Logistics of a large aquarium

[Ben Mccue]

I'm looking at larger aquarium options in the 250-to-300-gallon range, my 180 has been running just over a year and I regret not going bigger and not getting low iron panels. Along with some custom options for which I have some request for quotes out for I'm also considering the waterbox 380.8 system. Display is roughly 96x30x24 and about 750 lbs. The website says residential delivery not available, and buyer would be responsible for getting it picked up from the shipping terminal. Assuming other large dimension tanks custom or otherwise would have the same restrictions, I'm wondering exactly who I would hire to get the tank/ stand in the crates and on the pallets to my house and set them in the garage. Anyone have some experience here? Not sure if I should hire an aquarium company, something like a piano moving company, or standard movers. Anyone have experience with this?

 

[Mechano]

I'm looking at larger aquarium options in the 250-to-300-gallon range, my 180 has been running just over a year and I regret not going bigger and not getting low iron panels. Along with some custom options for which I have some request for quotes out for I'm also considering the waterbox 380.8 system. Display is roughly 96x30x24 and about 750 lbs. The website says residential delivery not available, and buyer would be responsible for getting it picked up from the shipping terminal. Assuming other large dimension tanks custom or otherwise would have the same restrictions, I'm wondering exactly who I would hire to get the tank/ stand in the crates and on the pallets to my house and set them in the garage. Anyone have some experience here? Not sure if I should hire an aquarium company, something like a piano moving company, or standard movers. Anyone have experience with this?

Maybe contact a custom aquarium builder like miracles or where ever in the states. See if maybe they can assemble the aquarium in your home.
250g plus sounds like a huge dog to move. Just a thought

 

[Ben Mccue]

If I can get it in the garage I can get the stand set up then pay my lfs a couple hundred to bring the lift and a few workers to put the tank on the stand. Then it's just moving livestock, sand, rocks, and equipment over to the new tank. Having to hire someone to pick up the crates from a carrier terminal is something I didn't expect and I'm sure it will not be cheap. I assume length is the issue. Freight drivers normally have pallet jacks and trucks with lift gates, I'm wondering if I'd have to hire someone with a flat bad and an on-board fork lift. Man what a buzzkill.

 

[everpresentnoob]

Go to your local uhaul place and rent a box truck with a lift gate and a pallet jack. Go to the terminal, lower the lift gate roll the crates onto the gate, raise lift gate and roll into truck then strap down. Driver gently to your house and repeat in reverse.

 

[rtparty]

Not sure if you have talked to him but hit up @Joe Glass Cages and see how they handle large aquariums like that

 

[Ben Mccue]

Have you done that before? A moving truck is maybe 5 or 6 foot wide at best and a standard pallet jack has maybe 3.5 foot of forks. So raising an 8foot plus crate on a 5 or 6 foot wide liftgate and turning it enough to get in the box with a standard pallet jack doesn't seem like a simple or plausible task. I think you'd need two jacks to move it along smooth cement. I emailed water box but I'd love to hear from someone that has done this.

Go to your local uhaul place and rent a box truck with a lift gate and a pallet jack. Go to the terminal, lower the lift gate roll the crates onto the gate, raise lift gate and roll into truck then strap down. Driver gently to your house and repeat in reverse.

 

[Ben Mccue]

Not sure if you have talked to him but hit up @Joe Glass Cages and see how they handle large aquariums like that

Thanks I'll try that, I actually tried to get a quote from their online custom calculator but the max height i could get on their form was 18 inches... I could ask him about that as well.

 

[X-37B]

I would have the frieght company deliver it to your house. I drove city p&d for 10 years. Getting it off the semis lift gate is not a problem. I did 8' heavy 3000lb pallets all the time with a standard pallet jack. They can put it in your garage. You will then need a few people to get it on the lift. Once on the lift it's easy. Jack it up level to the stand and slide it on.
I had this done with my 59×30×21.
It only took 2 people to get it on the lift and then into the house and on the stand.
I can't lift anything do to an injury so I hired an aquarium guy who deals only with large aquariums and he made it look easy.

