Changing carpet with a full aquarium???

[stixx]

I know I know - this question is not your typical reef question, but I was wondering if anyone has replaced their carpet in the same room as their aquarium. Unless Im missing something, I would assume the only way to lay new carpet is to drain the aquarium - which means removing fish, coral, etc.

Anyone else done it differently?

[derrikd]

i want to do this but add tile around, no more carpet, i was thinking just leaving the carpet under the tank. would suck when you move the tank, but i would not want to move a 180 gallon tank loaded up.....

[stixx]

I was thinking about leaving the carpet under the aquarium, but would be afraid if you cut the carpet to close to the cabinet, that the aquarium would come tumbling down.

[derrikd]

i do not think it would happen as long as yout tank is level. you could get some shimms an put it under just to fit , will not see them.

[N8MAN1068]

i've thought about this too...i'd just cut around the stand, and leave about an inch or so out to keep everything level.

[Whaledriver]

There is so much weight compressing the carpet that you can trim all you can see and install the tile without any problem. Just save some tile to repair and fill in after the tank is removed, someday. Also yoou should save some carpet to fill in the spot if you ever remove the tank

[AZDesertRat]

Do like I did. Sell the existing system, ceramic tile the entire house (this part the wife loved) and build an entirely new system (this part I loved). She got the tile and I got a larger tank! We both won.

[jjthomps]

Amen, AZDesertRat.

We removed our carpet, moved the tank (upgraded of course) and are laying 18" of tile in front and re-carpeting.

[bswedenburg]

changed from carpet to a wood laminate floor. did the floor to the point where the aquarium was, then drained it as much as i could and them carefully, gently, moved it out away from the wall. did as much of the new floor as i could then moved it back. i did it as fast as i could to keep the livestock from stressing. it worked out pretty well. it's a fairly small aquarium though, only 29 gallons.
i have no idea how you would "best" do a big one.....

[jonny1972]

I use to install carpet and other types of floors. If you are not planning on moving the tank an installer (floor) can put tack strip around the base and tuck the new carpet up to the stand you will never know the old carpet is under the tank. If you ever decide to take the tank down you can have the capet seamed together with the piece that was cut away later. Just make sure you tell the insaller to leave 2 to 3 " more on the cut off to allow for the seam.