Aquarium on Wheels

[buballo]

Hi guys,

I am wondering if any body knows of or has themselves built a mobile cabinet for their fish tank. What I means is wheels that can obviously take the weight so that a fish tank and cabinet can be relocated when and if you chose.

I am starting construction of my cabinet shortly and thought it may be worth asking the question.

Thanks in advance

 

[Fishyfanatic]

For a small tank I could see it working but not for anything of a large size. I'd be afraid the wheels would break from the weight.

 

[Jchillin]

The only other problem I could forsee is needing to lock the wheels to keep the stand from moving by accident. Probably could work for up to a 10gal but I would hesitate for any larger size.

 

[bs6749]

I would look into some "food service grade" casters if I were you. What size tank are you planning on putting on wheels BTW?

There are capacities far above 1000 pounds, so you could easily do any size tank that you wanted to do permitting that the stand is properly affixed to the casters. Here is an example of one caster that would work: http://www.etundra.com/shop/product.asp?product_id=9493&product_category_id=5221

Sure they are expensive, but they WILL work. That is just an example of what I am talking about though. You can get different styles (threaded, plate, etc.) for what you want. I bet you can find a set on ebay if you looked.

If bakers can put hot food in things on wheels, and sick people can lay in beds on wheels in hospitals, I think there should be no problem putting an aquarium on wheels.

 

[drucifer]

Depending upon the size of the tank, and if it's glass, wouldn't the kinetic energy of the sloshing liquid place excessive stress on the seams?

 

[bs6749]

If it's full of water it won't be able to pick up much speed.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I agree, I wouldn't risk it. People weigh what, 150, 200, 300 lbs. Not the same thing as a 1000 lb tank. Besides, if you put it on a carpet floor the weight will cause divets in the carpet. When you try to move the tank it will be difficult to get out of the grooves and pretty much defeat the purpose of the wheels. If it's going onto a wood floor I would be concerned about the divets that it makes into the wood.

 

[2cvbloke]

You could have a beach-simulation tank if it was on wheels as you could move it back & forth to make some waves....

(only joking of course, the fish might get seasick!!!)

 

[bs6749]

If it's on carpet, pneumatic wheels would be better. There are also casters that can be wound up so that the weight is resting on the stand and then wound out so the weight is on the wheels when it needs to be moved.

Not to be rude but there are some LARGE people out there (600+ lbs) and they have to have hospital beds as well. Each of the casters is rated at a weight. 4 rated at 300 lbs would give 1200 lbs of support. The ones I recommended were for 1200 lbs each, I do believe. I seriuosly doubt that the OP has a 4800 pound tank. That is 600 gallons and would not be moved realistically.

1000 pounds would be a 100-125 gallon tank. I also doubt that the OP is thinking of moving a tank this size but if it is, I still say it is possible. I say if it is 75 gallons or less go ahead and put it on wheels. That is only 600-700 lbs, which in reality is not that much to move.

 

[supermazz9]

the weight of the tank to the capacity of the cart is kind of irrellevent. the simple movement of the card will put a lot of stress on your joints. You can get a cart that is capable of carrying any size you want, but any tank larger that 10g or so will suffer greatly from stress if moved.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I agree with Supermazz but the choice is up to you.

 

[mom2reds]

I agree with BS6749, I work ina hospital and we have lots of 600 to 700 pound pt. that are all in beds and these beds will hold up to 1050 to 2000 pounds granted some of this support is in the frame of the bed, so this wheel Idea could work if the framing is done right.

 

[7Enigma]

There are many casters that can easily handle 100 gallon or larger tanks. Most casters made for heavy operation will have locks to prevent movement once the cart is positioned properly. Moving the tank is also not too difficult as long as precautions are taken. What needs to be considered during a move is the even application of force (acceleration). And realizing that stopping is just as stressful as starting. As long as the acceleration rate is consistent no internal stress to the joints would be experienced.

 

[supermazz9]

I'm going to reiterate my original statement. You can get a stand to support any amount of weight. That is not an issue. Depending on the money you want to spend, you can get anything your heart desires. A cart that can handle a 200g aquarium isn't a big deal. It's the stress of starting and stopping. If you are really considering doing this, I would urge you to consider a set of tracks for the wheels to ride in, to provide a smooth and even ride, assuming you are always going to be moving the tank from fixed point A to fixed point B.

I would not reccomend this, unless you were going to go through the effort of having a tank designed specially to handle movement, and a properly deigned cart that will give a VERY smooth ride (castors that don't do that little "flip thing" when they change direction). I've only had small amounts of water on my floor (4-5g, around there) and it's not a pretty sight. It's not something I wish on many people.