Floor and tank weight
- Thread starter mfaso24
- Start date
3FordFamily
In Memoriam
Honestly if you think about it, even some of the largest tanks aren't that heavy relative to the overall size. I had a contractor/builder explain to me that most tanks are no heavier on one spot than a 220lb man standing there.
If your floors cannot handle a 220lb man, you have a different set of issues. The weight is spread out. Putting them against a wall also helps with support.
Probably an oversimplification but not something I worried about. I have a 180 and 55 gallon sump on the second floor.
If your floors cannot handle a 220lb man, you have a different set of issues. The weight is spread out. Putting them against a wall also helps with support.
Probably an oversimplification but not something I worried about. I have a 180 and 55 gallon sump on the second floor.
Yeah I guess what I was trying to figure out is if they somehow "tested" the floor with something. I don't know I just feel like if a contract told me what you said about the weight of a 220lb man it would make me unsure about them just cause I've read so much about this subject and how a man is not stationary in the same spot for years and years while a tank is...so it doesn't technically equate exactly that way. I wanna know if the floor is going to hold FOREVER essentially with the tank. And I would be a little disappointed to dish out the cash for them to say that to me.
hoooop54
reefin up north
I did have a structural engineer come out for my 160, which ran parallel with the floor joists. He said I was borderline and that overtime, it could cause issues. I had a contractor add an engineered beam in for less than $300.
I definitely don't have any worries about it.
hoooop54
reefin up north
Sorry, to answer your original question, I do not remember the details of how he calculated the weight. I know he was concerned with the span of my joints, which is why he recommended the engineered beam.
This... If you know (or can look at) which direction your floor joists run, try to position the tank to span as many as possible. and keep in mind where your structural beams are underneath. If you are on a slab, you should be ok. if you have a metal stand, I would make a footing large enough for all 4 legs (plywood works). and if there are concerns, an engineered beam is the way to go.
If you are constructing the tank or room around it, there are several things you can do to help disperse the weight. If you don't know what you are looking at inside a wall (there's nothing wrong with that, no one knows everything) then paying an engineer to look for you is worth. no one wants to spend all that money on a big tank and fish to have it fall through the floor.
a quick google search says a gallon of water is about 8.4 lbs (I was always told a gallon is 7...). so some fast math; 180 gallon glass tank is about 350 lbs, water is about 1500, sand is about 200, and say 300 lbs rock. this is about 2350 pounds (probably more like 2500+ with cabinet, and other equipment) over the footprint of the tank.
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Had a structural engineer come out before I filled my 300 - added four jack posts and supports as he directed to redistribute the weight. He inspected the work and signed off on it.
The math he used is out of my area of expertise - it has to do with the placement and length of the floor joists, their composition, the estimated load (weight of the setup), its size, the joist torquing potential, and a handful of other factors. He used a software package (I believe it was a structural CAD package) to input all relevant data and test alternatives as needed. That's why I brought in a structural engineer.
I think I could park my Jeep there now, but that's strangely reassuring.
Ray
The math he used is out of my area of expertise - it has to do with the placement and length of the floor joists, their composition, the estimated load (weight of the setup), its size, the joist torquing potential, and a handful of other factors. He used a software package (I believe it was a structural CAD package) to input all relevant data and test alternatives as needed. That's why I brought in a structural engineer.
I think I could park my Jeep there now, but that's strangely reassuring.
Ray
Grandlotus
Member
Anyone think a 90 gallon on the second floor would cause an issue?
If you're running parallel to the floor joists and near the end of the joist instead of in the middle of it (length wise) then probably not. Your best bet is straight up against a load bearing wall if possible. That being said, there are a bunch of other factor that come into play and I am no professional.
JB NY
Active member
I contacted a Structural Engineer for my tank, as well. At the time it was a 180 he told me I was fine with that tank perpendicular to the trusses, and against the wall, but if I put in a larger tank I should reinforce the floor. I reinforced the floor when I put my 270 tank in.
