Large and heavy tanks.

[Oneiroid]

I am looking to get a larger tank, but I am concerned about the weight on the floor.

Here are the weight considerations:

1 x 160g tank with a footprint of 2' by 4'

1 x 30g sump

1 x full MDF cabinet and hood

A bunch of gravel and rocks

So, at about 8 pounds per gallon of water (1520lbs) + hardware (say 250lbs conservatively), we are looking at about 1770 pounds on a 2' by 4' footprint. This number is making me a little nervous.

Ideally, I am looking to put this tank in my office which located in the bonus room over the garage. If I need to reinforce the floor, it shouldn't be too hard to set up some expanders underneath that area in the garage. But I know nothing about reinforcing floors, or how much it would cost if I needed to (contractors... hardware... etc).

I am ready to sell a kidney or lung for this tank, but if it just won't work or if reinforcing the floor is pricey, then I guess I will have to go smaller. My next choice would be a 140g tank in the same design (2' by 3' footprint) but that probably wouldn't even knock 200lbs off the original plan. Boo. So I guess it would have to be a 90g...

Anyone out there with experience with bigger tanks that can help me? Am I being paranoid, or is this a genuine issue?

(Just a quick additional question which applies to all larger tanks: Obviously I should aim to position the weight-bearing points of the cabinet over the floor joists, but in a carpeted room, how would I locate these?)

[Majestic_Aquariums]

First, a few questions.

How old's the house? If you have a bonus room, probably not that old, eh?

Was it framed with 2X10's (old school), or the more up to date silent floor (TJI)

TJI's are rated for a longer span between beams or walls, as the engineering makes them stronger. Look in the garage, there will be a beam (hopefully) in the ceiling. This will be incredibly strong at this point.

IMO (take it for what it's worth) you will be fine. If you want the tank in the middle of the floor, and can locate the point in the bonus room where you are right on top of the beam, no prob.

If you are along an exterior wall-great. THe bonus room concept is just as structurally sound as any other part of the house-it's framed that way.

Your floor jiosts most-likely run towards the street. It may "bounce" a little less if you put it on the front wall of the room.

I think good old RD has a great link to a post on C.F in regards to live/dead weight loads.

But I would do it!

[Oneiroid]

Ok... feeling a bit better about the *plan* after that response!

The house is just over a year old, but I cannot confirm exactly how it was framed (but probably with the TJI as suggested). Unfortunately there are many windows at the front of the room (facing onto the street) and not much of a wall opposite that, so the plan was to place along one of the side walls... will have to double check the supports from underneath in the garage then.

My fiance and I are moving into the house next week, so I'll have a better idea of the floor supports then. Just trying to work the concept out in my head right now and planning ahead. Avoiding the "giant hole in floor" syndrome.

Looking forward to a link from RD if he has one

Thanks for the encouragement!

[RD.]

Since I've been banned from CF, providing links ain't quite as easy as it used to be. :mad:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/aquarium_weight.php

if that doesn't work, this will.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article28.html

[Majestic_Aquariums]

Banned? Are you kidding? :eh:

Maybe I can find it then.

I know what you mean about the concerns. It is a bit concerning for most.

When I inquired about a 230 gal. for sale @ Franco's in Calgary, the woman asked me where I wanted to put it. So I told her on the main level of the house. She laughed hysterically, and made sure she told her husband across the store (by yelling?)

They both got a good laugh, saying that it would be impossible. :bang1:

Guess what I have on the main floor of my house?

Not only that, but when I put my 330 gal. (with mega-stand) finishing out @ over 6000 lbs. on the main level, I am going to sent them a pic!

Although aquariums are alot of weight, wood is alot stronger than most give it credit for.

If you plan on setting it up on one of the side walls, chances are very good you will sit on 2 joists. But even if not, you are probably only 6" from the wall, so that will bear load, and then one joist, (are commonly framed about 19 1/4" on center with TJI, 16" with 2X10) plus all the subflooring that ties it all in. You can always locate this joist in the garage with a stud-finder, and support with a couple posts. (I can walk you through this step if you go that route.) At very worst case, the water level may bounce a wee bit if you jumped around in front. Just make sure you have a good, FLAT stand surface for the tank, perhaps styrofoam depending on the tank itself, and level that baby good.

