Do I Need Floor Support?

AVerhoeven

New member
I was hoping some of you guys could help. I have included pictures below of it all and tried to include pictures of the basement area below it from nearly the same spot. In the long shot from the basement I'm standing in the doorway to the unfinished section which is also the load wall. I asked a contractor we know beforehand and he said "should be fine", but now that there's actual water in it as of last night I'm wigging out!
The tank is a Reefer 750. All said, 200g of water, 140ish lbs of rock, 80lbs of sand. When delivered, the guy said the whole package of the stand, glass, etc weighed 927lbs, but it was pretty extensively packed in an MDF crate, so I would imagine the whole thing probably weighs 750 or so dry? I think that means I'm probably working with a total weight in the 2600-2700lb range.
It is in a room that is 21'x10.5' (using 10ft it means the room should hold 8400lbs if up to 40lb/sqf code right?) along an exterior wall going lengthwise. This is, unfortunately, parallel to the joists. Even in this position, looking from below, it seems as though the tank does or very nearly sits over 3 I-beams. Currently there is essentially no other load in this room, but I'm sure my wife will eventually want additional furniture which is another question.
Is this likely going to be adequate? Should I drain the water in the tank and build a perpendicular wall spanning a few joists underneath where the tank is? Should I not even do it?
Thanks a ton for any help. I'm just nervous hell right now!
 
you are better off calling a structural engineer and having them look at it then trusting people on the Internet if you are worried.
 
If it's accessible, it wouldn't hurt to install solid blocking between the joists to help distribute the load, but it may not be needed. Really, it's whatever helps you sleep at night.

There are multiple ways to help reinforce the floor if you decide to go that route
 
Probably totally fine. I braced mine because my tank ran the same direction of the joists. When you walk by the tank do you get enough deflection that the water shakes. Not that that makes a difference but it would be something that would bug me day to day. I know my floor would probably have held the tank but with it empty and the dog running by you could tell he floor was deflecting.
 
I haven't noticed any deflection both of the flooring and the beams underneath. I've got a contractor we know that's gonna come over and give it a once over to see what his thoughts are. I'm tempted to throw a couple 4x4s with a perpendicular board as a pseudo load wall underneath it though. I'd prefer not to though.
 
Probably totally fine. I braced mine because my tank ran the same direction of the joists. When you walk by the tank do you get enough deflection that the water shakes. Not that that makes a difference but it would be something that would bug me day to day. I know my floor would probably have held the tank but with it empty and the dog running by you could tell he floor was deflecting.

I think you are confusing deflection with vibration/bounce
 
Should be structurally adequate, but it really depends on the size of I joists, on center spacing, and spans. Your loads are most likely 40psf LL (code) and around 12-15 psf Dead Loads.

If your spans are 15' or less I wouldn't worry.. how tall are I joists? 14" , 11 7/8"?
 
adding support after the weight is there doesn't really do much, it would have been better to run perpendicular to the joists.
 
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