 

[lbacha]

I just got a tank the exact size you mentioned from Joe at GlassCages. I picked it up with a U-Haul from my local fedex terminal. You only need yourself for this part since they load it for you at the terminal I then hired my local fish store to help me get it off the truck and into the house. Fish stores have the lifts and suction cups to make the move. Find one that does aquarium setups as they will have these to do their own setups and will help you for a price. None of this is cheap and you need to calculate it into the cost of a large build. The other option is some strong friends and get your own lift carts. 6 people is plenty for the size thank you are looking at

 

[Ben Mccue]

I would have the frieght company deliver it to your house. I drove city p&d for 10 years. Getting it off the semis lift gate is not a problem. I did 8' heavy 3000lb pallets all the time with a standard pallet jack. They can put it in your garage. You will then need a few people to get it on the lift. Once on the lift it's easy. Jack it up level to the stand and slide it on.
I had this done with my 59×30×21.
It only took 2 people to get it on the lift and then into the house and on the stand.
I can't lift anything do to an injury so I hired an aquarium guy who deals only with large aquariums and he made it look easy.

Well with that statement I'm wondering if it's a liability concern with waterbox specifically or thier preferred shipper. I did email them asking what the limiting factor is and what they suggest to get it to the house. Waiting on other quotes too, the waterbox is very expensive but complete with no diy which is why I'm even considering it. My 180 is an off the shelf planet aquariums, I drilled it for an external overflow and had to have the internal weir custom made to fit between the glass braces. Bought a baffle kit for a 55 gallon aquarium for the sump, built a platform to put the sump on, cut a hole in the wall so I could plumb it to a spare room, build a light canopy, built controll boards to put dc controllers on, made 11 trips to home depot for plumbing bits because I'm a man and don't make shopping lists... the complete system is very attractive at this point.

 

[lbacha]

Here we are moving the tank

 

[danreef55]

Fedex delivered to my home address on a truck with a liftgate and put everything in the garage. My tank was only 6'. The home delivery service is an extra expense. For your 8' tank you really need a fork lift to take it off the truck.

I hired riggers to move my tank stand and sump. They are professionals and highly skilled at moving large and heavy equipment. Personally, I wouldn't trust the job to normal movers or a bunch of friends. They had to bring the tank, stand and canopy from the garage around the outside of the house in the snow. It was only 3 men and they did it with ease.

P.S. On the GC site chose 'braced' aquarium and you can get more height.

 

[danreef55]

I used the GC calculator and built this one
Your Build Estimate
Length96
Width30
Height24
Braced Aquariums with cross-braces
1998.00
Build Construction Style
0.00
Glass Options
884.00
Euro-Bracing Options
0.00
Screen Tops Price
0.00
Silicone
0.00
Seam Guards
345.00
Concealed SandLine
0.00
Overflow and Cover
830.00
Overflow Weir Teeth Gap
0.00
Sump
394.00
Bulkhead(s)
100.00
Hole(s)
0.00
Included Holes
0.00
Vinyl Options
352.00
Custom Light Mounts
0.00
Starboard Bottom
0.00
Hinged Aquarium Tops
0.00
Black Pad
104.00
Furniture Stand
0.00
Metal Stand Square Tubing Size
0.00
Skinning Metal Stand
0.00
Skinned Door Style
0.00
Skinning Finish
0.00
Add Additional Side Door
0.00
Controller Cabinet
0.00
Furniture Canopy
0.00
Canopy Door Style
0.00
Build Estimate $
5007.00
Your Selections
Enclosure Style
Aquarium
Aquarium Style
Braced Aquariums with cross-braces
Build Construction Style
Trim Bottom Build with Interior Bottom Bracing
Material
-
Glass Options
Low-Iron-Front-and-Both-Sides
Euro-Bracing Options
Euro Braced with Black Trim
Euro-Bracing with Lid Support
No
Silicone Options
Black
Vertical Seam Guards
Yes
Concealed SandLine
No
Overflow
Yes
Overflow Style
Coast to Coast Exterior
Overflow Location(s)
Coast to Coast Exterior Back
Acrylic Overflow Cover Color
None
Overflow Weir Teeth Gap
Gap-3/8
Sump
Glass Sump
Bulkhead Type
Schedule-80
Add Bulkheads
No
Add Holes
No
Included Return Holes
2
Included Drain Holes
2
Vinyl Color
Black
Vinyl Placement
Back
Custom Light Mounts
None
Starboard Interior Bottom
No
Your Selections
Hinged Aquarium Tops
No
Upgraded Black Aquarium Pad
Yes
Furniture
No
Furniture Stand Height
No
Furniture Stand
No
Furniture Door Style
No
Furniture Finish
No
Furniture Wood Species
No
Sides of Stand Finished
No
Included Side Door Location
No
Add Additional Side Door
No
Add Doors On Other Long Side
No
Add Doors On Other Short Side
No
Controller Cabinet
No
Controller Cabinet Style
No
Controller Cabinet Location
No
Furniture Canopy
No
Canopy Height
No
Canopy Door Style
No
Metal Stand Square Tubing Size
No
Color
None
Skinning Metal Stand
No
Sides to be Skinned
None
Skinning Door Style
No
Skinning Finish
None
Add Door on Other Long Side of canopy
No

