1) Drain the tank as much as I can, probably about 60% of the water
2) (With help) Slowly, begin to push the tank from one side on the bottom, in order to slide it to the edge of the stand its on now (the stand its on basically is a cabinet with a counter top like surface, no edges on it)
3) From there, push the tank some more until 4" or so is exposed off of the side of the cabinet.
4) Place a 2x4 board underneath the exposed bottom of the tank, and with a person on each end of the board, support it.
5) We will continue to push the tank off the stand, until six people with three 2x4's between them are supporting the tank.
This is where my concern comes in. I've estimated that even with 60% of the water drained, the tank will still weigh about 250lbs. I'm not worried that the help won't be able to support it, but I'm extremely worried that even the slightest uneven movement while they are supporting it and the tank would just
crack right then and there.... I know this is a legitimate concern, but exactly HOW legitimate do you think? Would you recommend I just tear the whole thing down just to move it to a different stand?
I've done my research on this and honestly...I have found about 50% saying to not empty it...and 50% saying to tear it down to move it...It's very confusing and extremely unnerving to do without getting some sort of professional advice!
I would really love to hear back from you about your concerns/comments/or better yet, improvements!
Cheers,
Cody Kroft
I'm worried that when you try to support the tank on the 2x4 boards, there is a risk of them rolling and thus the tank may topple. It is just too risky to think you can manage to keep everyone's strength equal and those boards even so that the tank will stay stable.
That being said, I hear you on the problem. I have some ideas that might work:
Set up a temporary stand, such as a solid surface on sawhorses or on four salt buckets. Remove all the water and livestock, transferring those to a clean & rinsed trashcan. Two people can move the trashcan out of the way. Hook up a heater, powerheads, an air stone with a pump, and your reeflings will be fine.
In the same trashcan or a different vessel, move all the remaining live rock out of the tank, so that all you have left is the sand and what little bit of water you could not siphon out. That will make the tank as light as possible without a complete tear down. Four people should be able to work the tank off that shaky stand and onto the platform you set up temporarily. The reason for the platform is that it is easier to pick the tank back up from waist-or-knee level than it would be from the floor itself. Place the new stand where you want it, make sure it is level and move your tank over onto it.
The best tool for this job would be be large "moving" suction cups. Glass stores use them, and some local fish stores have them as well. Your local club may have some to borrow or rent. After cleaning the outer panels of the tank carefully, affix each suction cup to the tank so that the handles are horizontal. Moving the tank will be similar to being a pallbearer, if you'll pardon the morbidity for the moment. With suction cups, two people can move the tank, but four helpers would be best.
If you can't do the above, then your best option is to empty the tank completely. Save two cups of the live sand in a ziplock bag, then remove all the rest of the sand and rinse it thoroughly. It will take time, but you'll remove two years of sediment from the sand and export a lot of trapped waste. The best way to rinse the sand is to fill a salt bucket about 1/3 full of sand, insert a garden hose running full blast and swirl the sand around and around with your hand until the water is clear. Tip the bucket repeatedly to pour out the murky water and detritus until the sand looks clean, then pour that damp sand into the aquarium that is already on its new stand, careful to not dump it in at once and crack the base of the aquarium. Continue rinsing all the sand a batch at a time.
As you set up the tank anew with your rinsed sand, add some tank water and your live rock. Carefully lower the two cups of saved live sand to the bottom of the tank and pour it out gently to reseed the sandbed. Add the rest of your livestock, turn on all the filtration equipment and powerheads, and watch your tank closely for the next 48 hours. As long as the livestock and live rock was fully submerged during the move / reset, the tank will not cycle and your livestock will not be affected by the recent transfer.
Happy reefing!
Marc
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