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[Sweetbay magnolia]

So I need new flooring in a room with an (lovely, by my standards) aquarium.  What the heck?  How do I move it?

[Mz iMac]

@Sweetbay magnolia  How many gallons?

My paramour has a 50 gallon tank.  The 2xs he moved the tank, he used a pump & hose to empty the water out into the yard.

He has Oscars & Jack Dempsey's.

[Sweetbay magnolia]

@Mz iMac , it's just a 20.  But I have fish in there that have been with me quite awhile (the sterba catfish is quite a beauty).

I guess I'll drain a portion of it and then move it.  My paramour is not much help with things like this so I have to make my own plans.

[Mz iMac]

@Sweetbay magnolia  His fishes are around 11+ yrs old.  They need a large tank (he has 4 Oscars) because they are agressive towards each other if in a smaller tank.  They also grow pretty large depending on how large the tank is.

He has a divider for the mother & babies.  He removes mom after she gives birth.  He sells the babies to his local fish store.

[Sweetbay magnolia]

I love my fishies.  A pepper cory is named after a neighbor.  The tetras are gorgeous!  I have several different kinds.

@Mz iMac   I had a power surge this afternoon that knocked out the power head and it was very concerning.  I got it back and running but I ordered back up from Amazon.

[sometimesQVCaddict]

Get those furniture mover slider thingies (sorry don't know their technical term) to put under the tank & slide hopefully to another room when having the work done. Maybe take some water out so you can lift an edge (with help hopefully) to slide the furniture movers underneath each corner! They look like plastic discs & some have felt type material on one side.

I've used them to move heavy pieces & they just glide effortlessly!

[Sweetbay magnolia]

Yes, @sometimesQVCaddict that is great advice!  Anything to keep from stressing my precious pets.

[BlueFinch]

I had aquariums for years, the largest 75 gallons. It shouldn't be too hard to move a 20 gallon tank.

I'd siphon off some of the water to lighten the load. If you have clean containers, save the water to replace, or you'll need to condition fresh water before adding it which takes more time. When replacing the water, add a little at a time, so the temp can adjust to avoid shock.

I wouldn't try to remove only the tank by itself because even a small amount of water in the tank can cause a seam leak if picked up and carried. If possible, move the tank on the stand, itself, to support the aquarium.

New flooring installers often have to move very heavy furniture. They should be able to assist you to move the tank into another room until the work is complete.

If you don't have many fish, you might consider purchasing a small tank you could later use as a quarantine tank (recommended) when adding new fish, so it could serve a purpose for the move, now, and later on.

[Sweetbay magnolia]

Wow, thank you, @BlueFinch .  I think we are of the same mind.  It's not just the fish - it's the whole filter system that is at risk.  I use an undergravel.  I am old school.

[BlueFinch]

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@Sweetbay magnolia wrote:

Wow, thank you, @BlueFinch .  I think we are of the same mind.  It's not just the fish - it's the whole filter system that is at risk.  I use an undergravel.  I am old school.

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@Sweetbay magnolia Yes, indeed, it's a very fine balance. The tiniest bit off and the environment can be ruined.

You should be able to manage this though. Good luck and let us know how it goes.