considering a LARGE DIY project...

C

chilligirl

AC Members
Nov 9, 2007
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okay, so I've got a couple of tanks (60g & 33g) set in an (ugly) custom stand coming.

I'm excited about it, but the 60g is a VERY old tank (has been running for at least 15 years, and has been moved at least 3 times not counting the move coming up), so I'm worried it will spring a leak soon, plus, I know I probably won't be happy with it long term.

I'm thinking of setting up the above temporarily, and then embarking on building a custom stand for a 110 or 120 long, and making it a feature in the dining room (where the tanks were set to go anyway), with pendant lighting above it.

What I'd REALLY love is to build a stand that could hold two large tanks, likely a 110/120 on top and the 60g (mentioned above), along with my little 10g on the bottom.

I figure if I upgrade to a bigger tank, I can then reseal the 60g and rest easy for a few more years.

My first question is, how do I know if my floor will support the weight? The location I've picked out is on an outside wall. The length between supporting walls is about 12 feet. The dining room/living room is an open floor plan, so I could, if need be, place the tank directly over a supporting wall (there's a wall separating a bedroom and den downstairs). It's an old house (40 years), so pretty solid construction (they don't make 'em like they used to!). However, the basement is completely finished, so there's no way for me to see how far apart the floor joists are.

Here's a couple quick pics of the space, to give you an idea what I'm talking about. Please ignore the mess!

a long shot of the room
room.jpg


a pic of the theoretical ideal layout (obviously not to scale or structurally accurate lol)
P1040294.jpg


a pic of the floor on the wall the tank would be along
P1040296.jpg


thoughts?
 
a mobile home?! ouch! lol

No, it's a regular house. 2400 sq ft, split level, not portable in any way.

Does it really look that bad? I know it's a bit out of date, but I like the hardwood floors, and think our home's pretty good :) I could be delusional though, lol.
 
Finally a question that i can help answer.

Most likely your floor joist's are 16 to 24 on center and they would run the length from supporting wall to supporting wall also there would be at a min 1/2" plywood ( the plywood would add extra support) on the floor so if you know what way the joist's are running you will be find a 110g sould be over at least 3 joists at a min.
 
thanks for the link!

I've got to find out which way the joists are running, as mentioned. If they run accross the dining room, then the tank would work well where I want it. However, if they run the other way (front to back of house), then it won't.

Anybody know how I can find out which way the joists run without cutting into the ceiling downstairs? Our basement is fully finished...
 
gah! So, I had a moment of insight, and remembered that the ceiling in the furnace room is unfinished. I'm very bummed to say that the joists run parallel to the wall I wanted to butt the tank up again, not perpendicular :(

On the positive side, the joists are 2x10 and spaced 16" apart, so it's a very sturdy floor.

So, while I'm sure that the 60 and 30 gallon set I've got coming will be fine along that wall, my dream set up of a total of around 200g wouldn't be :(

I still have options. I could design a setup like I was describing and place it directly above the bearing wall, separating the living room and dining room. Or, I could put it at the back of the dining room, against the french doors.

There's drawbacks to both.

With using the tank as a divider, I'm not sure how I would hide the cords, hoses, etc. That's also quite a high traffic area, because my son is autistic and paces and bounces all over the house, so it's not ideal for a tank. The dining room is the only part of the upstairs where you can't feel him thudding accross the floor, and it's because of that supporting wall that runs under the floor between dining room and living room. I suppose I could put the tank on foam, which would help, but...

With putting the tank against the french doors I think it might just look weird. We don't use those doors at all, other than to let in air during the summer, but it might look odd. Plus, the electrical isn't as accessible from there. On the other wall, I could have an outlet hidden behind the tank. On the back wall where the doors are, there is no outlet - the closest one is about three feet in on the other wall. Plus, while natural light has some advantages, it's hard to control, and could lead to algae problems.

any advice?
 
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