Moving a tank (4 weeks old)

[RaymondL]

I've cycled a 13.5Gal Fluval EVO tank and have 2 clowns in it for 4 weeks now. I purchased a used Ameriwood 10/20Gal flipper aquarium stand and this is the reason why I'm having to move the tank because the stand is pure crap. The surface of the entire stand is a film of wood grain print, so any drop of water on it and left to stand will result in bubbling and peeling. I had a large puddle of water on the back and side (I must have poured water in too fast the other day), and that lifted the entire wood grain print. Ok, enough bashing of the stand....

I"m assuming that I have to remove all the substrate when I move the tank to another stand as the weight would not be good for the aquarium. My LFS tells me that if I disturb the substrate by removing it all, I'll disrupt the biological cycle and likely have to start over again as if it's a new tank. So I"m left with a dilemma on what I should do.

Thoughts please.

 

[Bucs20fan]

You can move the tank with the substrate in it, especially with a 4 week old tank. Your lfs is speaking from horror stories from gasses and material escaping from the sand. Drain the water and move the tank. You will be just fine.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

You can move the tank with the substrate in it, especially with a 4 week old tank. Your lfs is speaking from horror stories from gasses and material escaping from the sand. Drain the water and move the tank. You will be just fine.

You should also be able to move a 13 gallon tank without removing much of anything... Take out enough water to prevent a spill, get a helper, and just pick it up and put onto the new stand.

 

[jpark457]

The tank is only 13.5 gallons, you are def safe moving it w substrate in, you only have a few pounds of it and like Bucs20fan said it’s brand new. Not that much to even disturb. I’d take anything alive out, take out rocks, drain in to a few buckets and move then just pour the same water back in.

 

[AwakenedReefer]

If it were me, I would just bucket the fish, drain the water, and move it. If you or you and somebody can pick it up without having to disturb anything inside that’s the best option. Salt water is 8.6lbs a gallon so that’s the bulk of the issue gone

Just be conscious how you hold and carry the tank and try to keep weight distributed evenly. It will be fine.

 

[RaymondL]

Thanks for all the consistent advice - much much appreciated folks! I had no idea that silicone can be that strong!! I was under the impression that if I'd try to move the tank with substrate in place, the glass would just burst from by the seams I think I have at least 12lbs of substrate in the tank by the way.

Anyhow, thanks again everyone!

 

[leighton.bingham]

I moved a 75 gallon tank that was 1/4 full of water and a 2" sandbed it held up just fine. I put all the coral and fish in Rubbermaid containers everything was alive and well after a few days back in the tank.