125g on the 3rd floor bedroom. Will the floor hold ? I have details

[candymancan]

Hey guys..

I need help, this isnt about saltwater but freshwater, and the forums i am registered too havent been much help.. I have discus fish and currently in my bedroom i have a 92g corner bowfront.. it sits in the corner where the floor joists are going, but due to its 1/4 cylinder shape its maybe on 2.. maybe 3 joists at the most.. and im sure this thing weighs at least 1100 lbs. But its been fine for 2 years.


Now i wanted a bigger tank, and i found one in craigslist for $100, a 125g but it has a iron stand. So 4 legs.. IMO it should have 6 legs.. but i guess its been holding the tank for 32 years just fine. (yes its a 32 year old tank and yes i lan to reseal it)

Now the floor joists in the house run in the direction front of back of the house if this makes sense ? So the only real spot i can put the tank is along the wall which would be the wall of the front of the house. Only issue i have is directly below this is a giant window.. I dont know the same of it, but its like a bay window but doesnt go out.. It spans maybe 8 feet long.

So basically there are no poles or beams vertical supporting the floor up there. I decided to tear apart some of the dry wall to inspect the joists and what kind of beams are over top of the window. The Joists are stacked on top of the beam so thery arent using joist hangars which is good. The beam over the window though is two 2x4's stacked on top of a 2x10. And im guessing its probably two 2x10's nailed side by side. Im guessing and hoping its two 2x10's nailed side by side.

So basically the floor joists sit on top of 2x 2x4's, which also sit on top of 2x 2x10's side by side. And there is no pillar or 2x4's supporting this because of the window..

Would tdoubele 2x10's and double 2x4's stacked on top with 5 floor joists be able to support 1500-1700lbs ?

Here are pics of what im talking about

 

[candymancan]

I just measured the tank because i was curious.. it looked taller then 125's ive seen in petsmart.

Sure enough its 72 inches long, 18 inches deep, and 24 inches tall actually 24 1/2..

So its a 135g tank am i right ? Because arent 125's like 21 inchs tall ?

 

[Mishri]

you are right on the water volume.

generally that is considered the maximum tank size you can do without worrying much about the floor, as long as it's running perpendicular to your floor joists you can generally put a tank 125 or less anywhere (135 is close enough) as long as your house is built to code (and it's not a trailer).. once you get above that is when people start looking into additional bracing.. 180+ gallons I'd start looking into reinforcing things... because 2,000 lbs once you include everything else.. is going to start causing problems.

 

[worm5406]

One thing to think about also is do you rent or own??

 

[dave.m]

Nobody here is responsible for any advice given. You would do better to hire a structural engineer to test and make recommendations on how to do what you want to do. That way you will have a signed document to show your insurance company should there ever be a disaster.

Dave.M

 

[worm5406]

+1 dave.m

I was going to tell him to contact the owner if he rented, and then talk to a local construction/contract company to find who in the area would be best to talk to about that.

Thanks Dave

 

[candymancan]

I own the house lol. And i found out this is how the framing is above the window on the 2nd level (where the tank will rest on)

Its a double header 2x10 beams nailed together side by side, with a double top plate 2x4's on top of it, and the joists rest on top of the 2x4. So this is deff considered a load bearing wall according to google on building construction.. And aparently since it has a double top joint on top of the double header it makes it even stronger as it disperses the weight of the joists on the double header 2x10's.

I went to lowes and went the lumber section they have a proffesional desk there and i talked to a building engineer back there.. and he said that spot would be more then enough to hold it

 

[candymancan]

Here is another pic of how mine looks, this isnt mine per say.. but how mine is built. and the joists on top are 2x10's not little ones like in this pic