 

[lbacha]

I used the GC calculator and built this one
Your Build Estimate
Length96
Width30
Height24
Braced Aquariums with cross-braces
1998.00
Build Construction Style
0.00
Glass Options
884.00
Euro-Bracing Options
0.00
Screen Tops Price
0.00
Silicone
0.00
Seam Guards
345.00
Concealed SandLine
0.00
Overflow and Cover
830.00
Overflow Weir Teeth Gap
0.00
Sump
394.00
Bulkhead(s)
100.00
Hole(s)
0.00
Included Holes
0.00
Vinyl Options
352.00
Custom Light Mounts
0.00
Starboard Bottom
0.00
Hinged Aquarium Tops
0.00
Black Pad
104.00
Furniture Stand
0.00
Metal Stand Square Tubing Size
0.00
Skinning Metal Stand
0.00
Skinned Door Style
0.00
Skinning Finish
0.00
Add Additional Side Door
0.00
Controller Cabinet
0.00
Furniture Canopy
0.00
Canopy Door Style
0.00
Build Estimate $
5007.00
Your Selections
Enclosure Style
Aquarium
Aquarium Style
Braced Aquariums with cross-braces
Build Construction Style
Trim Bottom Build with Interior Bottom Bracing
Material
-
Glass Options
Low-Iron-Front-and-Both-Sides
Euro-Bracing Options
Euro Braced with Black Trim
Euro-Bracing with Lid Support
No
Silicone Options
Black
Vertical Seam Guards
Yes
Concealed SandLine
No
Overflow
Yes
Overflow Style
Coast to Coast Exterior
Overflow Location(s)
Coast to Coast Exterior Back
Acrylic Overflow Cover Color
None
Overflow Weir Teeth Gap
Gap-3/8
Sump
Glass Sump
Bulkhead Type
Schedule-80
Add Bulkheads
No
Add Holes
No
Included Return Holes
2
Included Drain Holes
2
Vinyl Color
Black
Vinyl Placement
Back
Custom Light Mounts
None
Starboard Interior Bottom
No
Your Selections
Hinged Aquarium Tops
No
Upgraded Black Aquarium Pad
Yes
Furniture
No
Furniture Stand Height
No
Furniture Stand
No
Furniture Door Style
No
Furniture Finish
No
Furniture Wood Species
No
Sides of Stand Finished
No
Included Side Door Location
No
Add Additional Side Door
No
Add Doors On Other Long Side
No
Add Doors On Other Short Side
No
Controller Cabinet
No
Controller Cabinet Style
No
Controller Cabinet Location
No
Furniture Canopy
No
Canopy Height
No
Canopy Door Style
No
Metal Stand Square Tubing Size
No
Color
None
Skinning Metal Stand
No
Sides to be Skinned
None
Skinning Door Style
No
Skinning Finish
None
Add Door on Other Long Side of canopy
No

You should talk top Joe, the sumps that come with the build are a bit under sized so you may want to have him build something bigger for you. If you reach out he will get right back to you and will talk through exactly what you want.

edit: I do want to say that working with Joe was a great experience and I highly recommend a tank from him. The dimensions you are looking at are amazing as well. You will be amazed when you see what a 8' tank is like. I used alufab to build my stand as I wanted an 80/20 aluminum stand which Joe doesn't do (he recommended alufab to me and it is a great stand). Feel free to ask any questions I looked into the 380.8 as well but wanted more flexibility as I had my overflow on the side and had closed loops added.

 

[JumboShrimp]

I had Joe make me two (2) 150-gallon tanks, to avoid any question about whether the lift gate truck could handle unloading a single (but longer) tank directly to my driveway, and also whether I'd have any problem getting one longer tank into the house. (So maybe I cheated-- Lol!)