How did you move your 500+ gallon tank?

[ReefDoberman]

I am picking up a 700 gallon tank tomorrow (11.5×3×3). It weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 1800lbs. Our plan is to muscle it with 12 guys, some suction handles and some straps. Only one set of stairs to contend with, they are long but not steep. I considered hiring a crane to lower it instead of carrying it and it got me wondering how others have handled projects of this size??

Any tips to help make it go smooth?

 

[tkeracer619]

I just moved a tank that weighed that much. We moved it around with hydraulic lift carts.

Keep in mind that while with 12 guys you can probably lift it the momentum will be difficult to control. I would not want to be the guys under it while going down stairs. The risk is very high. IF it drops or gets out of control it could kill someone.

I'd reconsider the muscle approach and go with a crane.

If you do use suction cups you would need at least 12 high quality ones ideally more. Don't even think about harbor freight.

The cost to rent them isn't going to be much cheaper than an hour with a small crane.

 

[windlasher]

I am picking up a 700 gallon tank tomorrow (11.5×3×3). It weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 1800lbs. Our plan is to muscle it with 12 guys, some suction handles and some straps. Only one set of stairs to contend with, they are long but not steep. I considered hiring a crane to lower it instead of carrying it and it got me wondering how others have handled projects of this size??

Any tips to help make it go smooth?

Not to be Debbie downer, but I would be concerned about normal household stairs is you are talking about a house and not a business with cement stairs. I doubt normal wooden stairs will hold the weight of the tank and 12 guys. Also whats your floor made out of. The water alone to fill that thing will weigh almost 6000 pounds + sump + equipment.

 

[ReefDoberman]

Not to be Debbie downer, but I would be concerned about normal household stairs is you are talking about a house and not a business with cement stairs. I doubt normal wooden stairs will hold the weight of the tank and 12 guys. Also whats your floor made out of. The water alone to fill that thing will weigh almost 6000 pounds + sump + equipment.

It's a set of cement stairs going I to my basement. They are 10ft wide and grade down a very gradual 10ft to a 8ft door opening.

 

[ReefDoberman]

I just moved a tank that weighed that much. We moved it around with hydraulic lift carts.

Keep in mind that while with 12 guys you can probably lift it the momentum will be difficult to control. I would not want to be the guys under it while going down stairs. The risk is very high. IF it drops or gets out of control it could kill someone.

I'd reconsider the muscle approach and go with a crane.

If you do use suction cups you would need at least 12 high quality ones ideally more. Don't even think about harbor freight.

The cost to rent them isn't going to be much cheaper than an hour with a small crane.

The crane actually creates more issues, the first in properly securing it with a rig (tank is not in a crate) and the second in getting it to turn how we need it to at the bottom.

 

[tkeracer619]

I made a pallet to move my 600gal out of 2x8s, ply, and pocket screws. It was well worth the effort to get it in safe and sound.

Stuff suspended by a crane is easy to position.

150lbs is a lot of weight to carry for any length of time per person. What happens if you have to sit it down mid stairs? From just doing this I can tell you I wouldn't even attempt it. I had 10 strong guys and it was hard enough to slide it. Picking it up wasn't even an option that was considered.

Most tanks this size are fork lifted into place. I've also seen them crated and winched up or down large staircases after laying down boards to act as a rails the pallet can slide on.

 

[m0nkie]

I hired a rigging company with insurance...

hydraulic dolly is a must

lots and lots of wood..

 

[m0nkie]

it took us about an hour to move the tank into the living-room, clearing those 2 steps..

 

[this is me]

I'm hiring a moving and rigging company to move my 360gallon tank which weighs about 800lbs. The move is from the garage to the walkout basement with no steps or stairs involved.
I moved my current elos 160xl(200gallons) with my buddies and one of them almost lost a leg. It was fun and games when it happened but looking back, it couldve been a big mistake and regret in my part. Because of this, I'm taking no chance and hire a fully insured and fully equipped to move the 360gallons. They're going to do the move next week.
1800lbs is a lot of weight. Like mentioned before, I think it's going to be problematic to get everyone in the same rhythm with that many people and that much weight.
Maybe you can get a gong and bang it in rhythm so that everyone is in synced.

 

[FunFishin24]

I just moved my new 500 gallon bow front. I took 12 guys to load it in the truck & unload it onto a pallet. Once the stand was built, I used a bobcat with forks on the front to lift it up to the height of the stand. You can see pics in my thread here in large tanks under --Cd's upgrade.

I'm with the comment above...I'd probably make runners out of 2bys & use straps around the tank & use something like a come along to lower it down the stairs onto a pallet, then use a hydraulic lift to get it up onto stand. Just my .02. [emoji4]. Good luck.


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[anbosu]

I would definitely recommend not trying to carry it down the stairs, no matter what you decide. You won't have room for 12 guys to carry it down the stairs and even then, your risk is too high. I would figure out a way to slide it down the stairs in a controlled fashion.

 

[savethereef]

My tank is 8 long 3 wide 2.5 tall. One inch glass all around. We moved it with 6 people and two hudralic lifts. I think i would move it with a moving company in the future. Or i would rent some really good professional hydralic lift and do it with less people.

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[Bono]

Any updates?