Advice needed on moving my aquarium

[Celly Rasbora]

I made a huge error in judgment in the placement of my 15 gallon aquarium. It is sinking into the surface of the table and I'm afraid it will eventually cause too much stress on the tank and shatter it. I actually did make sure the table was able to handle the weight, but the surface is too soft to handle it, which was not something I reckoned on. So, I bought a tank stand which should arrive today. I searched online for the protocol for moving fish tanks and the consensus is I need to take everything out beforehand.

I had envisioned the necessity of removing about half the water only, so I am reeling a bit from this blow. The Prime Time Aquatics dude says that 10 gallons is the limit on this, which I tend to trust, as he knows his stuff. I just don't want to have to.

My tank is a Metaframe, so it's framed with steel, but it was refurbished at some point. It doesn't have the slate bottom, but rather glass, so the fact that it was rejiggered is also a worry for me.

Any advice is appreciated, but I already have the "What are you, stoopid?" covered, as it has been going in an endless loop in my noodle since noticing the sinkage.

[Colu]

I would take all the water out and any heavily wood or rocks before moveing it

[FriendlyLoach]

I agree, maybe also transport it on a wood boars so to not stress one point. However I have no experience with Metaframe tanks. I have not really seen one, but my guess is they work like a glass tank with a rim. 

[Celly Rasbora]

Hearing crickets on this thread told me what I already knew, that this is going to be a major undertaking. I have been cogitating on my plan of attack and have decided to take a slow approach. Since I've also been wanting to set up a quarantine tank, I am going to do that first. I will allow the QT to cycle and then I will put my fish and my planted driftwoods in it. Then I'll drain the tank, move it and let it recharge itself and move the fish back into the tank.

I don't have much gravel in the 15 gallon, so I think I will be able to leave it and just enough water to keep the plants planted as well. I hope I don't rue that decision, but I don't think I have the emotional wherewithal to empty it completely.

It will be a challenge, but I'm afraid my biggest challenge will be to keep from putting permanent residents in the quarantine tank.

[Maggie]

Whatever you do, good luck!

[Eric R]

I've moved a standard aqueon 20 long with substrate and some rocks and plants in it, but with water drained and fish removed, and someone helping. I've moved 10 gallon aqueon aquariums with a couple inches of water and all plants fish and substrate still in it successfully, by myself. All were heavy and a pain.

I'd drain your tank and remove the fish, especially since their seem to be some unknowns about it's history. I would skip the qt though (set one up, but you shouldn't need it for moving your tank). I'd get one, two, or three clean 5 gallon buckets for this, and have the new stand assembled. I think you'll be fine leaving the plants and substrate in place.

0) If you age or treat your tap water before adding it to the tank, fill up one of your buckets and age/treat it so that it's ready to add to your tank once your done moving it. I have a well, and I add water to my tank straight from the tap, so I wouldn't personally do this step. If you do do this step, you'll need three buckets, otherwise you only need one or two.

1) Drain the first 5 gallons from your aquarium into a bucket. Add your driftwood or whatever hardscape you want to remove from the tank to this bucket. Also move your fish to the bucket at this time. 

2) If using a second bucket, drain the next 5 gallons. If you use one bucket, you'll have to replace 66% of water with new water, if you use two, you'll only need to replace 33% of the water. If you do age or pretreat your water, I'd drain and keep two buckets of tank water.

3) Drain the remainder of your tank water, this goes down the drain (or waters your plants or whatever).

4) Remove the tank, put the new stand in place, put the tank back.

5) If you have two buckets, add the bucket back without any fish in it. Use a colander at the bottom to avoid stirring up your substrate. You can use a pump if you'd like, or if you can get the bucket higher than the tank, you can gravity feed the water in. Or you can pour it. If you're only using one bucket, fill with water from your tap about halfway.

6) Add your hardscape and plants back in, and your fish from the first bucket.

7) Add the water from the first bucket in the same way you did in step 5.

8 ) Lastly, top off the tank with your aged/pretreated new water, or from the tap.

Edited February 25, 2021 by ererer

[Kirsten]

I recently bought a used 29g with the wet substrate still in it. It was a little heavy and awkward, but definitely doable with 2 people.

What I would do is transfer about half of the existing, relatively clean but cycled tank water to your QT. Then move out any floating plants and hardscape. Then transfer your fish, then siphon out the rest of your water (put it in the QT as well if it's relatively clean, or water your plants with it if it starts getting gunky at that level).

Get a friend to help you move the tank to its new location, then put everything back in mostly reverse order. Hardscape, then some QT water, then your fish and and floating plants, then the rest of your water.

You could (and probably should) do it all in day. It'll be a long day, but good practice for if you ever have to move the tank again.

[Eric R]

Yeah, what Kristen said. You can use the qt instead of the buckets if it's easier. 

[Celly Rasbora]

Thanks, y'all! I'll let you know how it goes. @ererer that is a very detailed plan. 🙂

 

Edited February 26, 2021 by Celly Rasbora
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