Fill it very partially, and you may consider actually "over-levelling" the 4' front of the tank-as you get it full, it will most-likely show a few different readings on your level that what it did empty. By over stressing a wee bit, this should help. Worst case, drain, and compensate for this.

[Toirtis]

So, at about 8 pounds per gallon of water (1520lbs) + hardware (say 250lbs conservatively), we are looking at about 1770 pounds on a 2' by 4' footprint.

Actually, salt-water weighs more than fresh, so anticipate (equipment included) about 12lbs/gallon, so about 2400 lbs. Why such a small footprint?

[Oneiroid]

RD.: Thanks for the link! From what I've read of the article so far, there is a lot of helpful information in there.

Majestic: 330g?? My tank will weigh peanuts compared to that! Is your house framed with TJI? How many joists does the footprint cover?

Toirtis: My tank will not weigh as much as you've suggested as this will be a freshwater set-up. The footprint is not small; the tank is about 27" tall with the extra depth - not your typical 12-18".

[Majestic_Aquariums]

The 6000 lbs. will be supported by 8-2X12s, all sitting on a triple 2X12 beam. I will be adding 2 teleposts in the basement as well. The only concern I have had on the issue is the fact the footprint is spread ove 11 feet. All houses tend to have settling in the middle (one end of the tank will be up against an exterior wall) so I have to get the base FLAT over the entire 11 feet so there isn't any un-even stresses on the tank. That can be done by cranking up the teleposts in the basement, and then shimming the base of the stand to level prior to filling.

(BTW, you can anticipate the stand weighing almost 300lbs. by itself, the tank would be at leasst 200, and then equipment. (say 70lbs.) Add to it 1440 lbs. or so of water (factored on 175 gal.) You will be a min. of 2000lbs.

But the dimensions you are quoting equal 135 gal. tank

Edited August 7, 2005 by Majestic_Aquariums

[Oneiroid]

You are quite right... 135g. Odd. Perhaps the tank was mislabeled, or those missing gallons is the volume of water that flows through the sump which is part of the package? I will have to get that clarified.

But hey, that means I do not have to account for 25g in weight of the original estimate

[Toirtis]

The footprint is not small; the tank is about 27" tall with the extra depth - not your typical 12-18".

The footprint is small for a tank of that gallonage....that is the typical footprint of a 75-125 gallon tank...160s are usually at least 5' x 2'.....27" is a tall tank....some fun to aquascape when it's full.

[birger]

But hey, that means I do not have to account for 25g in weight of the original estimate

I would compensate, and then some, doesn't hurt to go overboard on this sort of thing.

Is the garage completely finished, quite often around here they are drywalled but not taped, if this is the case a person could pull off a sheet under where the tank is going and beef up the floor if needed. I am with majestic on the strength of some of these floors nowadays but they can be bouncy.

Not to be a doomsayer but there was a thread at planet catfish recently where a fellow came home to a tank one floor lower than it started out in his house,did not sound pretty.(it was an older house in England)

Birger

[Oneiroid]

Toirtis: The height of the tank is the main reason I fell in love with it. Between the hight and the extra width I'll have lots of versatiliy with planting, and building caves and terraces.

Birger: Oh, yes. There will definitely be some over-compensating. The garage in unfinished, so it should not be a problem to throw in a couple of teleposts for reinforcement.

[birger]

I don't think you need to add teleposts,I am sure you would like to keep your garage as open as possible.

Beefing up the joists would work,(there are different ways to do this)I would double up two or three as well as some extra blocking in between, this would probably suffice.(more than enough)

When I see what some customers are putting hot tubs on top of(scary),I do not see your tank being to much of a problem.

[Milan]

I would call the inspection (or equivalent) and ask them the same question before you start doing any structural mods. In my mind, that's a task for a professional ... Secondly, some day you may decide to sell your house, and such work needs a permit ...

[birger]

As far as structural mods,it is just beefing up what is there not cutting anything out or making any structural changes,and yes I do this sort of thing for a living.

Birger