Sliding tank and cabinet...

[scottward]

As per my signature (or whatever you call it) below, my tank is 72" x 18" x 20", about 100g (400 litres).

It is on a timber stand and the tank contains about 50kg of flourite.

I want to paint the back of my tank (plus do a few other things).

Rather than completely emptying the tank, taking it outside, painting it etc, I'm thinking there might be a cheats way of doing this if I can get away with it...

If I were to siphon the tank down so that it only has an inch or two of water above the gravel line (i.e. enough water to cover the fish and the E.Tenellus), I'm hoping that I can then slide the tank and stand forward from the wall a metre or so (i.e. enough to be able to get behind the tank to do what I want). I have a tiled floor.

The cabinet doesn't way all that much. Theres the 50kg of flourite, and I suppose another 50kg's worth of water, plus the weight of the tank itself (I am not sure how much the tank weighs - another 50kg perhaps??).

So lets say all up it's a 200kg weight. With a helper, do you think it would be possible to carefully slide the tank across the tiles enough so that I can get behind it?

Obviously, once I am done, I can then slide the tank back to where it was and fill it back up again. So for the fish and plants it would be really just a big water change. If I need to wait for paint to dry etc, say, overnight, I can fill the tank back up in it's temporarily location, and then empty it again etc etc.

My primary question here is - can I slide this across the floor? I'm assuming that I can, but it could well be a lot harder than I think. The stand isn't on legs, it has a flat panel bottom that sits completely on the floor, so the surface area touching the tiled floor is 72" x 18".

Scott.

 

[Jim Miller]

In the states they sell furniture sliders which are 6" or so slippery plastic. We often move furniture around our house using these. Never tried a tank with substrate, water and critters however.

I think it might work.

Critters in the tank is another good reason *not* to use paint.

jim

 

[scottward]

I was thinking that because the stand doesn't have legs, which might snag etc, but rather a solid base that sits on a tiled floor, that this would either make things easier for me or it could make it harder simply due to more surface area in contact with the floor therefore more friction. Dunno.

Can't see any reason why the tank would tip, having only the substrate and a few inches of water in the bottom, it will be bottom heavy.

Has anybody successfully shimmied a large tank a small distance across the floor without too much trouble if it is mainly emptied?

Scott.

 

[Gerryd]

Has anybody successfully shimmied a large tank a small distance across the floor without too much trouble if it is mainly emptied?/QUOTE]

Hi,

I have shifted my 180 gal while on the stand...on carpet however....

I used my legs and pushed from the BOTTOM of the stand. Or braced my legs against the wall and used by back against the end of the stand to push....

Tank was totally empty...

I moved it about 6 inches each way... but it would have been easier/safer with a buddy

Worked out okay though..

 

[dutchy]

Why don't you buy a PVC plate in the colour you want? No painting needed, you can buy the already in the right colour.

 

[feh]

If all you want to do is black out the backside of the tank I have heard of people using window tint. Just have to be careful and get the bubbles out for a nice finish. That would only require moving the tank out from the wall or as dutchy suggested a sheet of pvc or something would the trick. I paint the back of my tanks but its always before anything goes in.

 

[scottward]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies.

I don't just want to paint the pack of the tank, I also want to do a couple of other things behind there that require me to move the tank forward (e.g. at the moment I have hoses coming up the side of my tank, I want to run them down behind the tank. The timber platform that the tank sits of sits out further than it needs to thus preventing me from feeding hoses down the back, so I am going to trim this timber carefully. I have checked it is not supportive).

Hmmm. I wonder if the 180 gallon empty would weigh about as much as my 100 gallon with a bit of water and the flourite in it. Hmmm. Plus I will be sliding on tiles which should be a lot easier than carpet to get moving. With a helper I should be ok I think. Worst case if I can't move it, I abort the plan and do it the next time I am ready to do a full tank clean out.

Scott.

 

[Gerryd]

Scott,

You just need to remove all hardscape as well. I might leave the substrate and the planting but if you can remove some of the fish first, even into a large bucket would be good. Just use an airstone and add some fresh water while they are in there..

I think you will be fine with a helper. If it is against the wall, I would simply slide one end out a few inches at a time, then the other end, etc. This way one side is pushing/pulling and the other is maintaining a steady hold and keeping an eye out in general.

I would pull from the mid to bottom but be careful of the tank tipping....

I think the weight would be about the same. My stand was a maple or similar. Nothing heavy duty and fairly thin. Not pine, but just a bit better....My tank is old school and about 15 years old.

Just go slow and careful is all and I think you will be fine. the more you can get out of the tank, the better.

 

[scottward]

Hi Gerry,

Cool, thanks for the advice.

I have some large rocks in the tank which I will remove. I will also remove the timber hood and everything that is inside the cabinet.

As you say, just go slow and keep a close eye on it.

Scott.

 

[AquaticJim]

Scott I don't think you'll have the slightest problem shifting your tank out from the wall.

 

[scottward]

Cheers Jim. Hopefully my wife will be the helper...