how safe is a 55gal upstairs?

[lucid_boy]

hello I recently purchased a 55 gallon fishtank and I was very excited to set it up untill I started reading about how much weight is exerted with that many gallons of water, (upwards of 550lbs full I think) anyway I am probably just worrying about it too much but is this going to be 100% safe completely full? thanks in advance:huh:

[TimmyB42386]

55 on a second floor will be fine, unless your house is built like an 80 year old crack house..

[dvd_wightman]

Welcome to AC. The tank should be okay, but if you have any concerns, than you can have the floor checked by a professional engineer or contractor.

[Derringer]

Without knowing the framing layout and the condition of the framing, there's no way to say for sure that its 100% safe. That doesn't mean you wont be ok though; a 55g aquarium *should be ok just about anywhere in the home without too much worry - so relax and have fun.

[lucid_boy]

thank you all again, it is the 3rd floor apartment and it is going to look so awesome when it is finally done! I am just testing it for cracks now.

[Mgamer20o0]

i would ask the apartment manager.

[lucid_boy]

yeah but he will probly tell me no bueno on the fish... and i love them too much to risk that. ask forgivness berfore permission right?

[TimmyB42386]

I'm no engineer, and maybe someone can help me out, but if its the third floor of an apartment complex, you should be safer than the second floor of the home because of regulation to have fire walls surrounding each unit, and wouldn't the cement walls make almost every wall in the apartment a support wall?

[Mgamer20o0]

yeah but he will probly tell me no bueno on the fish... and i love them too much to risk that. ask forgivness berfore permission right?

could have legal problems or something.

[lucid_boy]

but a refridgerator must weight a lot too right. and I have one of those, I guess if my manager says no i will just have to sell my beloved 55gal :(

[Aries]

but a refridgerator must weight a lot too right. and I have one of those, I guess if my manager says no i will just have to sell my beloved 55gal :(
A 55G is MUCH more weight than a fridge. I have a 75G on my second floor apartment - but I HAD to place it on a load bearing wall for support reasons. Further, I HAD to get permission IN WRITING from apartment manager (if it does bust, that is A LOT of water). I HAD to have apartment insurance (but it is required to get a lease here). Finally, my apartment was built in 1998 so it is fairly new.

If you dont get permission, the manager could call out breach of contract as you could be putting others at harms way if the structure would fail. Do it the right way, 55G is not too much weight right :Angel:

Aries

[kasslloyd]

As for the forgiveness thing, i doubt there would be much forgiveness involved if it busts and floods at least 3 apartments and possibly damage the structure. You'd be lucky to escape without a major lawsuit.

Even with permission I'd highly recommend insurance with liability coverage in case it does leak/burst and floods the floors below. The people who live there most likely would sue you.

[Marinemom]

I think 55 gallons is pushing it. I have a 46 on the second floor of my home and I will not consider anything heavier on this floor. Even if you have other furniture on the second or third floor that is heavy such as a fridge or a heavy wall unit the weight is different then true water weight that will affect the way the floor will sustain it. I would definetly get permissiion in writing and get insurance for the tank as well in case of water damage from leaking or breakage. I would also make sure that the tank is placed on a weight bearing wall as well as having it checked by a competent structural engineer as well.

Marinemom

[mcox3]

i had a 55g on my second floor apartment and when i would change the water i could feel the floor "bounce"

everything worked out okay tho.

[TimmyB42386]

I think 55 gallons is pushing it. I have a 46 on the second floor of my home and I will not consider anything heavier on this floor. Even if you have other furniture on the second or third floor that is heavy such as a fridge or a heavy wall unit the weight is different then true water weight that will affect the way the floor will sustain it. I would definetly get permissiion in writing and get insurance for the tank as well in case of water damage from leaking or breakage. I would also make sure that the tank is placed on a weight bearing wall as well as having it checked by a competent structural engineer as well.

Marinemom


wouldnt a standard 4 foot 55 make less strain on the floor than a 46 becuase it spread out over a 4 foot area instead of 3

[samsmom]

Insurance form this is a must, I agree with the other regarding lawsuits, remember water beds?

[lucid_boy]

well now that I read this today i feel kinda stupid, it is full of water right now it has passed the leak test with flying colors. I will have to ask my apartment manager, I would hate myself if I ever hurt someone else... does anybody want to purchase a used 55 gal? (by the way how much does that insurance usually run, anybody know about that?)

[donfenk]

Lets put it this way if there is a problem with the weight of a 55 gallon tank in your apartment you better move out right now. Just think of the weight of your bath tub when its full. Or better yet when you have 20 friends over for a Party (average weight of 150lbs) thats 3000lbs jumping on the floor to the beat of the music.

[donfenk]

Not sure how weight and true water weight differ - ???
Guys a 36 inch Sony Wega Tube TV set alone weighs 270lbs. A loaded wall unit would be upward of 600 or 700 lbs.

Again - if there is any issue with a 55 gallon tank on any floor in your building you better find a new place to live - it really is not that much weight.

Again - the next time you have a party and there are a bunch of people dancing in the center of a living room - add up their weights and multiply by 4 or 5 as they jump up and down.

Just fill your tank and have fun. Home owners or renters insurance will cover water damage from a leaking tank.

[1boatnut]

Just tell the manager you have an aquarium and don't go into specifics unless he asks:huh:

Allot of good points have been made. If the apartment can't handle an aquarium how could it handle a bathtub?The aquarium is not 500lbs in 1 spot. The weight is spread over a 4' area.It really should not be an issue. If a stand made from 2x4"s and plywood can support it,I would certainly hope the floor could too!!

