Has anyone done this.

[Sami-Lochy]

So for a while I have been working on finding someone to deliver this 8ftx2ftx2ft glass tank, for my monitor lizards.
Luckily I got a cheap deal on it and someone to drop it off for a good price too. After picking it up last night, the guy came and dropped it off this morning and it took about 45 minutes to get it out of the van, because the three of us couldn't lift it, so the guy driving the van had to call his buddy. And finally we got it out but the delivery guy basically said he had had enough, and now the tank is just sitting in the driveway with no way to get it inside.
Has anyone else had this problem, when an enclosure is just too rigid and difficult to move?!
The whole tank only ways 120kg but I think it's how the weight is spread out and the length that makes it so heavy to carry.
So with no one else to help us lift this tank, I'm going to have to head out to bunnings soon to find some sort of trolley. And hopefully we can manoeuvre it up the steps..
I'm starting to feeling like this tank was more trouble than its worth.

 

[BeZaKa]

I've used 4 people on a 6 x 2 x 2 with 10mm glass to do it comfortably. An 8 foot would suck:shock:

 

[B_STATS]

Sounds like a healthy case of buyer's remorse. Glass is the WORST for enclosures IMO and not just because it doesn't retain heat well. It's flimsy, weak and dangerous with limited mod-ability. Not to mention it's often more expensive than melamine.

 

[Shotta]

op maybe you can get a few friends to help you out for a beer or 2?

 

[B_STATS]

Doesn't have to help. He said he was starting to think the whole idea was a mistake. I was agreeing and explained why I agree.

^ how does that comment help?
op maybe you can get a few friends to help you out for a beer or 2?

 

[Shotta]

Doesn't have to help. He said he was starting to think the whole idea was a mistake. I was agreeing and explained why I agree.

i see so you are one of them!

 

[Sami-Lochy]

Sounds like a healthy case of buyer's remorse. Glass is the WORST for enclosures IMO and not just because it doesn't retain heat well. It's flimsy, weak and dangerous with limited mod-ability. Not to mention it's often more expensive than melamine.

Oath glass isn't the best material. I can't even lift it a centimetre off the ground if I tug it on one end. It is beyond heavy. I used to lift bollards that were much easier to carry even though they weighed just as much. It's just something about the large surface area and gravity that makes it feel like your lifting a dozen elephants at once.
I think glass tanks like these normally cost about $1000. I wonder how much something similar but made of melamine would average. The thing is with melamine, most of its build your own, not too many massive melamine enclosures for sale out there.
Definitely agree with you about the glass not retaining heat. I may have to put some sort of wooden insulator around the back and top. The ridge taileds need ambient temps of at least 30.
I guess the thought of seeing my monitors interacting in such a big environment is worth the hassle of moving this "tank" around. And the price was a big incentive too, $150, you wouldn't even be able to buy a panel of glass for this tank for that sort of money.

 

[Sami-Lochy]

op maybe you can get a few friends to help you out for a beer or 2?

Haha unfortunately I live as a hermit, and don't have any buddies that I could shout a beer or two. Anyway no need to talk about beer haha, haven't had one in three weeks and am thirsty enough as it is.

 

[Shotta]

stick a timber frame on it make up a rockwall for back and side then presto an outdoor enclosure

 

[Sami-Lochy]

stick a timber frame on it make up a rockwall for back and side then presto an outdoor enclosure

just gotta tell the housemate that she cant park her car in her garage anymore, should work fine haha. And I'm sure with all the people walking past on the sidewalk, I doubt the monitors would last too long out there

 

[Burnerism]

$150!!! What a bargain, definitely sounds like a keeper despite the moving problems. Maybe you should use it for a croc and build another enclosure for you monitor!! How'd you get onto it so cheap??

 

[Sami-Lochy]

$150!!! What a bargain, definitely sounds like a keeper despite the moving problems. Maybe you should use it for a croc and build another enclosure for you monitor!! How'd you get onto it so cheap??

All I did was put an add on gumtree saying I was looking for enclosures 5ft+ and a few weeks later someone contacted me and I couldn't believe he was selling such a big enclosure so cheap, I thought all along he must not have measured it properly but he did and he was more than happy to get rid of it, seeing as he dropped it on his toe a few days ago and broke his toe. Haha

 

[Ramy]

Get yourself a pair of heavy duty furniture lifting straps and a few mates. The straps will make it easier to get 4 people lifting it, and that'll make the weight heaps more manageable. Ask at your local hardware or search online. Pay attention to the load capacity when you buy them.

Protector Forearm Forklift Lifting Straps - Bunnings Warehouse

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Unfortunately matey it's likely to be a manpower job - anything but a specialist trolley is likely to cause breakage from localised pressure. You'll have to take special care of the corners - there's so much energy when moving it because of the weight even a slight bump will cause dangerous chipping on the corners. If you have any difficult manoeuvres to make, I'd say six people minimum. I hope your house has concrete floors...

That's LOT of broken glass to get rid of if you don't have the manpower to safely move it around...

Jamie

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Get yourself a pair of heavy duty furniture lifting straps and a few mates. The straps will make it easier to get 4 people lifting it, and that'll make the weight heaps more manageable. Ask at your local hardware or search online. Pay attention to the load capacity when you buy them.

Protector Forearm Forklift Lifting Straps - Bunnings Warehouse

And place a piece of ply or MDF a bit wider than the tank between the strap & the glass...

Jamie

 

[moosenoose]

Personally I think glass would make the best enclosures for animals like tigers and copperheads who are pretty heat intolerant I've moved all of my animals to a new, cooler location to fend off heatwaves etc. There's two sides of the story in regards to glass my opinion - sometimes you don't want that heat retained. Stress due to being more exposed can be rectified by covering certain spots with cardboard or even newspaper.

I'm sure the tank will eventually work out, and you'll be happy you got it.

 

[Sami-Lochy]

Get yourself a pair of heavy duty furniture lifting straps and a few mates. The straps will make it easier to get 4 people lifting it, and that'll make the weight heaps more manageable. Ask at your local hardware or search online. Pay attention to the load capacity when you buy them.

Protector Forearm Forklift Lifting Straps - Bunnings Warehouse

awesome, this sounds like what we need. Because the problem ATM isn't really about finding four people, what's difficult is finding four very strong blokes to lift it. Maybe with these straps, I could even get my housemates to help lift it. Sounds good. Cheers.

 

[saintanger]

i use to have a 17ft fish tank that weighed about 500kg to move it i had to call my local aquarium that also made fish tanks and they had these suction caps that they stuck to the glass and they had handles and it made it really easy to lift and a large truck. they charged me $800 to move it from my old place to my new place and truned up with 4 blokes lucky i had 8 more blokes at my place willing to help.

but wen i decided to sell it no one wanted to buy it as it was to large to move and would cost more to move than the $150 i wanted for the tank which i paid $4000 for 2 years earlier. so i smashed it up and took the glass to the recycling tip.

i will never buy a tank that big i originally got it as i had wobigong sharks and epaulete sharks. to much of a head ache.

4ft and smaller are easy to work with.

 

[BeZaKa]

Ps. Sit the tank on a layer of Styrofoam in its final resting place, this will stop any stress fractures and help level it all out.

 

[Umbral]

If it were me I would buy a case of beer and ask neighbors for help. Most people would be happy to help out another person and it wouldn't be a huge chunk of time out of their day. I've pulled over at least twice to help people move something they were struggling with.