Moving tanks... :(

[Youkai]

Hey all,

The movers are going to be here on the 12th. I have not been able to find nice boxes to properly pack up four 33 gallon tanks. There is a great risk with these people that if I do not pack the tanks right, they will get broken.
Is it worth it to move them then? I'm going to Vancouver. Is it easy to find either second hand or inexpensive tanks of comparable size?

Anyone's suggestions are greatly appreciated...

[sapphire_moon]

Pack Carefully, and take them youself! Even if you have to rent something to take them in!!!

[Pia]

If the movers take them, try to get boxes that are a few inches longer and wider than the tanks and put some styrofoam chips (I think you can get them from moving companies) underneath and around the sides. If you can transport them yourself, that's even better. I live in the Vancouver area and most used tanks I see for sale go for $100-$200. They almost always include fish stuff, filters, stands, canopies, etc. Some I have looked at definitely aren't worth it. If it's just the tank you want, you can get them new for around $80 Cdn. Hope the move goes well :-)

[Youkai]

The problem is, I can't find boxes that will fit a 33 gallon well enough...I do have tons of styrofoam and bubble wrap if I COULD find some... :/

[sara]

You could try getting in touch with a furniture/appliance store, they might have some decent sized boxes lying around. If that doesn't work you could always try a good old-fashioned dumpster raid. Happy huntin' ;)

[DragnDrop]

I found the right size boxes by asking for used ones at the pet store - they usually have a few empties from the tanks they have on display or use themselves. U-haul also had a few that were suitable - a bit bigger, to allow for styrofoam sheets around the outside of the tank.

[Clownfishie]

I moved across country last fall, and I couldn't find boxes big enough for my tanks either -- what I ended up doing was just wrapping several layers of cardboard around the tank on the suggestion of the mover (broken down boxes) and using plenty of tape to keep it all in place. LOL :) It was quite a job, but it worked out just fine, because all of the tanks arrived in one piece :)

[corr]

Also, you can try to get some from a department store. They get pillows and comforters in pretty large boxes.

Wrapping them up tight is a good idea too. Make sure you mark FRAGILE all over! Aren't these guys insured anyway?

[Darlene]

I moved my tanks by filling them inside with old towels, blankets, etc. & then wrapping them in comforters & finally taping broken down boxes over that to form a cardboard covering. Everything arrived AOK. Was a bit of a chore but I didn't want to ship broken glass !

[JasonBrennan]

Darlene has hit the nail on the head!! I was on OTR mover for 10 years. I was on O/O (owner/operator), which means I owned my own rig, and as such was responsible for any and all claims. The last outfit I was leased to was Allied Van Lines.

What Darlene described was exactly how we did it. If there are no boxes big enough (even using more than one box end to end), this is really your only option.

I now have a small local moving service (no long distance, no packing, just the actual moving of household items across town).

[lordkovacs]

grocery stores are great for boxes...

[Youkai]

Thanks for all of your help guys. Some local restaraunts were more than willing to donate some good sized boxes. Since my house contains more computers than people, and we save all the styrofoam, I've got plenty of 'padding' and enough boxes to double up and cover the tanks properly.
After packing half of my tanks so far though, I'm begining to hate duct tape, styrofoam and cardboard!
And to think, it'll take half a second with a good knife to unpack this stuff. Kind of like spending all day making a meal, and everyone eating it in like 10 minutes... ;)

[Lisa]

One thing you can try doing is going by pet stores and see if they have any boxes from their 33 gallon tanks.

[Youkai]

I called all in the area, and they always get rid of them the same day they get them. It doesn't surprise me - I'd worked at one of the stores and remember doing that. Only thing is, I left a message with a few stores that I needed some, and none ever really listened. Ah well, live and learn.