big tanks... anyone know max floor weight capacity?

loaches r cool

loaches r cool

Snail Terminator
Feb 15, 2006
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Gahanna, Ohio
tristan.homelinux.net
I have been debating on a couple sized larger tanks. The thing I am not sure about is how much weight my floor will hold. I dont really know any real contractors so I looked online and couldnt really find much. Anyone know someplace online to look or some kinda 'ask the pro's' type website? I have a common bi-level house. Not sure what way the joists are going, front to back I would think, but I'll check that.

I am really wanted a larger tank and at the most (and really want to get) is a 240G 96x24x25 tank. That is estimated to weigh about 2800 lbs. I see this may be a problem lol! I have a solid slab family room on the lower level but the problem there is that room is always pretty cool (like mid to upper 60's) and I fear trying to maintain tropical temps in a 240G tank might be a problem (might also have a large sump like 55G). There are other concerns I have but thats for a different post. 120G would be the smallest of the ones I am looking at and even that is estimated about 1400# which isnt much less than the 240G since its also distributed on only half the floor joists (48" long tank vs 96").
 
It sounds like you have a house simular to mine. I have three aquariums on the family room level with a concrete slab underneath the carpet. These tanks are one 25 gallon, one 60 gallon with 89 pounds of live rock in it for the reef, and one 125 gallon. On the main level I have a 46 gallon discus tank that with everything in it incuding the water, gravel, decorations,filters, and fish as well as any other miscellanious items and the weight is estimated at about the weight of a refrigerator which is also on this level. Consider the weight of the other furniture that you have on the level you want the tank. Some of it is pretty heavy but my understanding is that water weight is another story. I think these floors can take a lot of weight but to be on the safe side I would contact a contractor for his advice and if you can somehow reinforce the area where the tank will rest.

Marinemom
 
I agree, you should contact a contractor before making any choices. There is alot of weight and you will want to be 110% sure before trying it. If you don't and the tank does weigh to much you will be forking out alot and I mean alot of money to fix the floors and anything else that may go. There are just to many variablies that can play a part in it, without a pro looking at it first you could be asking for problems.
 
Agreed. None of us can judge how your house was built. Perhaps is is older, with 4by joists on 24 in centers. What if the wood is rotting and has become waekened? way too many variables as was said. If the floor is incapable of supporting it as is, there are ways to beef it up that shouldnt be too expensive, possibly even DIY if your handy :)
 
So at what point do you worry about a larger tank on an upper floor? From what I have read, people haven't had problems with up to 125 gallons. Is it only with really big tanks that you need to worry? :confused:
 
I'd probably worry about a 125g myself, but part of that is I'm married and if something happened my wife would be talking about it 20 years from now. Anyways even a 125g aquarium can end up in the 1500 pound range depending upon what it's sitting on and whats in it. I think it's a case of better safe than sorry. It would most likely be ok if it were close to a load bearing wall and the floor joists passed perpendicular to the aquarium or better yet directly upon a lower level load bearing wall. My opinion would be to get a profesional opinion though. Keep in mind a typical couch with four 200# adults sitting on it would take up more floorspace than that aquarium and actually weigh less.
 
Yeah, I will try to talk to a contractor before making a final decision. Its a bi-level made in '73. FWIW I went down to the utility room when I got home to check out the joists, they are 2x8's on 16" centers. I only have about 8' of unfinished floor to look at from the utility room, the rest of the lower level is all finished. Looked like 1 was doubled up, probably was around the center of the house, also whatever the main support beam is called under the floor joists going crossways across the center of the house is 3 2x10's with steel supports every so often. Were my 75G tank is now is probably ideal since it up against a load bearing wall in the center of the house over top of the tripled 2x10's and also one of those steel supports. But the problem there is that it is by a section of wall between the kitchen and dinning room doors that is 6' across, so the 240G wont fit there since its too long. The 180G would, but its only $50 more to jump all the way to 240G I would hate to loose that $50 opportunity, but of course it all depends on the weight first. Thanks for the suggestions.

Hound said:
I'd probably worry about a 125g myself, but part of that is I'm married and if something happened my wife would be talking about it 20 years from now.
Click to expand...

Dang... didnt think about that, I might have to rethink the whole thing LOL!

:rant2: :huh:
 
It's not just a total floor failure you need to be concerned about. If you think the tank is level, and the floor under one leg starts to sag, that could produce enough stress to cause the tank to fail.
 
I dunno about floor load ratings, however I did make sure I re-enforced the floor beneath my 180Gal tank before I put water in it. I live in a house that is only a couple years old and it has some pretty sturdy construction and special floor joists that are supposed to be much stronger than traditional floor joists. The problem I had is that the location I wanted for the tank had the floor joists running parallel to the length of the tank instead of perpendicular to it, meaning that all the tanks weight would be resting on only 2 floor joists.

To reinforce those joists, what I did was get some 4x4s and stand them vertically beneath the floor joist and wedge them tightly into place between the joist and the cement basement floor. I then bolted the 4x4s in place. The tank is centered over the 2 floor joists on which it rests. There are 2 4x4s bracing each of the 2 joists. The 4x4s are not located at the corners of the tank, they are located at the "airy points" which are the points that most evenly support the weight stresses.

I plan to later attach sheet rock to the 4 verticle 4x4 posts in my basement and make it into a closet. I think my floor would have held the load without the bracing, but didn't want to risk an possible bowing that might have happened over time and the stresses that would have put on the tank.

Hopefully this gives you some ideas.
 
Just my observations with my 100g tank on a slab:

The glass canopy is pretty tightly sealed, I've got two Magnum 350's working the filtration side, and no heater. House temperature stays at a stable 76F,and I've got an All-Glass triple tube 48" strip light.

I've wanted to add more lighting for the plants, but am lucky to keep the tank's temp below 82F. In short, the heat from the filter motors (it's a small amount) coupled with heat from the strip light keeps the water temp up. I don't need a heater, I need a chiller.

Big tanks have thicker glass. Also, there's the question of volume versus surface area exposed to the elements (not counting the bottom of the aquarium).

I do not have this problem of inadequate heat rejection with my smaller tanks (38g, 10g and 3g). In fact, their heaters kick on every now and then to keep the water temps at 78F. Now, some numbers:

  • 10 gallon tank (20"x10"x12"h): about 920 sq in glass surface area, or 92 sq inches of surface area per gallon.

    100 gallon tank: (60"x18"x24"h): about 4,824 sq in glass surface area, or just over 48 sq inches of surface area per gallon.

    240 gallon long tank: (96"x24"x25"h): about 8,400 sq in glass surface area, or 35 sq inches of surface area per gallon.

You proposed 240g tank will have about 1/3 the glass surface area per gallon that a 10g tank has to be influenced by the outside environment.

In short, big tanks have less glass surface area to be influenced by the external environment (your home), thicker glass to slow down energy exchange (in or out of the tank), and a bigger heat sink (more water).

I'd go ahead and put that big tank on the first floor and experiment with heating needs. You might be surprised with how little you will actually need.

v/r, N-A
 
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