size is the tank, and what kind of floor is it on (wood/carpet, etc)? Unfortunately there's probably no safe shortcuts - even just to move it an inch you're going to have to drain the water (and the fish!), move the stand and tank, and then replace the water.

[HorrorShowRot]

1. The length SHOULD fit. In the worst case, you might have to sand down the hood a little bit - it's plastic, right?

2. What size is the tank, and what kind of floor is it on (wood/carpet, etc)? Unfortunately there's probably no safe shortcuts - even just to move it an inch you're going to have to drain the water (and the fish!), move the stand and tank, and then replace the water.

He said it was on carpet. I had to big of a hang on for my old 20gallon tank I just cut the plastic and fitted it myself not difficult to do. But if your moving it be careful. You will probly splash the fish around but watch em if there freaking out stop and try again later.

[Brhino]

sorry, missed the part about carpet. I'd strongly recommend against trying to move a tank with water in it on carpet. A tank on a stand is very topheavy - one little snag on the carpet and you're gonna knock everything over.

[korith]

Lower the water in the tank as much as you can, can even leave the fish in there. Then you can inch it forward a little bit on each side. Moved a tank with someone like that just a few weeks ago.

[Cliff]

Here's what I did when I had to move a 33 gallon tank:
First I filled three 5 gallon pales with the tank water.
I put the fish in two of them and my filter in the third pal.
I then drained the rest f the water out of the tank.
Next I moved the tank one end at a time lifting and moving both the stand and tank.
Finally refilled the tank, placed the filter and fish back in, and everyone was fine.

I've always been too nervous about breaking a tank seal by trying to move it full, or even partially full of water. But I had move the tank across the room

[j0hnh0lmes]

As most said, take some water out. Then scoot it. Don't move it when full. I tried that once and snapped a piece off of my brand new tank stand. =(

[BiGBlak]

thanks for the replies everyone . theres no fish to be worried about because im still cycling the tank . i just wanted to add that filter on . but i guess i wont be able to put it on untill my cycle is finished and i have to do that big water change and ill move it then so i guess thats what ill have to do. but the wait. about the plastic i can sand it if it doesnt fit ?

[Scrup]

If its up against a wall and you need just a smidge more space, you can pull the carpet back and cut the padding out where the tank will go. Just put it in a closet somewhere and when you move slide it back in. No damage done.

[Mith]

Make it as light as possible....don't rush....don't rush....don't rush LOL. If you slide it, be VERY careful not to tweak a leg. They're typically designed strongest for downward pressure, not sideways movement. More than one person doing it is advisable!

Good luck trooper!!!!

[Dacotah7]

If its up against a wall and you need just a smidge more space, you can pull the carpet back and cut the padding out where the tank will go. Just put it in a closet somewhere and when you move slide it back in. No damage done.

That doesn't make any sense. How is that going to help? All he has to do is move the tank about 1"+ further away from the wall.

[souly]

back before I had any idea about doing just partial water changes, I lifted my 10g tank, FULL, off the bookcase it was on, to my bathtub to empty the water...never again....I took the beta out of course....this was before I had anything else but a beta

[jimw/oscar]

I had to do about the same thing once, got a new filter that was about an inch too wide to fit behind the 55gal tank. I removed most of the water, leaving about 4" of depth and the fish in it and got a partner to move the whole tank with stand in one motion. It only took a few seconds then I refilled the water. Everything was fine.

I also had to do this one time when I had to place some metal flat pieces under the stand legs as they were burrowing into the wooden floor. That time though we just raised one side at a time long and high enough to slip the metal pieces under.

Personally I wouldn't do the one end then the other back and forth alone with any amount of water still in the tank. You can bust the seals.

[Lady Hobbs]

I had to tear my entire tank apart just to move it out 1 inch from the wall. It's not worth the risk to leave that extra weight in them when you can tear it down completely in about half an hour.

It would have been easier to get another filter. But, it's best to keep all tanks 6 inches from the wall to start with since different filters are different sizes. I don't know of any filter that would fit in a 4 1/2" space.

[Scrup]

That doesn't make any sense. How is that going to help? All he has to do is move the tank about 1"+ further away from the wall.


I apologize for upsetting you so much, I just read it wrong (happens when I get online without much coffee in my system) though he was moving it against a wall and there was a height problem for some reason. Deep breath grasshopper. At least try and be somewhat constructive next time.


I've said this before, it only takes one exploding tank and you will never move a full tank again. I always drain them down to 1" max before moving. Just drain it, put the fish in a bowl, move it, put em back in. No reason to risk it flipping or shattering. It is well worth the extra 30 minuets it will take. Plus you can give the tank a good cleaning in the process.

[Dacotah7]

I had to tear my entire tank apart just to move it out 1 inch from the wall. It's not worth the risk to leave that extra weight in them when you can tear it down completely in about half an hour.

It would have been easier to get another filter. But, it's best to keep all tanks 6 inches from the wall to start with since different filters are different sizes. I don't know of any filter that would fit in a 4 1/2" space.

Ditto draining most of the water, and would have been easier to get a differant filter. I suggested a canister to BigBlack in another post for that reason. Attempting to "scoot" a full tank, especially on carpet is taking a big risk and asking for disaster.


I apologize for upsetting you so much, I just read it wrong (happens when I get online without much coffee in my system) though he was moving it against a wall and there was a height problem for some reason. Deep breath grasshopper. At least try and be somewhat constructive next time.

I've said this before, it only takes one exploding tank and you will never move a full tank again. I always drain them down to 1" max before moving. Just drain it, put the fish in a bowl, move it, put em back in. No reason to risk it flipping or shattering. It is well worth the extra 30 minuets it will take. Plus you can give the tank a good cleaning in the process.

I was not upset in the least. I was constructive, your answer was not. My post was at face value, honest and with a fair question, looking for an explanation of how your advice would help solve his problem. You provided that, "just read it wrong", thank-you. :ssmile:

The problem points out how very important it is to give serious thought to where one sets up an aquarium, before doing so. What a pain.

[Lady Hobbs]

I would move the tank now instead of waiting for it to cycle. Best to disturb the substrate now rather than waiting for the cycle to finish and then perhaps causing yourself a mini-cycle.