Would it make sense to just reinforce the floor from the start instead of pay for a structural engineer to come and tell you that?
Or do they tell you like a specific way to reinforce the floor?
JB NY
Active member
In my case I was told how to reinforce the floor. I have trusses underneath my tank, so he told me to shore up the sides of the trusses underneath the tank with plywood. The ceiling beneath the tank was finished so it involved opening up the ceiling shoring up the trusses and sheet rocking, taping, sanding, and painting the area. A bit of a pain so I did not do it until I had to.
kegogut
Active member
Depends on the footprint of the tank and which way your joists are running in regards to where you want the tank.
More thank likely you wouldnt have any problems if put it on an exterior wall
It also depends on the age of the structure. My house was built in 1913. Post and pier with a basement. 16" floor joists and fir subfloor, fir flooring, with acacia wood overflooring. I can't remember the square foot/weight supporting factor for plywood, but I do know plank wood isn't as "strong" as plywood. And OSB isn't as strong as plywood.
I positioned my 250 gallon Starfire tank over a main support beam (12"x12"), and made sure the metal stand was dead level before planking the stand with 1" plywood, covered by 1" styrofoam insulation sheet. My tank is drilled on the bottom, and the floor is drilled as well. There's another 100 gallons in a trough in the basement, and the pump circulates up, gravity drops from the overflow (Wirsbo type pvc) into the basement. I put up a spring type greenhouse around the refugium to keep condensation within a contained environment. It works great!
I positioned my 250 gallon Starfire tank over a main support beam (12"x12"), and made sure the metal stand was dead level before planking the stand with 1" plywood, covered by 1" styrofoam insulation sheet. My tank is drilled on the bottom, and the floor is drilled as well. There's another 100 gallons in a trough in the basement, and the pump circulates up, gravity drops from the overflow (Wirsbo type pvc) into the basement. I put up a spring type greenhouse around the refugium to keep condensation within a contained environment. It works great!
tidus10
New member
maybe im too dumb for this conversation.. but how can i tell what way my floor joists go?? My tank is over a crawl space.. and on the other side of the wall is my washer and dryer..
Usually they run the shortest distance of your house. For example, the distance of my house front to back is shorter than side to side, so they run front to back.
Also in some houses (like my own) if you go to the basement area there may be no ceiling or ceiling tiles that you can move and take a look and see.
Also you can try to use logic to deduce which walls are load bearing walls in your house. This walls will always be right on top of the I beam. The I beam runs perpendicular to the joists. Kind of difficult to explain how to locate this, but if you go in the basement you should have a few poles. These poles hold up the I beam so you could try to figure out which wall the poles are under, or if you can see more than one pole (in my house only 1 is really visible) than you already know which the I beam runs.
I'll try to post some pics of my house structure so you can get a better idea by seeing. I hope this helped though.
@tidus10 - you're never too dumb to ask any question in any conversation. It's when you're not sure and you don't ask, well, having a large aquarium drop through the floor is pretty self-explanatory at that point. So please, keep asking. That said, if you're talking about your 40 breeder, unless the floor is really old or poorly built (the aquarium wobbles when you walk by or some such), you should be fine. If you're looking for a larger aquarium at some point, then you most probably should be looking at the floor structure and the support it provides.
The couple previous posts are pointing you in the right direction for information on your floor joists to be safe. If in doubt, search for a structural engineer and have them come in to provide a recommendation in writing. It'll cost a few bucks, but it's worth it in the end.
Cheers,
Ray
The couple previous posts are pointing you in the right direction for information on your floor joists to be safe. If in doubt, search for a structural engineer and have them come in to provide a recommendation in writing. It'll cost a few bucks, but it's worth it in the end.
Cheers,
Ray
erndog1001
Premium Member
Look at the room from outside. Whichever way the roof slopes is the way the floor joists are running.
They should in most cases run from sloped side to sloped side Not from the flat(gable) side
Hope that makes sense.
