Moving a Red Sea Max 250

[solomon146]

i need to temporarily move a RSM250 to install new hardwood flooring, and will be going back in the same place in just a couple days. Has anyone done this or have any advice? Can it be jacked up somehow from the top of the cabinet with some sort of pallet jack and moved all at once? I will empty about a third of the water and remove a lot of rock, can it be lifted safely with several people that way? I've thought about a hydraulic lift table but can't find a place to rent one.

 

[DaveK]

The only way I would consider moving a tank would be to remove the livestock and live rock to buckets or other similar containers, drain the tank saving the water, move the tank and then carefully add back what you removed.

Water easily slops around and even a partly full tank will weigh a massive amount. FW is about 8.3 lbs per gallon. SW is about 8.6 lbs per gallon.

A RSM 250 is about 65 gal, even removing about half the water leaves you with about 280 lbs of water and you still would need to add the weight of your live rock and live sand and the tank itself.

Consider finding a new location for the tank, so you only need to move it once. If that is not possible and you need to move it twice, plan the moves a month or two apart. A move creates a lot of stress in a system, and is very disruptive. Give your livestock a chance to readjust from the first move before you do a second one.

 

[SSD1855]

I just moved my RSM 250 from one office to another. No small task. Took about 12 hours. I removed everything from the tank and packaged it separately. I kept about 30 gallons of water. I did not reuse the sand.

I got a rolling cart from harbor freight to put the tank itself on. It happens to be about the same height as the stand. The tank is heavy-real heavy even empty.

Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mike1970]

I just did this a couple of days ago how far do you need to go with the tank?

 

[Antics]

i need to temporarily move a RSM250 to install new hardwood flooring, and will be going back in the same place in just a couple days. Has anyone done this or have any advice? Can it be jacked up somehow from the top of the cabinet with some sort of pallet jack and moved all at once? I will empty about a third of the water and remove a lot of rock, can it be lifted safely with several people that way? I've thought about a hydraulic lift table but can't find a place to rent one.

I think the best advice is not to look for any type of shortcut. Any type of tank move, especially a reef, will be an all day affair. Don't get frustrated or angry as you're making the move. Just remind yourself that this is an investment in the thousands of dollars. Unless you're a millionaire, you can reasonably trade 8 hours for a few thousand, right? Just be calm and methodically break the tank down, empty the water into buckets, and move the tank.

I strong recommend you find a "new location" instead or disassembly, reassembly, and then doing it all over again into the new location. If you're dead set on it going back in the old location, I suggest you go to something like a Tractor Supply etc and find a large capacity Rubbermaid bin where you can basically put all your live rock and fish/inverts in with the skimmer and a couple power heads. That could work for a couple days while you wait for floors to be finished etc. This is assuming that temperature won't be an issue etc.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

I had to scoot my tank out from the wall to get something that fell behind it. My tank is a standard 10g with probably 15lbs rocks and very few corals. It's on a stand designed for a 29g tank. I have my tank leveled with shims and it sits on a thick solid board, so the stand slid without too much trouble.. however, it was still a hairy affair. If you're moving the tank more than an inch or two out from the wall, I'd follow DaveK and Antics' lead there.

 

[mike1970]

Ok it's not that hard if you just need to move it across the room. I moved my RSM250 I took no livestock out or rock/sand, it took me and my son a couple hr. and that time was draining and refilling the tank.you will need a couple of thing a 44 gallon brute trash can a siphon, a pump and some furniture sliders I used these (http://www.lowes.com/pd_257870-255-4703795N_1z0ylxk__?productId=3028883&pl=1) but they make them for all types of flooring even carpet. First you will need to drain the water 4-5 inches above the sand leave all livestock rock/sand in the tank make sure everything is turned off unplugged, this will stress the fish a little but it's better than catching them and putting them in a separate container. Now is where it gets tricky you will need to lift the tank (do not rock that could cause a rockslide) lift one side then the other a couple of inches while someone puts the furniture sliders on each corner of the tank. Then you push the tank to the desired spot (push the cabinet not the tank). Use pump to refill turn everything back on. It was literally that easy. Look at this video and you get the idea

 

[Pat24601]

Ok it's not that hard if you just need to move it across the room. I moved my RSM250 I took no livestock out or rock/sand, it took me and my son a couple hr. and that time was draining and refilling the tank.you will need a couple of thing a 44 gallon brute trash can a siphon, a pump and some furniture sliders I used these (http://www.lowes.com/pd_257870-255-4703795N_1z0ylxk__?productId=3028883&pl=1) but they make them for all types of flooring even carpet. First you will need to drain the water 4-5 inches above the sand leave all livestock rock/sand in the tank make sure everything is turned off unplugged, this will stress the fish a little but it's better than catching them and putting them in a separate container. Now is where it gets tricky you will need to lift the tank (do not rock that could cause a rockslide) lift one side then the other a couple of inches while someone puts the furniture sliders on each corner of the tank. Then you push the tank to the desired spot (push the cabinet not the tank). Use pump to refill turn everything back on. It was literally that easy. Look at this video and you get the idea

I know this is old, but I need to move my tank. I think I'm going to try this. This video makes it look easy.