Depending on where you live apartment(renters) insurance is cheap. It not only covers liability but also your personel posessions.If the place burned down the owner is not liable for your stuff. If the place is robbed,again your on your own.Just a thought

[TimmyB42386]

I'm glad some other people chimed in with the relatively small size of a 55. Last I checked renters insurance was less than 20 dollars a month, and most if not all apt complexes allow "fish, birds, and small furry animals" within reason. Relax and enjoy your new aquarium, there are lots of people who have tanks much larger than 55 gal. on 2nd and 3rd floor apts.

I can see how those few posts would make you paranoid, but relax and enjoy, and get the renters insurance, it's well worth it, even if you didn't make the mistake or have an aquarium for that matter.

[lucid_boy]

whew :)

[kasslloyd]

weight probably isn't much of a problem, but again it's 500-600 so pounds in a fairly small footprint... you could always put a sheet of plywood under the stand to distribute the weight over a larger area... but yea it's not alot of weight.

It's the liability of it leaking/breaking and the other people it will effect. With such a lawsuit friendly environment these days you should almost always have insurance in an apartment type building anyway. For example a fire start in your apartment, you could be sued by everyone else whos effected by that fire (And by could I mean most likely will be).

:rolleyes:

[lucid_boy]

well its starting to look grimm over here. I cannot even get my landlord to return any of my calls. and even though I am 100% sure where it is would be fine, my GF and I agreed that we should probably ask in this case...so I guess let this be a lesson to anyone who is eccentric and goes out on a whim to buy a fish tank?

hmmmm I'm sure he will let me have up to a certain size in the apartment, right? so I wonder, what would be the best bet for my apartment? maybe a 29gal, or I am going to move somewhere else, luckly for me my lease is up in 2 weeks. :(

[Joergen.Schoppe]

I'm living on the 16th floor, have a about 100gal fishtank. No problem so far, it is located with the back to a bearing wall. I have big, solid tiles under it, also the frame of the stand is in a way that the load is spread out. Was worried too but then I tought what the h..., just do it.
I agree a party with 20 people, a bath tub (dough the bathrooms have a thicker floor!, at least here in China), a big, double door fridge (think of the surface area, is less compared to the height and weight), there are many things that weight a lot, and most appartements support it.
But try to find out the average bearing per sq inch, that can give a hint to what you can do. There are many webpages, especially from the construction area. I found many, but as I'm German I looked up them only. Not that I would look into others as well, but I find more technical details on german webpages, sorry.
I'm about 250% over the recommended limit, if I remember right...

[buballo]

HI All,
I am a builder in Sydney Australia. Although I would need more specific details on the apartment I have the following comments. Please note this has nothing to do with insurance polices and strata managament this would have to be investigated by you (that is my disclaimer lol):

1. Assuming tht this is a timber frame construction for the floor, and a standard design for a tank stand and that a 55G tank is approx 200KG distributed over the 4 legs of a tank stand, this means you have 4 point loads of 50 kg each. The average male ways aroung 70 kg. You will have no problem supporting the weight at all.
2. If you are concerned due to the condition of the floor what you can do is lay a sheet of CFC or particle board even a couple of planks spanning the full distance of the tank. Make sure these are running perpendicular to your floor joists. What this will for is distribute the load more evenly then have the load come directly through the legs of your tank stand.

If you have more specific information on your floor construction please feel free to email me on buballo@optusnet.com.au and I will be more then happy to help and calculate the loading on your floor.

Cheers, have a great day.

[Rbishop]

The weight isn't an issue at all, IMO. The legalities are what will get you. Your lease may already rule aquariums out or limit their size. Read it closely.

[lucid_boy]

YAY!!!!!
my landlord finally returned my call and he said that it would be just fine to have my 55gal fishtank!!!
I haven't been this happy since I got my 1st drumset at age 11....

So now all I have to do is start to figure out what to put in the tank.

(also he never said that I had to get any kind of insurance,
just that if I had a flood I would be liable (obviously)
so I am going to shop around for some renter ins. just in case.)

[1boatnut]

SWEET !
Yes,do yourself a favor and get some insurance,not just for the tank issue,but it is just a good idea to have.Everyone thinks something won't happen to them,until it does,and then they find out for a very small amount they could have had coverage.

Now have fun with that tank !!

[Rbishop]

Outstanding!

[Joergen.Schoppe]

Gratulations, I can imagine how happy you are.

I agree, if possible, get a insurance. A friend of mine had 3! aquariums broken. Not just leaking.
Your wallet will appreciate it if it happens.

[Marinemom]

Good for you. Now go get that insurance and start having fun with your new tank.

Marinemom

[newsom00]

i think its a safe bet but still mabey take precautions like use plywood to even out the wieght

[mostlycichlids]

500 lbs will be fine spread out over four feet!

[dbcb314]

lol I can't believe people were worried that a 55gal tank couldn't go on a the second floor lololololol

[Shane Reynolds]

I'm glad you did the right thing and consulted your landlord (and I'm glad RBishop recommended actually reading your lease agreement). That saying about asking for forgiveness was before we became such a litigious country. Renter's insurance is a MUST in today's world, more so for the liability protection than the coverage for your own goods.

[lucid_boy]

well in my defense, its a 3rd floor. 1st apartment i have ever lived in. and well forums are for questions....no?

[Rbishop]

:iagree:

[KnaveTO]

Renters Insurance is a must for any place you live in whether or not you have aquariums.

Good luck with those. As for tanks in a room. I too live in an apartment and I am putting a 65 and a 50gal in my livingroom. Although my building was built in '71 and is concrete floors. Although I do have to worry... if the tanks were to break and flood the unit below me is the management office... LOL