How can I tell how my floor joists run / what my floor is reinforced with / load bear

[djryan2000]

I'm considering putting a 75 gal with 30 sump in an upstairs bedroom. My house was built in 1991. I've read by other users on here to check the floor joists and what the floor is reinforced (that a concrete floor will mean the tank will be fine) with and put the tank against a load bearing wall.
For the joists I went to my basement and see plants in the ceiling running in a direction - I'm assuming those are my joists. How do I tell the other two?

If I do set up the tank, is there any way to tell the floor will sag before it does and damages the value of the house? Is this something I should just wait until I'm older and have my own place to do?


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[Oldreeferman]

1991 is not a very old house, id be mostly just concerned should a leak occur TBH that is where any damage would happen with a tank of that size.

 

[sbeason]

If you put the tank perpendicular to the way the floor joist run, or if you put it on an outside wall of the house, it will be fine. My guess is your floor joist are at least 2x10, if not 2x12. Either of those can hold some serious weight.

 

[mcgyvr]

A 75G tank setup can go anywhere you want.. 1st floor...second.. don't matter..
Its too small to cause problems..

 

[sneeyatch]

yeah - agree with mcgyvr - I had a 90 with a 30-ish sump in the main floor of our home, but over a finished basement without any additional bracing. It was placed against an exterior wall (no idea which way the floor joists were run, it was a carpeted room), and it was fine for well over 3 years without problems. if my daughter had some friends over and they were running around like maniacs, the tank would get a little bounce, but never floor sag or any issues at all. even the carpet bounced back after a couple of weeks.

 

[lifeoffaith]

You could use a studfinder on the ceiling from below to find out, if it is important to you. I'd agree with the above comments that at that size you shouldn't need to worry. I had a 120 parallel to the joists on an inside wall and never had a problem. I recognize that was probably not ideal now, but you should have zero problems with a 75.