How much weight can tanks handle?

Que

I wish I was a fish I wish.
Feb 15, 2007
2,449
12
38
Southern Berkshire county, MA
Real Name
Ken
Camera Used
cell phone
I have a 29g tank that I plan on putting a lot of rock into. Is there a rule of thumb or even a real recommendation for how much weight can go into a tank?

Q
 
always remember.. the weight of the water in the tank is going to almost dwarf the weight of the rocks.. you'll more than likely be safe.

what do you mean by 'a lot of rock'?
 
Pu t some flourescent light difuser on the bottom so you don't get any pressure points on the glass... and you should be fine for about 100+ pounds of rock in the tank.
 
Now that sounds like a good solution. I was starting to think about using some spray on foam and a piece of wood but the diffuser and a piece of wood will likely do it. I'm using a wrought iron stand so there is only edge support.

I don't know how much weight the rock will be but may get to 100lbs or so.

Q
 
100# of rock in a 29 gallon tank? WOW! Why do you need so much rock? When it comes to substrate I usually try to put in ~1# of rock per gallon of water.
 
glass tanks are not designed to have anything but edge support, thats why the bottom sits up on top of the trim. :)
 
Remember the rock is displacing water, so you're not adding as much weight as you think. I have about 150lbs of rock in my 55. Just make sure it's stable; you don't want an avalanche in your tank. Put the rocks in, and then the sand around them so your fish don't dig under them and knock down your arrangement.

I have a piece of egg crate (light diffuser) from Lowe's under my rocks; it seems to keep them more stable.
 
Don't the sides of the tank sit on the bottom glass? I thought the bottom frame was there to keep the glass from wanting to blow out from the water pressure and to keep people from placing the tank bottom directly onto an uneven surface with the likelyhood of breaking the bottom glass.
I need some insurance that the weight of the rock I want to put in will not put too much stress on the bottom glass. I still think that if I go with spray in foam and a piece of 1/2 in to 3/4 in plywood, it would give me the insurance I'm looking for.

Maybe I'm just being paranoid.

Q
 
AquariaCentral.com