How would I ship a 29 gallon aquarium?

[DAVIDFBT]

Hey everybody, I haven't been on here for a while. I've had no time for aquariums or fish in the past year moving from Oregon to Ohio. But now the time has come for me to move to Dallas Texas with my dad permanently. I plan to set up my fish stuff again in texas, but I need some help.

My dad's company he works for will pay for the shipping to bring things over, so if I ship my aquarium, and it survives, it will basically be free for us. that, and I will be able to bring other things like clothes inside it.

I was thinking that I get a box that is 2 inches bigger on each side of the aquarium and wrap the whole thing in bubble wrap, putting styrofoam over the corners, filling the space in between with packing peanuts, and set it on top of a base of styrofoam. My aunt and uncle who i am living with right now are in the shipping business and they say it's the bes way of doing it, but they have never shipped an aquarium before.

I'd rather take the risk of shipping it and not survivng but still being able to bring my personal stuff inside it than selling it for 20 bucks then buying another for 50-60 dollars. Can anybody tell me if this is an ok idea?

 

[Somervell]

If your dad's company is paying for the shipping, why not styrofoam the inside and take it to UPS and let THEM take the responsibility for getting it there safely? A 30 gallon isn't THAT big. Unless UPS has restrictions on it, I would let someone else take the risk.

 

[conbrio]

:iagree:

 

[DAVIDFBT]

Can I get something from UPS that covers my aquarium in case it breaks? Something like insurance?

 

[roscoe70]

If you are using movers, in my case they made crates out of lumber and lined then with styrofoam along all the edges. If not you could try to do the same yourself and attempt to find some shipper, don't know if UPS accepts such packages. Good luck with whatever you do and welcome to TEXAS.

 

[judgemax]

depending on how long you have to wait,before actually shipping the tank, walmarts 29 gallons come in a box, ..and maybe some from petco, ..if you put an add for all packaging from a new 29 gallon tank, ..you know its going to be the safest packaging.

you can aslo ask petco or another large chain store, whatthey recieve their tanks in, because they rarely are on the shelf in a box, ..yet they get shipped there somehow?

or, buy a tank from walmart, save the box, and take the tank back tom. ( seriously, just check how its packed, dont actually buy it. )

 

[RodInCALIFORNIA]

shippers once they have your package just toss the hell out of them loading and unloading and me i would just sell it and get a new one when your moved. petco has them 1.00 a gallon sales on tanks and you could get a new one for 29.00, and avoid the hassle of filing a claim for a broken tank.

 

[mellowvision]

I agree. sell the old one on craigslist, get a new one at petland discounts for 49.99.

 

[DAVIDFBT]

The thing is that when I arrive to Texas, I will need that aquarium right away. If I do decide to ship it, it will leave sometime next week, my FBTs that were using that tank will be heading out the week after that by a pet carrier service along with my dog, and then I arrive on the 8th of June. If I do try to sell it and nobody buys it by next week, I will have to ship it myself, or the frogs won't have a home for a few more weeks. I'll go to a Petland around the block here and ask them how they receive their tanks.

 

[platytudes]

UPS covers all packages for $100 automatically I think. But filing a claim is hellish, I hear, and you need to pack it in accordance with their shipping terms (whatever they are). Buying a box and all of the packing supplies you need might run you more than you think. It could easily end up not being worth it, since all it takes is one tiny chip or crack to make you feel unsure about the tank when it arrives. Besides, it's not the tank that's expensive, it's the stand - and that you can't ship for sure