Large Fish Tanks in Trailers / Mobile Homes

[rainmkr07]

Does anyone have a 125g+ fish tank in a trailer/mobile home?

I am wanting to upgrade from a 75g to a 135g tank in my single wide trailer, but keep reading that the floor won't hold, or I will need to go under the trailer and put jacks with 4x4's to support the load.

I am hoping there are people here with actual 125g+ tanks in single wide mobile homes that are fine, and didn't use jacks?

Anyone like that out here?

 

[chimmike]

gonna need some sort of floor support, IMO. You're looking at 135x8lbs/gal= 1,080 lbs just in water alone, in a fairly concentrated area.

 

[billsreef]

Check in the Chicago forum, I seem to recall someone there creating a whole frame system to put under his mobile home to support a large tank a fews ago.

 

[reefermike1]

cinder blocks work well. just stack some blocks under where the tank will be, pound in a couple wedges and you should be fine.

 

[46FiatYamaha]

I agree with reefermike, you should definitely reinforce the floor, and if done in a solid manner (as stated above) it should hold just fine.

 

[rainmkr07]

cinder blocks and wedges, that's easy enough.

so skip a 4x4 with 2 jacks on each end underneath, just stack some blocks w/ wedges and call it good?

 

[sikpupy]

I was looking at these

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/3CA84

 

[Montdj]

I had a 120 48x24x24 in a singlewide. Just make sure that you are across the floor joists. The joist are the same as any house. There are also people around me that have 180 and 220 in there mobile home and didnt brace a thing.

 

[Montdj]

Oh btw the floor joist's are usally 2x10 and go out to a steel i beem frame.

 

[rainmkr07]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14157223#post14157223 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Montdj
I had a 120 48x24x24 in a singlewide. Just make sure that you are across the floor joists. The joist are the same as any house. There are also people around me that have 180 and 220 in there mobile home and didnt brace a thing.

I keep reading 2 different things. There are 2 long steel joists that run the length of the trailer, and then there are dozens of board joists that run horizontally along the trailer.

Some say the tank should be in the center of the trailer, sitting on both of the 2 steel joists. Others say that it should be against a side wall, sitting on several of the board joists.

Which way should I put it? Do you think a 135g tank would be ok for 4 months w/o any cinder blocks underneath?

 

[Montdj]

I had mine on a side wall sitting on several joist. when you look under it the steel joist is about 18 or so inches in right where the tank wile be sitting. IMO the side wall is the only place to put a big tank in a trailer.

 

[rainmkr07]

alright, that's what I will do then. thanks a lot.

i assume if i need to put support underneath, the floor will start to bend a little, then i can reinforce it.

and if it doesnt bend or anything, then the floor is fine w/o the support?

 

[Montdj]

Well yes but I dont see you having a problem. A 135 is 6 foot that should hit 5 joist. 1080 pounds spread over five of them is fine. when you do the math there is more impact on the joist when a 200 pound man jumps up and down then your tank sitting there.

 

[rainmkr07]

I was going to put a 7x3 foot 1" piece of plywood under the stand to help distribute the weight even more.

the weight is more like 2,000lbs though, not 1,000...

135 tank + 55g sump + sand + live rock...

still ok?

 

[jbird69]

I think thats a good Idea..the plywood. Every mobile home Ive seen has particle board as subfloor.

 

[ludnix]

Why even bother if it's only for 4 months? I would wait it out.

 

[rainmkr07]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14157460#post14157460 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ludnix
Why even bother if it's only for 4 months? I would wait it out.

that thought has also crossed my mind.

$300 for the tank/stand/canopy is a great deal I don't want to pass on though.

maybe i could buy it and not fill it while here I suppose.

when we move June 1 -- from Kansas to Northern VA / DC -- we will most likely end up in an apartment -- possibly not the ground level either -- so i may have problems setting it up there anyway... would be a bummer to buy it now, store it, then get to DC, and not be able to set it up there either, and then have to sell it...

 

[sikpupy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14157321#post14157321 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Montdj
I had mine on a side wall sitting on several joist. when you look under it the steel joist is about 18 or so inches in right where the tank wile be sitting. IMO the side wall is the only place to put a big tank in a trailer.

Not so true, check under the trailer to be sure. Some are placed in different areas. My dads was 4 feet *away*, inward, from the wall.

 

[khaosinc]

I helped a guy set up a tank in an older mobile home/

What we did was set a piece if 1/4" plate down between the frame rails, and set the tank up on that. His bathroon failed a couple years later, but the fish are all fine.

 

[L98-Z]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14157460#post14157460 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ludnix
Why even bother if it's only for 4 months? I would wait it out.